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There is no doubt that 2011 was one of the most challenging years for Transcend, while at the same time one of the most rewarding in our short five years. Transcend Coffee turned five years-old this year, and much to Josh's dismay, we did nothing to celebrate theoccasion. Truth be told, I am not big on celebrations like that, but hopefully 2012 will offer an excuse to throw a big party.
the really big show
That brings me to one of the best things to happen to Transcend Coffee this year; Josh winning the Canadian National BaristaChampionship. We were lucky enough this year to have two amazing baristas competing for us at the national level. Ben Put spent the year in Edmonton, while his wife was doing her masters at the U of A, and Josh has been with Transcend for about four years now - almost since the beginning. Both Josh and Ben worked very to train and prepare for regionals and then nationals, and at the end of the day, finished first and second. It was a fun experience for me to watch two very talented individuals be rewarded for all their hard work. I have always been a huge supporter of barista competitions as it hones the skills of those who compete, and ultimately makes our cafes more quality focused.
Josh Hockin winning the Canadian Barista Championship was very meaningful to me. I have taken a hands-off approach to competitions. Firstly, I personally have not competed, so I don't have much to offer in the way of advice in that regard. While I have judged, it is not the same as competing (ask any barista who has done both). I can critique, provide feedback and taste the coffee, but at the end of the day, the motivation and drive to perform well must come from the barista. Josh is someone who, from the first day he walked into my shop four years ago, demonstrated a unique and insatiable appetite for all things coffee. He is one of the brightest guys I know, and when it comes to coffee, there are very few more passionate than Josh. I have watched Josh grow and develop into a world class coffee professional over the past four years; one who demands to process and understand, not just regurgitate answers. While we don't always agree, and have been known to have raucous debates, there is a unique bond between Josh and I, and it is for these reasons that his win meant so much to me.
Josh's win in 2011 means that there is much to do for 2012. More training, planning, tasting, tweaking, and ultimately a trip to Vienna in June. This is one trip I am not willing to just let happen on the fly. While Josh is competing for Transcend Coffee, he now represents Canada as well in a global competition, and the stakes are much higher. While this is all new territory for me, and for all of us at Transcend, thankfully we have friends who have done this once or twice, and we will greatly benefit from their experience. I have no expectations of Josh winning, but I do have high expectations in terms of him doing his very best in Vienna, and after that, it is out of our hands. If you would like to show your support for Josh this year, as he trains and competes in Vienna, why not grab one of the Josh T-Shirts that we have had made up, we think they are a fun way of showing support for both him and Canada in the coming WBC.
cafés & kitchens
Opening a third location in 2011 in addition to establishing a new roastery and an in-house production kitchen, was like one of those quintessential childlike experiences of taking way too much food onto your plate than you could ever hope to eat. They say that hindsight is 20/20 and while that is true, it does little in the way of offering solace in the midst of the frey. We have learned a lot this past year. I have learned the immense value of planning, preparing, and patience. My natural tendency is to just do it. I have always been impulsive, always been someone who dives head first, with little thought of the impact or consequences. And while this has mostly worked for me over the past 42 years, I am starting to understand the wisdom of taking a breath, before making the leap. There is no doubt that the addition of our Jasper Ave. location has done much to add to the exposure of Transcend Coffee in Edmonton, but it also made for a very challenging and demanding period where our growth outpaced our ability to handle it comfortably.
twenty-twelve
This year will hopefully bring a number of things which will make life for me and the gang more enjoyable. We have committed to a strict no growth policy for the next couple of years (in terms of new cafés at least). We are committed to increasing training for our staff, to ensure the highest level of quality and customer service at the café level. We will continue to develop and cultivate our new "zero defect" standard with regard to green coffee buying, as our forays into this concept in 2011 put, for the most part, the best coffee Transcend has ever offered into our customers' hands. We are expanding our team in exciting new ways in 2012, to enable us to produce and deliver a better product. We will continue to nurture our many key partnerships, while striving to find appropriate ways to develop new ones. Our goal this year is to continue the trend of finding some of the most exceptional coffees in the world, and bringing them to Edmonton, where our team gets the opportunity to highlight the amazing hard work of our partner producers.
Happy New Year everyone. Here's to 2012, may it be all that we hope for and more.
