Coffee Boosts the Daily Grind
There’s a lot of research about what gets us moving at the office in the morning and keeps us productive throughout the day, but let’s face it, there isn’t another fix out there quite like a great coffee. At Workplace One, we’re big fans of healthy eating and exercise, a beautiful and well-designed workspace (ahem!) and meditation to keep us mindful, but when we need that extra boost, a great coffee is the perfect solution. Just the smell of a great roast gets our senses buzzing.
Coffee has come a long way over the years. The process and art of sourcing, roasting and brewing are all things that require a lot of consideration and contribute to the subtle nuances of the perfect cup. While all of us from the Workplace One team have a deep love for great coffee, we knew that when we had to pick a product to serve in our workspaces we needed to leave this task to coffee professionals.
So what were we looking for and who did we trust with this tall order? A coffee roaster who embodied all the things that we stand for: Toronto owned and operated; quality and detail oriented; an innovative approach to their craft and business; and a strong, steady and passionate team of professionals committed to being the best at what they do.
Enter Hatch Crafted. A Toronto-based craft roastery driven by quality, innovation, and experimentation.
We took some time to chat with Alfonso Tupaz, Hatch Founder and CEO about their unique approach to coffee and the entrepreneurial journey that brought himself and the company to where it is today.
WORKPLACE ONE: We’re suckers for a good start up story. Can you share with us about how the vision and groundwork for Hatch was “hatched”?
ALFONSO TUPAZ: Born out of passion, and a labour of love (for coffee, to be clear!). We started Hatch back in 2014, and moved into our current facility in the middle of 2015. I was previously based in West Africa, helping to manage large scale manufacturing facilities. During my time there, my passion for coffee grew. It all started from a home-made roaster that my team built from scratch. The first roast from that roaster changed everything (whether it was actually good or bad, I can't remember). From that moment, I knew I wanted to get into specialty coffee. Some people have that 'aha' moment in specialty coffee and jump down the rabbit hole. I went just a little further and built a coffee factory and brewery!
WP1: How many people did the team consist of when the company first started and how many employees do you currently have?
AT: We started with about 6 people, and it's been more or less the same. As you know, during start up there is a lot of ups and downs, and the team did contract a little in the early days. Thankfully we've grown since then, and have actually maintained the same team during the challenges of COVID.
WP1: Have you always been based in the GTA?
AT: Hatch started in 2015 in the GTA, and is our current location. Personally, I have been based out of multiple cities and countries since childhood.
WP1: How do you distinguish your company and your coffee from your direct competitors and other Toronto based coffee roasters?
AT: Innovation and experimentation (hence the name Hatch!), and quality (which should be a given to any roaster in specialty coffee). The barriers to entry in the coffee space is virtually non-existent. And brand-building takes a minimum of 3-5 years. So for us, to differentiate (but really to just do what we love), was to focus on doing coffee a little differently - just as an example, our cold brewing process is custom designed based on empirical data (i.e., experimentation), that has led to some insights and allows us to brew at up to 24% extraction. That's geek-speak for very high, unheard of types of extraction for cold brew. Essentially, we're not afraid to experiment with the hopes of taking products made with specialty coffee to a new level. Over the next few months we'll be releasing some new and innovative coffee products.
Be sure to try a cup next time you are at one of our work centres!
