The Rise of Small Batch Roasting Wholesale Coffee Supplier

What is Small Batch Roasting?

Like any artisan product, coffee is subject to many levels of variability. Affected by not only the variation on input quality which is a whole world of its own, the way the input is treated at the roasting level and processed drastically affects the quality of the output, the roasted coffee beans. At Black Market Roasters we take a look at the important steps Wholesale Coffee Companies and Roasters take, or should take to maximise roasted coffee bean quality.

Grading the Green Beans

The first step in the small batch process is to grade the quality of the green beans for yourself. Not every green bean trader or mill or producing farmer will know what quality standards you have, hence you need to get in there and do your own analysis of defects. This is the skill of the green bean buyer. To be properly educated in the defect selection to ensure you are not getting scammed by paying too much for inferior quality.

Storing the Beans

It has been known all to often for buyers to grade their green beans at origin, make the purchase, only to receive the shipment at home will a large difference in quality of the green beans. This has to do with logistic management and ensuring the beans are’t exposed to moisture or excess air and temperature as they travel around the globe. This can be mitigated by receiving a sample bag pre and post shipment to compare quality of your purchase If it differs, then contractually you have something to fall back on.

Roasting the Coffee Beans

When the beans arrive, a Small Batch Coffee Roaster or a common term “Boutique” coffee roaster will only hold small green bean stocks to ensure freshness and quality control. Green beans will often be roasted within a few weeks of arrival as the acidity and brightness of the coffee tapers away as the green beans age. Roasting batch sizes are also minimised so to ensure control on the quality and adjustment to origin terroir differences.

Packaging and Delivery

Small batch roasters like Black Market Roasters, Wholesale Coffee Suppliers in Sydney will then package immediately after roasting to minimise oxidisation, then deliver to their clines with roast dates attached within the week. Clients are then instructed to use the beans from 4-15 days from roast date depending on desired flavour profiles.

This whole process is part of the Specialty Coffee Industry standards and hopefully as a customer, you can appreciate the complexity of flavour in the cup and understand a little more how and why it is so.

If you are interested in becoming a wholesale cafe of Black Market Roasters or are interested to hear more, head over to our Wholesale Coffee Supplier page.