Opening Event at Seoul Home
Over the course of four days, from April 27th to 30th, we hosted our inaugural invitation-only opening event at Seoul Home, our South Korean base, with the enthusiastic participation of 82 roasters. Attendees immersed themselves in the TYPICA experience as a global community. They engaged in cupping sessions of direct-trade new crops and enlightening talk sessions led by roasters, some of whom had traveled to coffee origins through TYPICA Lab.
TYPICA launched its service in South Korea in 2021. Ever since, we have introduced the narratives of coffee producers and their uniquely crafted coffees through cupping events across the country and participation in the Cafe Show Seoul, one of the world’s largest coffee industry fairs. Due to the impact of the pandemic, face-to-face activities were limited for a while, and initially, some people even questioned whether TYPICA really was offering its services in South Korea. But we persevered, garnering understanding and recognition little by little. And this past April, we finally had the honor of extending our warmest welcome to Seoul Home. In this span of time, our South Korean team has grown from one to four members.
During the “Global Lab Talk,” where roasters delved into their learnings and introspections from their TYPICA Lab trips, nine presenters took the stage. Among them, Taehyun Cho from LAVATREE shared his experience joining the Guatemala and El Salvador series in March. He said that visiting a coffee origin has been his cherished dream since his days working part-time at a café.
Taehyun reflected on his presentation, saying, “Having a space to talk only about coffee with fellow coffee lovers was invaluable. Instead of just recounting what I did, I aimed to convey the thrill and excitement I felt to other roasters in attendance. As I presented each slide, the memories and sensations from my time at the origin came alive. Though I’m not sure if I could fully convey it, I was happy to receive compliments from other roasters during the cupping session.”
During “The Journey of TYPICA” session, Ernest Andrews from the Netherlands’ origin team took the stage. With extensive knowledge of African coffee production, Ernest shared compelling stories about motivated African producers.
One such story was about Mountain Harvest in Uganda, which is committed to community development and the empowerment of female producers. Despite falling short of TYPICA’s quality standards in 2022, Ernest persistently visited the region, collaborating with founder Kenneth Barigye and washing station manager Ibrahim Kiganda to address challenges and help them improve quality. A year later, in 2023, their efforts bore fruit as the quality improved, resulting in their first successful offer. Ernest has established a friendship-like trust and maintains constant communication throughout the year.
Ernest expressed his desire to share a vision for a more sustainable future and build a community of coffee lovers. He went on to ask the participating roasters, “What does sustainability mean to you?”
During the cupping session, a selection of coffees, primarily featuring new crop offerings, was on display. Participants finely tuned their senses, meticulously examining each coffee that embodied the dedication and passion of the producers.
Reflecting on the experience, Noh Jung Mok from FLIP Coffee Roasters said, “The quality of Primavera from Guatemala was remarkable. For small-scale roasters, it’s challenging to encounter coffees from around the world, but TYPICA has made it possible. I could sense TYPICA’s genuine determination to bring about change in the coffee industry.”
Sangwon Yeo from Recovery Coffee Bar said, “After learning about what’s happening at coffee origins, engaging in cupping, and immersing myself in the origin experience, I developed a sense of familiarity with TYPICA’s direct trade approach. It made me consider the role of a roaster in conveying information about the producers. The experience has shifted my focus from solely concentrating on customers and sourcing rare and high-quality coffee.”
For this event, we provided participants with individual card keys beforehand, allowing them to unlock the doors and enter the venue. It might have seemed like an unusual approach. We distributed the card keys separately because we wanted participants to feel at home in Seoul Home even after the event ended. The space is normally used by our staff, but it can be transformed into a café space where you can enjoy coffee, share ideas, and connect. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
Chul Won Lee from Deep Blue Lake expressed, “I didn’t have a particular impression of TYPICA before, but the presence of Seoul Home as a hub has now solidified its position. It is a company that boasts extensive expertise and strong connections to the coffee-producing regions. It was significant to know that any roaster can visit the producing regions.”
Leetae Kim from Equaltable shared, “I’ve become curious about getting to know the other roasters I spent time with at the event. I’m looking forward to visiting their shops personally and meeting them again at future TYPICA cuppings and events. I have a strong feeling that special relationships will develop between us all from here on out.”
Comment from Soi Shin, Representative of Seoul Home:
As I made my way back after the final night, I couldn’t help but think, “Did the event really end? Will I be able to see them again tomorrow?” It felt so unreal. It’s like a dream come true that I finally got to meet all of you at Seoul Home.
The fact that Seoul Home is evolving into a place where roasters and everyone who supports TYPICA can come together fills me with a sense of wonder.
Nevertheless, this is just the beginning for our South Korean team. We want to make things even better and create a community together with all the coffee lovers.
Thank you so much for your support!