I was recently having a conversation with an old friend who has been trying to build up his small company while living in a new country. Over coffee at Three Marks in Barcelona, I told him that one of the most important things an entrepreneur can do, is to find a good partner. Someone who has the expertise that you’re lacking or the motivation that you’re needing. Someone who can share the load. Yet, finding that kind of partner can be difficult if not impossible depending on your needs and your own personality. Some entrepreneurs are notorious for not wanting to share their ideas, for better or worse.
Collaboration, when done well, can be a real game changer, especially when setting up a new specialty coffee roastery in what feels like an increasingly crowded market where some big players are growing ever bigger and some smaller ones are struggling to find their feet. Berlin is known for its fantastic specialty coffee scene, which has grown ever more competitive in recent years. If you want to start a new roastery and have an edge, you need to look to new opportunities. That’s exactly what Michal Sowinski, Adam Rosolowski, Alicja Borowa and Martyna Sikora did in order to found MAMAM.
Michal is the Berlin-based roaster who worked for many years for the likes of Fjord and 19 Grams before joining forces with Adam and Martyna, founders of Szczecin’s very own Alternatywnie specialty café and Alicja who is in charge of operations at MAMAM. Over the many years that they have been active in the specialty coffee scene both nationally and internationally, they collectively gained invaluable experience in many areas including roasting, quality control, sourcing, judging of competitions and working as baristas amongst other things. They understand the many intricacies and the knowledge that is required in order to run a coffee business in these demanding high octane times.
In an effort to escape the rising rents in the German capital and to take advantage of existing facilities in Szczecin, MAMAM has its headquarters in this Polish city which is only a two hour drive from Berlin. This allows for everyone in the business to continue living their lives without having to move anywhere new. A big bonus when you’re trying to keep costs low while building your business.
Though they primarily focus on specialty grade coffees like the oustanding washed Kenyan coffee from Rung’eto Kii that we picked for our upcoming May 2024 Coffeevine edition, they also work with lesser grade coffees which are often the bulk that are produced at coffee origins and can easily be used for super tasty blends for hospitality and office spaces. The Kenyan coffee that they will roast for us next month is a classic Kenyan with a crisp profile offering notes of rhubarb and redcurrant. Just delicious!
What I loved a lot about MAMAM’s packaging is the label that goes on each bag. Michal told me over the phone that he is very passionate about fashion and it was his idea to do something a bit different with the design. Thus, they came up with a look that is more akin to the label you would normally find on the inside of your t-shirt or jeans. It’s a really creative and fun touch that makes the packaging feel more elevated and unique. Fresh ideas for fresh coffee.
To receive this excellent coffee along with its companions in the European roasters selection, order our European roasters selection or the Total Package with all European roasters and our two Global roasters.
Pre-orders close on 15.05.2024 / Ships globally on 20.05.2024
