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Roaster – Scott Jones

Coffee has always been a foil for people from all walks of life and Scott Jones, former accountant now master roaster and director of Australian Independent Roasters (AIR), is testament to that.

So what is it that attracts an accountant away from a successful practice to the production floor of a roastery  – for Scott, the answer came easily – “It’s the ability to see something from start to finish, to be a part of creating something and to see people enjoying what you have created – I like that a lot”.

Scott’s love affair with coffee began in 1986 when he decided to take up the offer to join an old rugby mate in a coffee roasting venture. Armed only with a ‘you only live once’ attitude he set off on a huge learning curve and has never looked back. Starting out on a 5kg Greek roaster, he learnt the basics, pulling it apart to see how it worked and starting the sensory journey that was to capture his imagination in a way that accounting never could. “Coffee stimulates all your senses, it’s exciting, it’s fun and you never stop learning”, say’s Scott.

Now working with a Renegade roaster, Scott enjoys marrying his senses with state-of-the-art technology. Scott likens coffee roasting to sailing – trimming the sails to the ever changing wind to get the best performance out of the boat. So too, coffee changes from roast to roast and it’s understanding these slight variations and how small adjustments can bring out the best in the coffee that Scott finds so intriguing. “There are so many variables” and certainly technological advances help to monitor and adjust where needed but, as Scott goes on to say, “like sailing, you still need to be the skipper at the helm” with the skill and instinct to trust your sight, smell and, of course, taste.

Scott, along with business partner Saxon Wright, started AIR in 2001 with a vision of creating a coffee product to which clients can put their own identity. AIR in itself, does not have a brand but rather prefers to stand quietly behind their clients. To paraphrase Scott – it’s your business, your ownership, your coffee – we will stand behind you and give you a great product but it’s yours, not ours. No banners, no umbrella’s, no presence; for AIR, it’s all about great client relationships and great coffee. There are plans to widen nationally, “but one step at a time”, says Scott, “we don’t want to lose sight of our individual approach nor our connectedness with the coffee”.

So what changes has Scott seen in the last 20 years in the coffee world? “Like many people in Australia 25 years ago, I thought good coffee was popping open a tin and keeping it in the fridge for special times. The Australian palate is gaining more respect and people are becoming quite discerning”. More people want to learn about coffee and, like wine, coffee appreciation is becoming an industry in itself. “A great way to learn’, says Scott, “is to sit at a table and talk about the aromas and flavours – it is often the case that someone recognising a smell or taste will prompt you to recognise it too. Do that often enough and your senses will develop. It is there in all of us, it’s just a matter of awakening that part of your brain”.

I didn’t ask him, but I get the feeling Scott’s motto would be “have fun, enjoy life and drink great coffee” – a long way from bean counter to bean roaster – that joke, I’m sure, is well-worn.

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 9:38 am and is filed under Barista & Roaster Profiles, Online Magazine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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