It should come as no surprise when I say that most specialty coffee roasters started their businesses because they wanted to offer coffee lovers something different. Truth be told, I think that promise alone is not always enough to make a lasting impression. I’ve been to many a coffee festival and seen plenty of brands that I will never remember. But then there are those that have you say ‘hold onnnnnn a minute’. That’s the effect that Boo Modern Coffee had on me.

When its founders Benoit and Benjamin first reached out to me in 2024, they were still in the process of getting started. The brand was so fresh it hadn’t even seen daylight yet. Like a ghost, it was shying away from the sun until it felt strong enough that it could make a splash. Our conversations continued and I regularly checked in with the team to find out when it would be the right moment for this partnership to happen.

‘Attend-ez’ they kept saying until last month when they had a really tasty coffee that would really fit the bill. And so this partnership finally came to pass. Boo Modern Coffee is based in Brussels, the Belgian and you may say, European capital. It’s a city that gets a lot of hate, especially from tourists, but many friends of mine who live(d) there, said life in Brussels is/was amazing. Including my now ex partner Michal who also spent a lot of time there.

And yet, the city’s specialty coffee scene is still very much in its infancy. Apart from 2-3 well known roasters, it has very few names with international recognition. Antwerp, Belgium’s second city, has done a much better job at creating a vibrant and famous coffee scene. But all’s not lost. And that is exactly what Boo Modern Coffee is there to address.

With its compact 5kg Typhoon roaster, Boo modern Coffee creates clean and crisp coffees that taste incredibly delicious. They’re still a small operation but have ambitions to take their brand to the international stage. And they’re competitive too. In 2024, Benoit won the Belgian Aeropress Championships while Benjamin came in second place. Not a bad way to celebrate the launch of their new roastery.

For Boo Modern Coffee’s first Coffeevine feature, Benoit and Benjamin roasted a super tasty washed Burundian coffee from Bumba Hill. This station is run by the Long Miles Coffee Project, which was founded by Ben and Kristy Carlson. I had the fortune to interview Ben on Instagram many years ago to get a better understanding of the work they’re doing out there. It’s very impressive! This coffee really stands out as a great example of fine Burundian coffees, offering a crisp and clean cup with lots of red berry notes and a vibrant acidity.

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