How did you come up with the name of the business?
Lex and I first met years ago when I started working at his cafe and roastery in Amsterdam. He was co-owner of Headfirst Coffee roasters. After 2 years the place was shut down and Lex and I decided to start again and wanted a name that was not too serious and gave a wink to the past. Friedhats is an Anagram of Headfirst 😉
How long have you been in business and how did the idea start?
This is our 4th year of business and we now have the roastery and a cafe. We thought it was easier to start a roastery first and slowly build it up as opposed to opening a cafe, where you have to work every day from the beginning. This turned out to be true – kind of.
What’s your favourite thing about living in your town?
Coming from London, where I lived for a few years – Amsterdam is more of a large town than city. The 2 things I like most are the freedom of being able to cycle wherever and whenever you want and all the water – the rivers and canals. They keep the city kind of fresh.
Which is your favourite coffee/origin and why?
Favourite origin is always a tricky one. Kenya and Colombia come to mind. There are moments when I really want a juicy, fruity Kenya filter and nothing else will do 😉 Colombia continues to impress me with its variety of flavours.
How do you take your coffee?
It’s a filter almost all of the time. The V60 is still my go to brewer, it was the first I used when I started out and it’s still good!
What’s life outside roasting like for you?
At the moment, I work 6 days and enjoy one day free to relax at bit, so theres not a lot of time for other things. It still always seems to involve drinking coffee somewhere!
What would you be doing if you weren’t roasting? Maybe you already have a side project?
I have a few side projects, mainly fixing things as they break – bikes and sewing machines was the theme this month. I’m working on building a new wooden frame for my mattress, which is coming along slowly but surely. I guess I would do something in the area of furniture design and building.
How and what do you do to unwind? Maybe you have a tip for our readers?
Try and stay unwound all the time.
What was the last book you read?
I’m working my way through The Silk Road at the moment, but I generally only read in bed, so it’s a few pages a night!
