Meet the Team | Dimitar Head Trainer

Meet the Team | Dimitar our Head Trainer

Meet one of the latest additions to the team: Dimitar is the new person responsible for our trainings. He has many years of experience working in the specialty coffee industry and we are happy that we - and you - can benefit and learn from his experience. Welcome, Dimitar!

When did you get into Specialty Coffee?
7 years ago when I was just beginning as a Barista in Manchester, in the coffee shop next door they had this spectacular natural Kayon Mountain from Ethiopia which tasted like strawberry milkshake. The rest is history.

Why?
This coffee and a couple of very friendly Baristas were the reasons why I got into speciality coffee. Once you open this door you realise this is a whole new universe which you could never fully explore. So you end up always looking for more.

Describe your job at 19grams in one sentence, please.
Spreading the coffee love by guiding people how to make a better coffee. As simple as that.

What is your experience as a trainr, how long have you been doing this?
I've done a fair bit of internal and wholesale training but this is my first role which includes workshops for the general public. It feels good to be able to expose more people to what we all do in our tiny, lovely speciality coffee world.

Have you worked in different positions in your coffee career?
I've had a wide range of coffee jobs over the years. In my native Bulgaria I started in commodity and vending coffee sales. When I moved to Manchester I got my first job behind the bar. I was then a Head Barista and a Cafe Manager before I moved full-time to the roastery a couple of years ago. Luckily I also managed to become a Q-Grader in the meantime.

Is there anything special about this industry that fascinates you?
People and flavours, and how much the people in the industry are fascinated by flavours.

Is there a fact about coffee that blows your mind?
It blows my mind that over 95-96% of the coffee out there is consumed completely burned. When we go to the bakery, we don't expect our croissant to look like charcoal, right? The fact that traditionally this is how coffee has always been delivered to its consumers is just nuts.

Do you remember when you first tried Specialty coffee?
The first ever speciality coffee I have tried was here in Berlin maybe about 12 years ago in Bonanza. I remember I thought it was a rather acidic cappuccino packed with flavours I was not used to. A few years later is when I consciously tried speciality coffee for the first time and this brings us back to that natural Kayon Mountain which I still remember so vividly.

What's your favourite coffee drink?
I am a serial filter coffee drinker but every now and then I enjoy a small Oatly espresso-based coffee too.

You are from ??? (where are you from :) ) - are there any particular roasters or cafés that you enjoy going to?
I am from the Bulgarian seaside, a town called Burgas. However I have spent the last 7 years in Manchester. Over there my favourite coffee spots are Takk, Pollen, Siop Shop and Idle Hands. Some roasteries I really enjoy unsurprisingly include Coffee Collective, Drop Coffee Roasters, Manhattan Coffee Roasters and the UK locals Assembly and Blossom Coffee Roasters.

Do you have a special morning coffee routine?
I used to always drink my first cup of coffee in the roastery as I was usually starting rather early. Now I thankfully have the time to simply brew a filter coffee for me and my partner in the morning. However there's nothing too perverted or spicy in my morning coffee routine.

Thanks a lot for your time!

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