Meet the Roaster: Jim from Rate Of Rise Coffee
Updated: Oct 13
Rate Of Rise Coffee is a Welsh coffee roaster based in Abergavenny and one of the independent roasters featured in our Wales coffee subscription. They’re also included in our guide to the best coffee roasters in Wales, which you can explore here.
Who or what first pulled you into the world of coffee?
Coffee has been part of my daily routine since I was a teenager. I used to have a little filter coffee brewer on my bedside table with a sachet of Nescafe cappuccino to start the day before moving on to a Gaggia espresso machine a year later. One turning point was in Bergen, Norway, when I first tried a light filter coffee from a little cafe serving a natural Ethiopian. I had never had something so light and it was at that moment I realised coffee could be so much more than just something that was dark, slightly bitter and quite one dimensional. It was in lock down of 2020 when my photography work came to a halt that I started roasting coffee properly (not on the popcorn maker that I first had a go on 10 years prior… when I roasted “Jim's Beans”!)
How did you get involved with Rate Of Rise?
Rate Of Rise is my company which has now been established for over 2 years. As I am the sole employee, I have quickly learned how to spin multiple plates at one time. I never stop thinking about the business which can be exhausting but it's worth it for the community of locals that I have come in every week.
What’s the meaning behind the name (if any!)?
Rate Of Rise comes from a technical term in coffee roasting which is the rate in which the bean temperature rises throughout the roasting time. It’s also a nod to getting up early and seizing the day or adventure.
What music are you playing in the roastery at the moment?
Music this week has been some classic Ryan Bingham. I've always been a big fan of country music.
What’s your favourite piece of coffee-related kit or equipment?
I'm not normally one for new gadgets but the Outin Nano has been an amazing bit of kit for making espresso on my adventures, whether on the mountainside or hiking in the woods. Using the pro 18g basket you can get some great tasting espresso. It also heats the brew water, eliminating the need to bring a portable stove.
How do you unwind after a long day roasting coffee?
After a long day of roasting I love to get outside for a trail run or a mountain bike ride with mates. I'm lucky to have so many outdoor trails on the doorstep around Abergavenny.
What’s a coffee that you’re particularly proud of?
I'm really proud of the whisky barrel aged coffee that I release every Christmas. This is a nod to my years spent brewing beer. We'd always barrel age a special beer once a year and the results were amazing. So when I started I knew I wanted to barrel age coffee. The last two years I have worked with a small organic distillery in West Wales. I take the green House Roast coffee and age it in the barrel for 6 weeks and the results have been awesome. It's a sell out every year. This year I'm going to need a bigger barrel!
What’s your current “desert island” coffee — the one you’d drink forever if you had to?
I've literally just finished a bag from Skylark coffee roasters with one of the best coffees I have had in a long time. Its a Colombian orange co ferment from Edison Argote. The flavour profile was Aperol Spritz and honestly it was just that! So sweet with a beautiful deep orange flavour that complimented the bean profile. I could definitely keep drinking it!
What’s a coffee-related dream you still hope to chase?
I am yet to go on an origin trip. I would love to go and visit some coffee farms and work directly with the growers. I think it's very important to have a connection with the coffee we roast. Once I take on a member of staff I'll definitely be planning a visit.
Discover more from Rate Of Rise Coffee → want to explore more of Jim's coffee? Visit the Rate Of Rise Coffee website to discover their range of freshly roasted coffees and learn more about the thinking and craft behind their roastery.
Discover more independent coffee roasters → explore our Wales coffee guide to discover more independent roasters, or try our Wales coffee subscription to enjoy freshly roasted coffee from a different Welsh roaster each month.
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