Fredrik Zetterberg: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #42

Published by Tanya in Coffee Insurrection Hero · 1 February 2022
Tags: Fredrik_Zetterberg, Interview, Löfbergs, Sweden, Era_of_we

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Fredrik and I´m from Västerås, Sweden. I work at Löfbergs Kafferosteri with the Era of We platform. My role as a business development manager means mostly that I drink, talk and think about coffee all day long!

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

I first started working in 2014 and my first real job was as a barista in a café in Västerås. When I was young I loved the Swedish fika, which as a kid mostly means eating pastry and other sweet stuff while the adults drink coffee. Who am I kidding, I still love it. Who doesn’t? Anyway, that’s why I started in the industry in the first place. And as an adult you couldn´t have fika without a coffee, right?! In the beginning there were a lot of vanilla lattes as well as mocha.

Also, I was amazed by latte-art and spend a lot of hours practicing and enjoying the craft. But it wasn´t until 2016 that I got into the specialty coffee scene and I started getting really nerdy. Buying too many expensive coffee-related products with a salary that wasn’t too good… Then coffee become something of a passion and hobby and have been since.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I cannot recall the first time but I do have a couple of “aha” moments. One of them was at Tim Wendelboe in Oslo when I was enjoying a Gesha for the first time. It was such a full-bodied and sweet coffee, unlike anything I experienced at the time! And of course, when I was young and hadn’t gotten into coffee yet and wanted a really large cup of coffee so I ordered a DUBBLE espresso. You can imagine my surprise and disappointment when I got the smallest cup of all. But now espresso is one of my favorites!

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Coffee and the people around it!

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Pour-over V60/Kalita Wave followed closely by espresso! Pour-over is just so simple yet so advanced. It’s the perfect small-break therapy when working, and the perfect waking-up routine during weekends with your loved ones.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

An Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

My favorite right now is Ethiopia. Love the fruitiness as well as the floral notes. So many complex flavours in a cup; also, it makes really good pour-over as well as espresso. So versatile! And Ethiopia is just compelling as a coffee country, high altitude, shade grown trees and storytelling going back to the beginning of coffee history.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Brandywine Coffee Roasters are very creative! Here in Sweden I suggest to check out Balck Coffee.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I’ve learned so many things, it’s hard to pinpoint one. And I’m definitely still learning! But maybe to be curious and respectful of the people behind your cup: farmers, roasters, baristas and many more. Its not to be taken for granted. You can empower them by trying to get to know who’s behind the coffee in the cup you´re sipping from – ask your local barista about your favorite cup.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

A lot changed quickly from live to digital landscape. This created a lot of new ways of working which gave way to new revenue streams. I think a lot of consumers started buying more coffee online, as well as ordering food and drinks with delivery. The businesses then needed to be very responsive and go where the consumer goes, and that’s what I have been trying to do as well.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think it will continue to expand and lure in more devoted coffee lovers. Specialty Coffee is already all about the consumers experience and I think it will continue down that path. The consumer will demand more unique and more exciting experiences in the journey from bean to cup. Combined with a digital era I think a lot of the experiences will be enhanced using digital solutions.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Though one. Hopefully surrounded by good people with a job I love. Very much like today, but maybe with a more international focus on the whole specialty coffee market.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be curious, always!