December 03, 2020
Craig and Andrea Simon are a coffee-loving couple from Melbourne and are Founders of Criteria Coffee. We featured Criteria back in May of this year, their amazing coffees helped ease the pain during our first COVID lockdowns, so what a treat it is to end the year with our favourite duo.
Craig and Andrea’s roastery is a unique business. Not only do they run a successful coffee company, they also operate a communal roasting facility, offering a supportive environment that fosters knowledge sharing and the skills to make exceptional coffee in-house. They’ve created a place that goes one step further to bridge the gap for brands and individuals to take ownership of their coffee supply and create a product they’re proud to call their own.
“I was very fortunate to have built my knowledge within a company that supported my development and gave me every opportunity to dive down the rabbit hole that is coffee science. Now I want to do that for others.” — Co-Founder, Craig Simon
Craig has spent over 15 years in the industry and in that time he’s witnessed the coffee scene evolve and change. Now, a new generation of coffee professionals are looking for a place to experiment and learn. There’s no such thing as a coffee apprenticeship, many of the learned skills associated with ‘making good coffee’ are only as good as the person demonstrating them. That’s why Craig and Andrea stepped in to give a helping hand - opening Criteria Coffee to the public and giving those who are keen - the resources they need to succeed in the industry.
Craig still gets to roast delicious coffee for Criteria while also getting satisfaction out of seeing community members perfect their own roast profiles and release their coffee to the market. The roastery is a space in which others can come together to connect and celebrate the products they make, but also the relationships they forge with import partners, coffee farmers, and customers.
ESPRESSO BLEND
This month’s espresso blend is made up of Brazillian and Colombian coffees from two unique farms. The Esperançe Signature Blend from Brazil has a cup profile that results from the mixed processing methods from the south of Brazil. Each lot is crafted by the partners at Capricornio Coffee to reflect the same taste profile of honey, almond, orange, and cocoa with a creamy body.
While over in Columbia, Diego Fernando Lopez Davilla is always striving for the most rewarding cup profile on his small 6 hectare farm. Diego has experimented with honey and naturals, picking only the ripest cherries to achieve an incredibly complex and sweet cup.
Tasting Notes: Expect honey, almond, orange, and cocoa with a full, creamy body.
Suggested Recipe: 22.5g in to 40g out over 20-24 seconds
FILTER ROAST – BEST OF HUILA
This month’s filter roast is a unique blend of micro lots that celebrate coffee excellence and promote new developments in Colombian coffees. The producers are located in the San Agustín municipality, an area famous for the incredible collection of pre-Hispanic archaeological remains, as well as high quality coffee. This regionally focused brew was organized by Banexport, a coffee development company that unites passionate producers, importers, and roasters.
Tasting Notes: Notes of peach, plum, lime, black currant, and orange.
Suggested Recipe: 6g coffee per 100g water
The endearing thing about coffee is that it can be the connection between people, places, and experiences. Craig and Andrea aim to make those connections easier to forge for those new to the industry. They’re making exceptional coffee and giving others the confidence and skills to do so for themselves. Enjoy!
