A cup of coffee that gives back
For Sarah Jin, coffee is more than just a morning ritual. The current Coffee Development Manager and Head Roaster at Slacks Creek’s Extraction Coffee Roasters says every cup is served with a story – and an even greater purpose.
Extraction Coffee Roasters is an oasis for coffee connoisseurs looking for more than just a caffeine kick.
‘We only serve specialty coffee that meets our criteria throughout the whole journey, from the farmer to the bean importer,’ Sarah says.
‘It’s crucial to learn about specialty coffee, from green bean production to the skill set required to make quality coffee.
‘Because I actually meet our bean producers, our baristas are incredibly knowledgeable about the product – there’s an entire story behind each roast, from where it grew, who grew it and how it was processed.’
And that’s what their customers keep coming back for.
Sarah, who is also a Queensland Brewers Cup Champion, says giving back is just as important as a good cup of coffee.
In partnership with Southland Coffee Merchants, the team helps fund a program called Educare to provide small Brazilian bean producers with technical knowledge to improve their practices. As most are family businesses, there is a lack of formal education in farming development with little to no understanding of coffee quality. Most farmers simply drop off their coffee beans at the mill and have never tasted the final product.
Alex Milosevic speaking with Nadia and Andre from Southland Merchants.
‘We focus on building up not only our local community, but those on every part of the journey,’ Sarah says.
‘It’s all connected and it’s important to let people know the role that producers play – if we don’t think about who grows the coffee, how will we know they get paid fairly?
‘We’re so lucky here in Logan to have supportive customers and clients that also want to give back.’
The roastery and cafe exists today because of generous donors, whose names are featured on a hand-painted wall in the café.
Its best-selling house blend, with notes of milk chocolate and caramel, is befittingly called ‘Gratitude’.
Extraction Coffee Roasters is located on 7/3375 Pacific Hwy, Slacks Creek QLD 4127. For the latest news and updates, check out their Facebook.
By June Ho