Award-winning barista and founder of Expat. Roasters

I got here through a love of adventure, hospitality, coffee, and a challenge.
Tell us your story – how did you get here?
I got here through a love of adventure, hospitality, coffee, and a challenge. The idea of creating a coffee brand in a place like Bali sounded like an opportunity that ticked all the boxes for me. With access to coffee farms on the island and across Indonesia, the coffee industry here is growing extremely fast, and the lifestyle that Bali offers on top of it all, it was hard to turn down..
I fell in love with Bali many years ago when I first travelled here – I loved it so much, I made the decision to move to Bali with my family in 2016 and started building a brand-led, full service coffee company, Expat. Roasters. It felt like the next step after 20+ years of experience in the coffee industry where I had worked with some amazing coffee brands, great cafes and industry leading organisations.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
We have been recognised and have won awards many times on a local and global scale, and we are always proud and driven by these accolades. But, I am most proud when I look at the strength of the business coming out of Covid and how our teams have all grown, adapted and become stronger with increased sales across all of our business divisions.
What impact have you made in Bali?
The impact we have made in Bali come through multiple areas, like the thousands of baristas we train each year. Not only teaching them how to make better coffee, but also how to be better hospitality professionals. This leads to a significant increase in the level of service throughout the F&B hospitality scene across Bali, and the island is now a top culinary destination.
We also make an impact through our CSR and sustainability projects, encouraging the use of sustainable practices that run all across Bali. For example, reusing our tins to reduce waste, and repurposing waste such as using used coffee grounds to make compost and also fun things like sunglasses. Not only do we follow these practices ourselves, but we share our CSR programmes and talk about them, showing the impact we are making across different venues all over Bali.
What does the future look like for you?
The future is looking super positive and exciting. We are now expanding our stores outside of Bali with locations opening in Surabaya and Jakarta. We are also seeing growth with our wholesale partnerships, training and development. Since Bali opened up again, the hospitality industry has grown with strength, especially its venues and quality of service. It’s fair to say the future is very bright and positive for the island, and Indonesia.
What do you love most about Bali?
What I love most about Bali is the sense of freedom and adventure that it provides. It’s also the amazing combination of different lifestyles, and how the different cultures have influenced the local culture, while still maintaining a very good mix of the new and the old. There is a very cohesive mix of different concepts for Indonesia; Western culture from tourism, and different religions too. Bali is also well known for leading the way for sustainable lifestyles and products, and I love being a part of it.
What makes the perfect drink, and why?
It is a combination of art and science. The idea, the execution, the passion, getting all that in the taste. The perfect drink needs to be balanced, it has to have something specific about it, something unique, or something that shows individuality.
Now, what’s a perfect coffee? There is more than one. Your morning coffee is different from the afternoon and the after dinner. For example, in the mornings, we usually have a coffee that warms us or wakes us up for the day. Whereas lunchtime doesn’t have to be as bold, it can be lighter, something refreshing and fruity like a filter coffee. In the evenings, maybe more digestive styles, or an espresso martini, the type that keeps you going, or to help you digest. I believe the perfect drink/coffee doesn’t exist, but the perfect drink for a perfect situation definitely does.
Who is your Local Legend and why?
Margaret Barry is my Local Legend, and I am sure everyone will agree with me on this one! Margaret is the founder and CEO of the Bali Children Foundation. She is very driven to help underprivileged children, provide educational opportunities and skills within their communities, and to better improve their living standards and futures. Not only is she the face and founder, but she is not afraid to fully immerse herself in her cause. She will be seen at all the events handing out fliers, talking to the masses and she leads her team through action and example. Margaret is fearless and extremely dedicated to her cause.