Top 3 Takeaways from Roast Summit Portland

Our West Coast sales representative, Shaa’ista Sabir-Zamastil, recently returned from Roast Summit 2026 in Portland, OR, Oct. 1 -2. She had so many new ideas on quality, roasting and stories to tell! There were 300+ attendees and Artisan was proud to be a sponsor of this year’s event.  Events like this are where we get to step out from behind the green coffee and spend real time with the roasters and coffee professionals we work alongside every day.  When she got back, we asked her for her top three takeaways from the event. 

#3 Portland is the place to be. 

Maybe it's the plethora of local coffee roasters/shops, the perfect fall weather of the PNW, or all the cool bonus things you get to do by being in a diverse, walkable city (I'm looking at you, food truck park with the vegan Reuben Sandwich); but Roast Summit Portland just gets better, and bigger, every year. This year we saw higher attendance for both new and seasoned coffee professionals.

#2 Feedback matters and they listen (but don't judge). 

Were two lectures back-to-back a struggle for the active coffee person brain? Now there's a break and a stimulating activity in-between. Last year there were four roasters to share between ~ 75 people in a group? This year there were 10 roasters of greater variety, including Sample roasters. It felt good to return and see positive changes implemented based on actual feedback. It's me...I'm feedback.

#1 Low Stakes, High Reward. 

l found myself describing Roast Summit Portland to newcomers this way a lot. It's an unassuming space that gets you out of the comfort of your home base. Maybe you'll be challenged, maybe you'll be affirmed, you'll definitely learn something new and meet other roasters and coffee professionals in a space dedicated to collaboration. Speaking of transparency, walking away with Laila Ghambari/Guilder Coffee's COGs for their shops and roastery? Priceless. Because when you know better, you do better,  and then you share!

Until Next Year

Collaboration, transparency and a willingness to keep getting better are values we share at Artisan, and it was great to see them on full display in Portland.  A big thank you to the Roast Summit organizers, the speakers who shared so openly, and everyone who stopped to say hello.

If we missed you this time, we’d still love to connect.  Reach out to Shaa’ista or anyone on the Artisan team to talk green coffee, sourcing, or what you’re roasting this season.  And if you’re on the fence about attending next year?  Take it from us: low stakes, high reward.  We hope to see you there!

Happy New Year! - Highlights from 2019

As we look back on 2019, the items in our infographic (left) are the biggest highlights. They include:

Achieved Q Processing Level 1 certification! Took the three day course with Drew Billings at Atlas Coffee in Seattle, June 2019

8 new roaster customers of green coffee grown by Rwandan women.
1 new consulting customer
1 new shipping consolidation customer

Lean at Origin training was introduced to a third country - Democratic Republic of Congo! It was an honor to be sponsored by the Polus Foundation (Boston, MA) to work on beautiful Idjwi Island. Artisan trained leaders from 2 coffee cooperatives in Lean at Origin skills.

Finished in the black. Calendar year 2019 achieved a cash-basis profit. While we seek to do good, we have to stay in business and this means earning a profit.

Relationships Deepened. Relationship coffee requires investments of time and travel dollars to be present and observe what is happening at origin. Grateful to be able to travel to Africa three times in 2019.

Coffee Literacy Expansion. Artisan supported Grace Izerewe to follow an intensive 6-week course in Kigali, Rwanda covering many coffee topics including cupping, green grading, sample roasting, production roasting, wet mill processing and LeNez du Cafe sensory skills.

Coffee Career Mentoring. Artisan was proud to be selected as  mentor by Joel Arusha, a rising young coffee entrepreneur in Rwanda. Monthly calls were arranged by Joel where he could ask questions and Ruth Ann tried to guide. It was exciting for both sides to see excellent new career pathways develop for Joel!

IWCA Global Board Director. Ruth Ann was proud to serve on the board of the International Women's Coffee Alliance for a fourth year. The non-profit, all-volunteer group has overcome many obstacles in 2019, moving forward in its transition to a staffed model. Most exciting is when there are opportunities to see up-close what the now 24 chapters around the world are doing!

MotownThrowdown II - fun!

Motown Throwdown II, May 19, 2011 Location: AJ's Cafe in Ferndale, MI
I enjoyed the second Motown Throwdown in Ferndale, MI on May 19th. AJ was a gracious host at his cafe. Tom Isaia (Coffee Express) did a great job organizing us. First event - Signature Espresso Drink Contest, with Lani Peterson of Kerry Beverages judging. Teresa Pilarz of Espresso Elevado (Plymouth, MI) won $300! Runners up were Lorne Keeny of Coffee & Friends, Okemos and Brian Cullen, Tres Bean Coffee House, Walkerville, Windsor (Ontario).



The second event: Best Coffee Contest - had 13 entries -- all Colombian. Sally Rivera (imported from Cafe Imports) and Ruth Ann Church (Artisan Coffee Imports in Ann Arbor, MI) cupped and scored all 13 of the coffees, which took almost 2 hours. The top 5 Colombians were then brewed and poured into 5 numbered airpots. Then all participants could taste and judge. The informally scored ranking was:
1) Coffee Express Co., Plymouth; Giraldo Exotico (imported by Royal)
2) Madcap Coffee, Grand Rapids; from Didier Reinoso's farm - used at the Barista Championship in Houston
3) Cafe Imports (green coffee importers), St. Paul, Minnesota.
4) Coffee Express Co., Plymouth; organic
5) Artisan Coffee Imports, Ann Arbor; you guessed it right! This was a DECAF coffee from Artisan Coffee Imports and it was in the top 5 out of 13! The coffee is from the state of Tolima, southern Colombia, and the ASOCEAS cooperative -- a group of 58 farmers near the town of Rio Blanco.