Introduction

        My name is Luis Ángel, and I'm the founder of San Agustín. I'm currently in charge of roasting and selecting green coffee.

        I have decided to create this new section within the “San Agustín” Blog for two important reasons for me:

        First: my passion for photography. I like to apply this passion to a sector as technical and specialized as this one. It's very rewarding and I really enjoy it.

        Second: to show readers the personal or professional stories of relevant people within the specialty coffee industry in Spain.

        This is completely altruistic and in my free time. I've been in this industry for eleven years and have made interesting connections with many people. I've met people from all over the world who are connected, in one way or another, to specialty coffee. If there's someone I find interesting, they think it's a good idea... perfectly fine!

        For those of you who find this initiative interesting, I hope you enjoy these stories, and if anyone has any suggestions, please don't hesitate to write to me. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

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        In this first interview I'm going to talk to you about two people I've known for a few years now, María and Luis.

        Those of you who are in this world may still be familiar with the name “BICO”, a nice café that was in the heart of the Malasaña neighborhood in Madrid, fI love the coffee, Luis's lattes, and those delicious tortillas that Maria made.

        They closed some time ago, they left, and I think my questions for Luis might be interesting to many people just starting out and looking to get started in this difficult sector. He wants to tell us his story and talk about his new project, "RATIÑOS."

        For those who don't know you, tell us where you're from and why you chose to come to Spain.

        I'm from Venezuela, and sadly, the situation in my country is critical right now. I've been here in Spain for about eleven years. Even back then, the situation there was starting to get a little shaky, and I decided to look for an alternative because I didn't feel comfortable in my own country. There was so much insecurity, so much crime, so much impunity, so much corruption, and that, in the end, made me leave. I had a cousin in Spain, and I said to myself: this is my chance. I got all my papers in order, got on a plane, and without thinking twice, I came here in search of a better future.

How did you discover your passion for coffee?

        Actually, what I liked was cooking. After a while of not knowing what to do because I didn't have the proper documentation, and since I loved cooking, by chance, I discovered the Zaragoza School of Hospitality. At first, I got into it to cook. But little by little, my dining room teachers, perhaps because of my demeanor, perhaps because they liked me so much, or I don't know why, moved me out of the kitchen and into the dining room. From there, I started working with José Luis Morón, who is someone who has been involved in the coffee business for a long time. I've also been with the "Coffee Forum", trying to learn a few things. That was my beginning, from then on it was nonstop.

What led you to want to open your own business?

        It's a combination of several things... the precariousness of the sector in terms of employment contracts. What's happening right now in the hospitality sector in Spain is terrible.

        Being my own boss, managing our own resources, and then also dedicating ourselves exclusively to coffee. Being able to provide good service and offer decent coffee is very difficult. And we said, well, it's a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. We seized it, and here we are.

Why Santiago de Compostela?

        The reason is my partner, María. She's from here, from Santiago. We already had a business in Madrid, BICO, which helped us a lot to open our eyes to something that was becoming fashionable.

        But Madrid has the disadvantage that it's quite expensive, and life there is very difficult and quite stressful. Given all that, we decided, health and quality of life come first, and since María is from Santiago, we decided to come and invest in opening our project here. The truth is, we're super happy; it's an incredible city—above all, it's easier to breathe!

        How would you define “Ratiños” for someone who has never been here?

        As a very special place, small, cozy and with an incredibly high-quality coffee service.

What products do you offer?

        Specialty coffee. We also have cakes, cookies, muffins, some pastries, and bread. Everything is homemade.

        Your roaster is now San Agustín, why?

        Well, I think it was a coincidence. We were working with another roaster in Madrid. I remember things weren't going very well with them, and suddenly, Luis de San Agustín contacted us. Right at a moment of transition. After our initial contact, he sent us some samples, and when we tried them, we said, "This has to be here, it can't be a coincidence!"

        How popular is specialty coffee in Santiago de Compostela?

        The response is always positive. They're surprised because the quality in the cup is unlike anywhere else. Each coffee has its own personality, and when it's prepared, it's treated differently, which brings out nuances. I think our role is to understand, through tasting, the profile of each coffee to offer each person a specific coffee. Being aware that there isn't much of a coffee culture here, I'm obviously not going to offer extremely acidic or exotic coffees. Sweet and balanced ones are better, and so things gradually change.

        Things are complicated here right now, but I think we can start paving the way, and in fact, we have to. We have to start paying attention to the quality and service of our coffee. People drink a lot of coffee here, yes, but I think the quality is quite lacking. That's why we're here, to try to pave the way.

        Do you think personalized service is essential to educate customers about this product?

        Without a doubt, we need to explain why coffee really tastes the way it does. That it's not just something that comes in, you put it in the grinder, then press a button on the coffee maker, and that's it. No, no, there's a story, and whenever there's a story behind a product, it ends up engaging.

A coffee you'll never forget and why?

        Honestly, I'd say a coffee from Venezuela, San Cristóbal, Táchira State. When I arrived in Spain and tried this coffee, I found it surprising. In fact, San Cristóbal is right on the border with Colombia. Venezuela has very good coffee-growing regions, but unfortunately, nothing comes from there now.

An origin?

        Ethiopia

        What is your method of preparing the first coffee of the morning?

        I'll have a flat white. It's a drink that New Zealanders and Australians are fighting over. It's a latte with a much stronger coffee content, with a double shot. For me, that's the best to start the morning.

What future projects do you have?

        Expand on this. And well, why not have a farm in Venezuela when things get better? That would be great!

WHERE TO FIND THEM?

Ratiños Coffee Shop

Instagram: @ratinoscoffeeshop

Address: Rua da Caldeirería, N4, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña

Telephone: 637 19 13 76

We go to coffee shops in search of good coffee, usually using an espresso machine. Espresso machines originated in Italy (Turin) over a century ago. They have evolved from steam engines to pistons to the more modern pressure pumps.

          This evolution in technology has led us to new coffee makers where almost everything is regulated: the amount of liquid (approximately 30 ml), the extraction time (approximately 25 inches), the correct temperature. All of this always takes into account and depends on the type of bean, the blend, the roasting, the packaging, the carbonation, the type of grinding burr, etc., etc., etc.

          There are also vending machines that don't even require a barista. They ignore all these things that are so important for good practice. (Necessary for those who don't have anything else.)

          A not-too-distant future could lead us to cafes without waiters—there are already robots being tested for this type of work. We can imagine that robot knowing our tastes during coffee, our topics of conversation, having the information we need at the moment, and always being polite and correct.

          In 1982, a futuristic film (Blade Runner) was released. The future takes us to Los Angeles in the year 2019 (current year). It wasn't as successful in theaters as expected, but over time it became a benchmark for fiction films. Pollution, darkness, constant rain, a city, and a softening planet. Fortunately, there are already inhabited colonies on other planets.

          Advances in civilization have reached every field: spinners (flying cars), replicants (human replicas so perfect they're hard to tell apart). Not only is it difficult to distinguish a human from a replicant, but as the film progresses, it seems that replicants are more human than humans, that the material they're made of can not only be replicated but also artificially enhanced.

          Some replicants had come into conflict with humans, and revolts had erupted in some colonies. Deckard is the Blade Runner tasked with eliminating certain replicants roaming unchecked within the system.

          These wanted replicants, who have arrived and seen where humans are forbidden due to their condition, seek out their creator (Tyrell Corporation) to give them answers about their existence. The dialogues and monologues of the Nexus 6 are either hymns to freedom or thoughts of existentialist philosophy.

          What the future holds is up to us, though it may be out of our hands. In the meantime, when looking for a good coffee shop to talk about movies: Be discerning and find good company with a professional barista and a Nexus 6 machine!

        Karen Blixen was a Danish writer who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Most readers of this section are probably unfamiliar with both her life and her literary work.

However, if I put the phrase "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills" on the table, everyone quickly associates it with the film classic Out of Africa.

1986: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score… In total, Out of Africa takes home seven statuettes out of eleven Oscar nominations.

The autobiographical novel tells how Karen Blixen moved from Denmark to Kenya, where, influenced by her husband, she decided to open a coffee plantation and found the Karen Coffee Company. At the time, Kenya was a protectorate of Central Africa belonging to the British Empire.

The film takes place in these African lands, blending stories of love, war, traditions, betrayals, and everything that has always attracted adventurers, writers, and film directors.

The fact that a coffee plantation was established in this country… and it failed is what catches our attention.

Anyone passionate about coffee knows that Kenyan coffee is one of the world's great coffees. Its volcanic soil, altitude, climate, and commitment to this product make it the most important industry in this country. Kenya's AA, its unique grading system, and the perfect balance and strength of its SL28 and SL34 coffees highlight its products.

They say it was French Catholic missionaries who introduced coffee trees near Mombasa… back in 1843 (Bourbon and Mocha varieties). Since then, these lands have struggled to become a world leader in the coffee industry.

To discover this excellence, we must turn to all those importers who investigate these products of origin. Did you know that specialty coffee only accounts for 1% of the coffee in this country (Spain)? However, its scores are consistently higher than those of commercial coffees.

Therefore, from this blog, those of us who must make writing a profession of resistance have the urgent need to reclaim the artisanal over the industrial, the passionate over the routine, the heart over reason.

Look for something more than just a cup of coffee, look for specialty coffee, break away from the monotony and enter a multifaceted world of sensations.