Blast Coffee Roasters has seen record sales of fresh coffee beans over the past year.
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What started out as a hobby for roaster – and owner of the Pop Rocket cafe – Mick Armstrong, has now turned into a well known coffee brand people will travel for.
Roasting since 2006, Mr Armstrong said he didn’t have much experience to begin with.
But in pursuit of good coffee in Katherine he persevered, and is now the only commercial coffee roaster in the region, with a following to boot.
“We are growing more and more rapidly. We sold four times more coffee beans last year than the year before,” Mr Armstrong said.
Mr Armstrong puts his success down to a couple of important things that ensure a great cup of coffee people come back for.
“There is a benefit to roasting your own beans, it’s always fresh,” he said.
“Our reputation is based on how good our coffee is. We are consistent, if you can’t make coffee the best you can, there is no point.”
Most importantly, Mr Armstrong said catering for individual needs is what keeps the Pop Rocket busy.
“The coffee scene in the NT is improving and more people know the difference between a good and bad coffee.
“When you’re the roaster, barista and owner you have the luxury of adding a personal touch, and people really appreciate that,” he said.
Starting out, Mr Armstrong said there was a lot of trial and error, with end results tasting burnt and bitter.
Now there are two popular blends: Maggies Blend, a chocolatey, hazlenutty blend, and Big Jack, a dark chocolate, punchy roast.
And although Mr Armstrong has the monopoly on locally roasted beans he would like to expand sales across Australia and get Blast Coffee into more cafes.
Blast Coffee is currently served by Mr Armstrong at the Pop Rocket cafe, located near the Hot Springs in Katherine.