522: Why Celebration and Specialization Make Coffee Better w/ Tim Williams of Fieldwork Coffee and The World Aeropress Championships

Over the years, our collective philosophy and approach to coffee has taken many forms as we learn more about what the industry needs to thrive. We as individuals evolve our thoughts and views of coffee often starting with hubris and a strict puritanical view, then opening up to a wider, simpler, generous, and maybe even humble stance on the various ways coffee can be enjoyed and communicated. 

Today we are talking about one such journey with the Founder of Fieldwork Coffee and Director of the World Aeropress Championships, Tim Williams!

Tim Williams is the director of the World AeroPress Championship, and founder of Melbourne’s Fieldwork Coffee.

Since the early 2000's, Tim’s worked across a range of roles, including Workshop Coffee and Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London, and Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea in Los Angeles.

On the sidelines, Tim’s collaborated on a number of coffee initiatives including helping to develop Maison Kitsuné’s ’Cafe Kitsuné, launching the Gitesi Project, and as a founding member of Coffee Common.

Today, Tim lives in Melbourne and divides his time between Fieldwork Coffee, the World AeroPress Championship, running a small charity in rural Rwanda, and raising three kids with his partner, Leah.

We talk about:

• Tim's journey into coffee 
• The exploding London coffee scene 
• The shaping forces of competitions and camaraderie 
• Absolutism in coffee culture and its pitfalls.
• Understanding coffee requires recognizing its agricultural nuances.
• Tim emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience in coffee roasting.
• Cupping coffee critically is essential for quality control.
• Tim's philosophical shift from conquering coffee to celebrating its complexities. 
• Why specialization allows for deeper expertise in coffee.
• Innovative approaches can streamline coffee release processes.
• Customer expectations are shaped by consistent quality.
• Why critical feedback is s necessary for growth in the coffee industry.
• How the World Areopress Championships champion fundamentals. 
• The argument for taste as the most important aspect of coffee.
• Understanding brewing variables enhances coffee quality.
• .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}