Curated Brew - An Interview

I caught upward with Ian Kissick, founder of Curated Brew, to uncovering out what’s unique nigh his specialty java subscription service.

The release of pocket-sized batch java roasters has been on the dramatic increase over the final few years (mixed inwards with older traditional roasters reinventing themselves) in addition to novel java subscription services lead keep likewise been popping upward regularly.

I was intrigued past times the cite - in addition to the concept of ‘machine learning’ - hence had a proficient long chat with Ian.

What's the deal?

Ian started Curated Brew, leaving a corporate information technology purpose behind, at the halt of 2016. Despite solely taking upward java inwards 2012, Ian’s making upward for lost fourth dimension in addition to has definitely joined the ranks of the obsessed. He wanted combine his background inwards technology (coding) with his new-found dearest of specialty coffee.

He’s especially drawn to juicy, bright, interesting flavours at the upper halt of the specialty java marketplace – in addition to variety. The work is transportation costs - which rapidly brand sourcing these coffees from all over Europe un-affordable, fifty-fifty for the seriously dedicated.

So, inwards a nutshell, Ian does a wholesale bargain with a single, carefully selected roaster each month, in addition to ships y'all delightful java that would otherwise cost nearly twice equally much if y'all ordered a purse straight from the roaster due to transportation costs.

You’ll acquire a tip top purse of beans delivered to your address for a maximum toll of to a greater extent than or less £12 a 250g purse (slightly less if y'all purchase to a greater extent than than ane bag) in addition to some helpful accompanying notes nigh the java to read piece y'all sip.

To acquire your gustatory modality buds yearning in addition to equally an indicator of quality, final month’s roaster was Norway’s Talor in addition to Jorgen, in addition to May’s is Sweden’s Koppi. Yup.

So what’s the bargain with ‘machine learning’?

Ian is creating a database, based on client ratings of the sensory aspects of the java they’ve tried. He’ll feed that into a machine learning model based on thousands (and 10s of thousands) o customers’ feedback to empathise the underlying factors that people are enjoying.

In 2 years, Ian’s planning to offering 2-3 roasters over 10 origins, with dissimilar characteristics, in addition to he’ll know the likelihood of who volition similar which coffees in addition to recommend them accordingly - based on previous feedback.

He’s likewise aiming to necktie inwards with a academy to enquiry how peoples’ java palette changes over time, to offset unintentionally getting stuck inwards a flavor profile high temperature slash vortex ongoing.

How produce y'all lead the roasters y'all feature?

When Ian fix out inwards Jan 2017, he looked at all the speciality roasters inwards U.K. in addition to Europe that he was interested inwards in addition to emailed them. He asked for samples, cupped them in addition to made a listing of 10 he wanted to travel with immediately. Some were start-ups others were to a greater extent than established companies. Going frontwards Ian volition inquire for samples from roasters in addition to hence loving cup in addition to lead them together – equally good equally bringing others inwards to assist lead equally well.

Ian said “I similar trying dissimilar coffees. It’s a comfort in addition to a pleasure, merely it’s likewise intriguing whenever y'all attempt a java with a dissimilar sensory profile. The people who are signing upward hence far are to a greater extent than frequently than non looking for something different. Because of the toll point, we’ll rarely characteristic highly expensive coffees, merely we’ll e'er characteristic interesting coffees at high character - to a greater extent than frequently than non a lite roast.”

Ian’s trying to come across with equally many roasters equally possible to gustatory modality their coffees with them. He wants to acquire their accept on the coffees they lead keep on offer, chat them through in addition to brand decisions together nigh what suits his customers.

We were lucky plenty to attempt the Talor & Jorgen, fully washed Rwandan Musasa (pictured inwards super lovely artwork) in addition to volition hold upward dorsum to attempt some other shortly - amongst supporting our local roasters heartily of class (in fact I passed a few names of our fine Scottish roasters to Ian for consideration!).