High class coffee in Berlin
Meet Refinery High End Coffee, Standart stockist in Berlin
Who are we speaking with?
Bora Ozbek, a Berliner, entrepreneur, and specialty coffee enthusiast, and one of the co-founders of the international multi-roaster specialty coffee bar and retail store — Refinery High End Coffee.
Where are you from?
Berlin. City of discoveries, melting cultures, creative industries, challenges, and great achievements. Here the craziest ideas are born and realized. It’s a place fit for the emerging specialty coffee industry and brave combinations in concepts and storytelling.
Tell us the story behind your shop.
One of the best ways to find aspiration and connect it with inspiration is through travelling. There is nothing better than exploring new cultures, meeting the locals, and sharing moments and stories. That’s how I discovered specialty coffee for the first time—while travelling—and it really got me. Refinery was opened in 2015 in the heart of Berlin by the beautiful Spree canal. We have a community of customers who come to enjoy their morning glory with a cup of coffee at Refinery. It is a perfect mixture of regular customers and tourists who are curious about the novelties in specialty coffee and high quality lifestyle in general. We want to offer our customers the opportunity to learn about coffee, learn how its value is created, know all the processes involved, from farming to roasting, and support sustainable and transparent business.
What is special about your space?
We wanted to create a space which itself reflects new perspectives in specialty coffee. It is a quiet oasis dedicated to specialty coffee and the art of preparing and serving it. The customers can easily feel that our team is driven by the passion to revolutionize specialty coffee standards and introduce an extraordinary experience. We wish to bring coffee closer to the people through educating them how to brew coffee at home or work. We stock Tim Wendelboe, Caravan Coffee Roasters, and April Coffee Roasters here. The philosophy and story of the farmers, roasters, and products is accurately presented and integrated in the design. The focal point of the space is the luxurious brass coffee bar and the colour pallet works to keep the eye calm, so focus remains on the refined coffee taste and aroma. The place is a quick escape from the loud, fast, and noisy Kreuzberg lifestyle.
Tell us a bit about your customers.
A lot of things have changed since 2015 and Berlin’s specialty coffee scene has become more and more promising. The curiosity and expectations of customers pushes the scene to new heights every day. Right now, Refinery seems to me a hub of curious specialty coffee enthusiasts, geeks, and lovers. The majority of the customers know a lot about coffee and its origins, and the processes involved in getting it into their cups. They are open to trying new things and exploring our coffees, and getting to know more about the farmers and roasters. Our customers are eager to support transparent, sustainable business and enhance the development of the coffee cultivating countries.
Tell us one of the most important things you’ve learned while working in coffee.
In these two years, I have learned that there is a long way to go until society can absorb more information about coffee origins, re-think their choices, and drink more sustainable coffee. Education is a long term process and it requires patience, passion, and stamina. We believe that Refinery Specialty Coffee Store works to inspire others to choose more socially responsible lifestyles.
Is there a country of origin that you tend to favour coffee from?
I am a classy guy — I usually go for Brazilian coffee which has more chocolate flavour notes.
Espresso of filter? Espresso. Let’s kick it.
Sweet or savoury? Sweet for sure. Especially when it comes to the breakfast of champions.
Painting or photography? Photography: from analog to digital or mobile.
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