Name and Occupation
Steven Flint - Production Roaster
How did you get into coffee?
I don’t remember the first coffee I drank, but I remember the coffees I’ve shared with people in my life. Coffee experiences are attached to many milestones and events in my life, it’s surprising I've taken this long to start working in the industry.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about coffee since you started working here?
It has to be the range and depth of flavours. Despite having always considered myself a coffee lover, my experience of the coffee world was shallow and limited to the clichéd 'dark Brazilian'. Although I stopped adding milk and two sugars a few years ago, I was still pigeonholing myself into a single ‘Americano’ taste profile. From the first sip of Fuyan Ben handed me while showing me around, I have been forced to stop and really appreciate each new tasting experience.
What is your favourite part of working at Rounton Coffee?
For me, the best aspect of working at Rounton Coffee is the team. Every day you can feel the collective drive to provide maximum drinking enjoyment to each and every customer.
What’s your favourite spot in North Yorkshire to relax or have a coffee?
When we lived in Yarm, we used to frequently walk our dog around Osmotherly reservoir, but these days, we mostly drive north to Scotland. My favourite place to relax in North Yorkshire would be anywhere rural and scenic, probably exploring abbey ruins or historical sites.
What is your proudest achievement in coffee?
It has to be the excitement I felt the first time I drank a cup of coffee that I had taken from green beans, roasted, ground and brewed myself. I experience this each time I share a cup of coffee I have roasted with a loved one.
If you were not working at Rounton Coffee, what would you be doing?
As soon as I became aware of this opportunity, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. However, on an alternate timeline, I would be doing something process-driven and methodical i.e. finishing my electrician certification or retraining entirely as a counsellor.
If you could change one thing in the coffee industry, what would that be?
I’d like to have more available decaf options. I don’t drink caffeine after lunchtime if I want to sleep, but always dismissed decaf because I didn't find supermarket ground or instant decaf very tasty. Since trying our Sparkling Water Decaf, it’s been refreshing to drink coffee on an evening without impacting my sleep. It would be nice to have a little more available variance in flavours.
If you were a coffee blend, what would your flavour profile be?
I would be fruity and full-bodied, with a smooth South American twist.
What do you do away from work?
I like to spend a lot of my time connecting with my family and friends, whether it's relaxing and catching up, eating out or random excursions with my wife and 3 Shih Tzus. The rest of my time will be spent doing something musical, playing guitar or bass, learning music production in Ableton, or just being muddy and sweaty in a field at a festival or concert somewhere, probably with a coffee in hand.