The roasting machine is 70 years old, perpetually enveloped with an intense coffee fragrance, and the hub of activity at Oso Negro’s roastery.  The Coffee Roaster stands beside the huge machine, keeping careful eyes on what has to happen next.  Each 30 to 35 pound batch of coffee takes approximately 14 minutes; the perfect moment of doneness is both a science and an art.
 
In addition to the crucial task beside the machine, the Coffee Roaster also prepares the green beans for roasting.  The overlying element to each stage is making sure that the customer is 100% satisfied.  At Oso Negro, 17 different kinds of beans are roasted. Through years of experience, they found that combining coffees from various countries and different degrees of roast enriched the coffee-drinking experience; now they offer 18 blends.  As Oso Negro has evolved, they have increased their roasting from 300 pounds a month to 8 tonnes.

Jon Meyer is the heart behind Oso Negro.  In 1993, he and a colleague came up with the idea; he was working in forestry and social service at the time, and continued doing 2 jobs while Oso Negro grew ”very organically and slowly.”  Others told him that having a coffee roastery in Nelson was not viable.  For Jon, he ”saw what it could be,” understanding that ”you have to be accountable to yourself.”   Integral to his vision is ”knowing who you are and what you represent.” 

Jon’s career as a Coffee Roaster is about persistence and sacrifice, working 80 hour work weeks for the first couple of years.  It took him about a year to understand the characteristics of coffees, built on his ”dedication to unadulterated black coffee.”  The favourite parts of his job are working with great people and looking ahead.  The challenges are coping with the spontaneous surprises that a customer service-based business encounters.

Customer service is the #1 priority at Oso Negro.  ”Our customer is giving us permission to be in business.”

Understanding that customer feedback, and responding to it, is imperative to a successful endeavour is one of the fundamentals for someone wanting to work as a Coffee Roaster.  Other characteristics are being organized, conscientious, and a team player.  For people interested in working as a Coffee Roaster, Jon suggests doing the homework of talking to other Roasters and to practice communication.  ”Communication is the final frontier.”

 The future frontier for a Coffee Roaster has its challenges; the energy crisis affecting the cost of transporting beans is a concern.  There also is the innovation and excitement of providing ”quality first.”

Being forward thinking provides the background for Oso Negro. In 2002, the coffee company opened its Victoria Street café and now there are 31 employees.  Their mission is  ”to roast and blend the best coffee in the world while living the good life in Nelson, British Columbia.”  The good life.  With a great cup of coffee.