Issue 121: January | February 2024
Issue 121
From the Publisher
The founder and publisher of Roast magazine, Connie Blumhardt has spent 25 years in magazine publishing and has worked in the coffee industry for the last 20 years. Connie brings the same passion and commitment to this industry journal that is present within the roasting community.
With each issue, Connie brings insight and inspiration to the pages of Roast with this column.
Connie Blumhardt, Publisher
As I considered the 20th anniversary of Roast, I found myself digging up issue No. 1. As any self-critical perfectionist, the first things that drew my focus were the things that could be (and have been) improved—the thinness of the issue, the details of the layout, and other odds and ends that only a parent is likely to notice. After spending some time reading through the first issue, however, I started to have a growing feeling of pride in the foundation that was laid and that persevered over the years. In particular, the following line from my very first publisher’s column could easily have appeared in the magazine today: “The ability to understand and manage quality, business and ethical responsibilities in an evolving and ever-competitive market will differentiate successful roasters from those who will not survive.” Not to brag, but that’s quite prophetic.
As anything that has been around for two decades, there have been a number of accomplishments: 121 issues to date, sent to dozens of countries around the world; publications such as The Book of Roast that have become industry standards; our longstanding partnership with Daily Coffee News; sold-out Roast Summit events; recognition of 38 Roasters of the Year. These are the visible markers of success. The less visible markers (but no less important) are the many friends I’ve made through the years, and the inevitable loss of a few of those along the way who I miss dearly but remember fondly.
Anniversaries are helpful in looking back at the habits that resulted in success, but they are also important as we rededicate ourselves to delivering a better future. We are not done—there are new roasting technologies, new approaches to sourcing, and new growing and processing techniques to cover. There are new markets and new ways to bring products to those markets, and there are new people with different backgrounds, goals and perspectives who need to both learn about the industry and tell their own stories so that others can learn from them.
Beyond the beginnings of a technical resource, that first issue mentions the importance of relationships multiple times. Relationships between roasters and growers, and relationships between roasters and retailers and consumers. It is relationships that enable success, and I can’t look back at the success of Roast without recognizing the relationships that have made this magazine and this publishing company successful. To the staff that has worked tirelessly and never missed a publication deadline—Claire Harriman, Lily Kubota, Jeremy Leff, Beth Winburne, Emily Puro, Nick Brown and Howie Bryman—I love you to pieces and thank you for being part of this journey. To the advertisers (including 10 who advertised in our first issue and are still advertising today) who believe our mission intersects with their own. My final and most important recognition is to you, the loyal, engaging and at times wonderfully challenging readers who drive Roast to continue to improve. Here’s to earning many more anniversaries.
Warmest Wishes,
Connie
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