We look at some of the highlights of the recent Singapore Roaster Forum, from coffee bar takeovers and cupping tables, to panel discussions with industry experts.
BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Photos courtesy of Singapore Coffee Collective
Singapore may be a small island, but when it comes to specialty coffee, it packs a mighty punch. This was evident during the second Singapore Roaster Forum; held on the first weekend of October 2022, the forum brought together some of the best local and international talent in the coffee industry. Halted for two years due to COVID-19, the highly anticipated event finally took place, and it did not disappoint.
The forum, which organizers describe as an open platform for coffee professionals to share and exchange knowledge, saw a variety of panel discussions, coffee bar takeovers, and coffee tastings. There were also guest appearances from some of the biggest names in coffee. Today we’ll take a look at some of the highlights from this event, sure to be an annual staple on the Singaporean coffee calendar.
Highlights from the Singapore Roaster Forum
Among the main highlights of the event were the bar takeovers by Matt Winton, 2021 World Brewers Cup Champion, and Sierra Yeo, 2022 UK Brewers Cup Champion. These two talented coffee professionals manned the bars at Dough and Glyph Supply Co., and treated guests to amazing coffee creations. Other memorable moments included competition coffees being served by Yessylia Violin, the 2022 Indonesian Barista Champion, and Mikael Jasin, the 2019 and 2020 Indonesian Barista Champion 2019/2020, at The Community Coffee, as well as their impromptu guest shifts at Dough.
Hot Topics
There were panel discussions aplenty at the Singapore Roaster Forum, with topics ranging from cupping and processing methodologies, to roasting approaches and entrepreneurship in the coffee industry. Hee Wei, 2022 Singapore Barista Champion, shared his journey to the World Championships, while Matt Winton gave insights on sourcing coffee beans for small roasteries. Mikael Jasin further spoke about different processing methodologies used to achieve higher cupping scores and prices for coffee beans. Experienced roasters weighed in on sample versus production roasting. Additionally, a panel of women entrepreneurs shared their experiences in the coffee industry.
The coffee cupping table at the Singapore Roaster Forum featured a large variety of coffees from across Asia, including some Vietnamese specialty coffees brought by Will Frith and Kel Norman of Building Coffee.
So You Think You Can Brew?
The weekend ended with the first-ever So You Think You Can Brew? home brewers’ brewdown at The Community Coffee. The competition saw 18 finalists compete in a series of challenges, with each round featuring a mystery coffee to calibrate with the goal of presenting the best brew to the judges within 15 minutes.
Shining a spotlight on the home brewers was a great way to encourage coffee enthusiasts of all levels to get involved in the industry. We’re confident that this won’t be the last time we see such an event at the Singapore Roaster Forum.
All in all, the weekend was a resounding success, giving coffee lovers a chance to meet and mingle with some of the best in the business, learn more about coffee, and enjoy some truly excellent cups of joe. We can’t wait to see what next year’s event has in store!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine, and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work. You can follow her adventures at thewanderingbean.net.
