Manuel Gonzalez - Master Roaster
Manuel’s journey is one of hard work, curiosity, and passion. His story with Caffé D’arte began in 1993 while talking to a friend of his that delivered for Caffé D’arte. Manuel filled out an application hopeful, and as he was leaving, he was excited to find out that his help was needed the next day. He has continued to work for D’arte for the past 26 years.
Manuel admits that when he started in production, the work was tough (everything was hand packed back then). To make matters more difficult, he was still working on his English. Manuel enjoyed the people he worked with and became very interested in the entire coffee process. He would always ask the master roaster, Sergio, questions about the green beans, and the roasting process. Around this time Manuel set a goal for himself to roast coffee at Caffé D’arte someday.
Seven years of hard work later Manuel got his wish and became a roasting apprentice. Over the next five years, Manuel learned the nuances of roasting different varietals and the importance of understanding external factors that can affect the roasting process, Such as the ambient temperature of the air and the moisture content of each coffee varietal.
Manuel’s favorite part of roasting is when he is on the Balestra Wood Roaster. He loves the attention to detail that the wood roast demands. This includes the size and shape of each piece of wood to ensure heat consistency. He sees it as his opportunity to express his experience and craft in creating one of the world’s unique coffees.
When not roasting up the perfect batch of coffee, Manuel enjoys spending time with his two teenage girls and watching his native Mexican soccer team. His favorite way to start each morning is with a double shot of Fabriano espresso.
Manuel says he loves working at Caffé D’arte because of the great people he gets to work with, and the opportunity to follow his curiosity into a career in which he has great pride.
Thank you, Manuel, for taking such pride in roasting fantastic coffee.