Do the work, because the work will teach you.
This is me, @cardboard.erik back in 2015. In the early days, I did everything the hard way. All of our green coffee bags were schlepped by hand, all of our batches were scaled out by scoop, all of the roasting was done by adjusting little levers and knobs and our roast logger was an accounting binder with all the variables logged live as I roasted.
When we named our business, we chose this name because it symbolized what we wanted to become. Even though we didn’t consider ourselves “valiant” we knew and believed with time and persistence, we could become Valiant.
We started Valiant in the cold rainy months of Fall 2014. Like you, our coffee-buying experience had led us to local shops or grocery stores that often carried well-known brands. We'd deliberate bag, brand, and origin, hemming and hawing until we'd settle on one sweet little bundle to take home.
But, as time went by and bags were emptied, we found the reward was less than splendid…
The Valiant Way is a simple one:Be Excellent. This principle is one that permeates every aspect of our lives. Both in and out of the roastery, in our homes, in our relationships, in all that we do, our aim is to Be Excellent.
Before focusing in on our method and mindset for production, it helps to know a bit about the coffee journey...
Wednesday morning breakfast is an establishment in my house. I have an overnight shift that night so I have all morning to make an extravagant breakfast that will put me to sleep and prepare me for my upcoming sleepless night...
You know that scene in a movie where someone with a British accent offers an American tea and the American kinda does one of these -_- and says “Coffee”. It’s happened countless times in movies, so much so that I can’t even think of a single film where it’s happened but I know I’ve seen that particular exchange in multiple different situation like it’s a glitch in the Matrix or Groundhog day or something. And it’s a little weird seeing as how it’s not even grown in America except for in Hawaii...
A lot of things have been banned for starting a revolution. From kilts and bagpipes to hip hop and Facebook, what seems to be the smallest, most insignificant thing (or possibly obnoxious in the case of bagpipes) have been seen as the symbol and sometimes vehicle of a movement that can overthrow a seat of power. Ever heard of coffee being such a vehicle? No? Let's take a trip to 16th century Mecca.
When you think London, instincts would cause you to believe the beloved morning tea is the only decent beverage around. Maybe Queen Elizabeth hasn’t quite changed her ways, but with more than 13 million people, and as one of the most culturally rich and diverse cities on this planet, the Brits hold their own when it comes to coffee.
