Meet Jakob Hartwig, a 36-year-old coffee professional from the scenic town of Tegernsee in Bavaria. Nowadays, Jakob splits his time between Tegernsee and Munich. As the Bar & Shop Manager, as well as the Sales & Customer Support expert at Supremo Coffee, Jakob plays an important role in shaping exceptional coffee experiences.
With over 16 years of expertise in the coffee industry, Jakob’s journey began in 2007 as a barista in a high-quality café. It ignited his passion for coffee which brings people joy. Jakob’s enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and elevating coffee culture defines his approach. Whether he’s introducing customers to the nuances of modern specialty coffee or helping brew better coffee. Both at businesses cooperating with Supremo and simply helping guests enjoy the best coffee at their homes.
We are sure that whenever you will see Jakob behind the bar, your day will become a little brighter.
Jakob, what is your first memory with coffee?
When I was 15 years old I wanted to prepare myself to have all the important things I would need when I would live alone. That meant getting a fridge and an espresso machine. So I bought a Gaggia Cubika…
The funny thing is that I never drank coffee before, but in my head, it was always part of being an adult.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started? What did you do before coffee?
I started working in a café after my civil service and learned to love it. I love to work as a team to make other people happy. In my opinion, coffee is the best tool to do it.
After one year working as a barista I decided to do an apprenticeship in the food industry and learn how to manage a coffee shop with all the things you need for it.
Tell us a bit about the place you work at. What is your role there?
I work in one of the best specialty coffee roasting companies which even has its farm in Costa Rica and offers around 100 different types of coffee. Supremo Coffee was founded in 2006 and is run as a family business.
I have 2 roles there. I am the Team Leader for our bar with our great barista and the store where we advise our customers with a lot of expertise. Both are located in our roastery.
I am also the contact person for cafés, restaurants and offices where our coffee is served. This starts with the coffee tasting, the individual recipe creation on site, and up to help in the daily business.
What kind of experience do you want your customers to have when they visit you at the cafe?
I always try to show our guests something new. Of course, this is individual for each guest. Munich is close to Italy, which means that many of our guests only know classic, dark-roasted coffee. Then I show them something more modern and fruity.
In the store, I explain a lot about the right settings for extraction at home. For every type of coffee making. so our customers can get the maximum out of our coffees.
What is your favourite part of the day in your cafe, and why?
My favourite part is setting up our espresso grinders (we have 6) in the morning. With good music and the smell of croissants fresh from the oven. When the first guests arrive and everything is ready, I’m happy.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?
The coffee industry is always in motion.
I’ve been working in this industry since 2007 and there are always new ways of doing things. I’m someone who looks forward to new challenges, so I’m motivated to learn new things anyway.
What are the current trends in cafes in your region? Are there any trends you promote yourself and would like to see more often in other places?
Typically most Germans prefer to drink espresso blends (made from arabica and robusta) from their espresso machines. A guest once said: “In the past in Germany it was about which car you drove, today it’s about which espresso machine you have.”
I try to focus more on the natural aspects of coffee and show our guests pure coffee varieties. I’m happy to see that such coffees are becoming more and more popular, especially as espresso.
I personally love espresso from washed Ethiopian beans. That’s what I would like to see more often in other places.
What do you think is the most important quality for a barista to have, and why?
In the end, it’s always about making the guest happy. For me, coffee is simply the best and easiest way to do this. Therefore, a barista’s most important quality is knowing who you are making the coffee for. Of course, a barista must know how to set up the coffee, work cleanly, move gracefully and make beautiful latte art. But, a good coffee with the best latte art doesn’t taste perfect without a smile.
How do you maintain consistency in the quality of the coffee you serve?
A recipe has to be created for each coffee. The ratio of coffee to water and also determine the optimal extraction time. Individually, depending on taste. In daily business, there are parameters, such as extraction time, which are easy to check by counters. If the coffee is no longer within the values, we try it and correct it.
What are some common misconceptions about our industry that you’ve encountered, and how do you address them?
The worst thing is that most people only know really bad coffee.
That’s why many people drink their coffee with milk and sugar to mask the bad flavours, especially the bitter ones. Here I explain to people: “Imagine you only ever eat burnt fries. Now let me give you well-made ones”. Many people would then say: “Oh, it tastes like nothing…” Then I say: “If you eat these well-made fries for a week and then the burnt ones again, you’ll realize what you’ve always eaten.” And now the whole story with coffee. Exact same thing.
Then many people understand that the quality of coffee has improved a lot in the last few decades.
What are your passions and hobbies apart from coffee?
I love going out into nature and spending time with my family. Watching American football brings me a lot of joy and have recently discovered a passion for trading card games (MTG). I like taking photos of butterflies and used to collect stamps. There are so many great and different things in this world…
Quick Fire Questions for Jakob Hartwig
Would you serve filter coffee with milk if asked for it?
Yes.
Do you ever take sugar with your coffee?
Yes (as an experiment).
Espresso or Filter coffee?
Both.
Milky or Black?
Black.
Do you aim for Sweetness, Acidity, or Body?
Balance.
Slurp or Spit?
Slurp.
Cake or Pastry with your coffee?
Cake.
Favourite piece of barista equipment?
Comandante at home, scale at work.
What’s your favourite city to have a specialty coffee tour outside of your city, why?
Oslo, good coffee and a nice city.
