In Melbourne's bustling coffee scene, the bean selection process has become more complex with a vast array of coffee options. With an abundance of choices, from unique flavour profiles to vibrant packaging, choosing the ideal coffee bean can be daunting. Coffee roasters are offering a plethora of options, but how do you find the perfect match for your taste buds? After years of research and experimentation, we've simplified the process, and it all begins with one fundamental question: How do you drink your coffee?

In 2010, when we founded Omar's, our mission was to get people excited about the world of specialty coffee. Why? Because we were! The way we shared our excitement was by sourcing the finest coffees available. We shared comprehensive details about each coffee: the farmer's name, the country and region of origin, the farm's altitude, the processing method, and a vivid description of its flavour profile. Our excitement extended to curating a diverse selection of delicious coffees. While our enthusiasm for our products resonated with some, our service approach wasn't always as efficient or well-received. We firmly believed that the coffee itself was the star, and customers needed to understand every aspect to savour it fully.

Our tasting notes were based on our technical cuppings, where we had three categories; fragrance, aroma and flavour. The cupping process is used to search for subtle nuanced flavours and smells that may not be present in the eventual brewed cup. Although this was our perceived ‘flavour profile’ of a given coffee, our customers often found it hard to pick up on things like citrus blossom aromatics in their latte. Now, we’ve restricted our flavour notes to a few words, that are derived from tasting coffees brewed in the same way they’re to be served.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PACKAGING IN COFFEE SELECTION

Packaging plays a vital role in conveying information to consumers, often influencing their purchasing decisions. Over the years, our coffee packaging has undergone various iterations, from minimalistic to overly detailed and everything in between. Currently, we emphasise the roast level prominently, accompanied by concise flavour descriptions. More comprehensive coffee details are available on a separate card for those seeking in-depth information.

UNDERSTANDING DIVERSE COFFEE PREFERENCES

Coffee preferences vary widely among consumers. Some enjoy indulgent lattes, while others savour filtered coffee. At our roastery, we carefully select coffees based on their intended use. In Melbourne, most coffee consumers drink their coffee with milk. This has, and should have, a major effect on which coffees are purchased, and how they’re roasted, brewed and served. Since opening in 2010, we’ve always served different coffees depending on whether the consumer adds milk to their cup. Our favourite coffees when enjoyed black, never seemed to taste great with milk. Hence the birth of our two house blends; White Blend, for milk-based coffee drinkers and Black Blend for those that drink coffee black. The Black Blend is made up of bright, fruity and sweet coffees from Ethiopia that have high acidity, and the White Blend hails from Brazil, where they grow and process coffees with high body, richness and sweetness, but with low levels of acidity.

OUR ROLE IN THE COFFEE CHAIN

As coffee roasters, we’ve always seen our job as an important step in the coffee chain. Our goal is to allow the coffee to display all of its character without ruining it by under or over-roasting it. Our style of roasting has always been to develop the coffee enough that its flavour is easily extractable and enjoyable. The coffees we buy are inherently sweet and that is what we want to showcase the most; the coffee’s sweetness. The more a coffee is roasted, the more acidity and fragrance are sacrificed for body and richness. So if a cup of coffee with a light and bright flavour profile is desired, a gentler, lighter roasting style is appropriate. If a rich, heavy cup of coffee is the goal, a longer roasting period would be more suitable. The roasting style can either showcase a coffee’s character or overpower it. We try and buy coffee with a purpose in mind. When we want to serve a coffee as a light and bright filter, we’ll choose a coffee with naturally high levels of acidity, brightness, sweetness and fragrance and we’ll roast it lightly to maintain that profile. Conversely, if we want to serve a coffee as a rich, sweet espresso, we’ll choose a coffee with high body and sweetness, and we’ll roast it slightly longer to accentuate those characteristics. Although the coffee itself is the hero, our part of the process is also important; not screwing it up. This mindset has formed the basis of our service model.

Some things haven’t changed. We still buy the best coffees we can, but we have our customer-base in mind when choosing which coffees to buy. We feel it’s our job to know our coffees and our customers and get the right coffee beans into the right customer’s hands. We lead the discussion with that simple question… How do you drink your coffee? If you like to drink your coffee with milk, say no more. Our White Blend is designed just for that. If you like a light, bright filter coffee, we’ll suggest our Light Roast. We’ve even emulated this service process online with our Help Me Decide function.

EMBRACING QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE

Our enthusiasm has shifted from unique, unconventional coffees to a focus on providing exceptional customer service. We understand that the best coffee is the one tailored to each customer's taste. At Omar's, simplicity is key. Amidst the plethora of coffee options, our mission is to enhance the consumer experience through straightforward and informed service. We firmly believe that sometimes, less is more.