Roast Master Dave Rochus Earns SCAA Roaster’s Guild Certificate
June 9, 2015 (Published: June 9, 2015)
Congratulations to Roast Master Dave Rochus, who has earned a Level 1 certificate from the Specialty Coffee Association of America Roaster’s Guild.
The Roaster Level 1 Certificate program develops knowledge and skills required in professional coffee roasting facilities. In addition to taking courses in roasting, green coffee grading, brewing and other coffee essentials, candidates must complete a 100-hour roast log. Dave earned his certificate after completing training and passing an exam at an SCAA event in California.
Dave has served as our Roast Master since 2008. In this role, he is responsible for hand-roasting more than 500,000 pounds of coffee annually at our 20,000-square-foot roasting facility in Columbus, Ohio, which opened January 2015. We distribute fresh-roasted coffee to more than 350 independent coffee houses, specialty grocers, restaurants, and colleges and universities across 29 states.
He and his team roast coffee beans in small batches using one of three gas-fired drum roasters. “Godzilla,” a Roure roaster that can process up to 325 pounds in each batch, handles the company’s signature “Armando’s Blend” espresso beans, a 2013 finalist for the title of America’s Best Espresso. They use two smaller roasters – a 66-pound Roure model nicknamed “Little Red” and a 25-pound Probat machine, “Gretel,” to roast to order, allowing us to offer fresh-roasted coffee based on any size order.
We’re extremely proud of Dave! He exemplifies our passion for roasting, and his cupping and roasting skills are a big part of our company’s growth.