The collaboration with chef Danny St Pierre in 3 questions to Max Fabi.
Where did the idea for this collaboration come from?
Danny and I met when he was my neighbor at the Auguste restaurant in Sherbrooke. Our shared passion for coffee sparked our first conversations. From these casual chats (over a few late-night drinks) emerged several ideas and concepts, but nothing ever took serious form. At that time, the Faro brand didn't yet exist, and our distribution network was quite limited. Now that our products are distributed in Metro grocery stores and Épicia group stores, and our website has evolved, we pitched the idea of this collaboration to the Metro team, who enthusiastically agreed to participate in the project. We then took the necessary steps to create coffees that reflect Danny's personality.
Why establish a collaboration with Danny?
At FARO, we are constantly seeking to talk about coffee, its origin, its flavor profile, and its processing. As specialists, we use vocabulary specific to the coffee industry. Aware of Danny's talent for making complex topics accessible, we found it interesting to discuss blending and roasting, and the effects of these two factors on your cup, with the perspective and vocabulary of a chef. Moreover, Danny is very skilled at describing the aromas of coffee. His way of speaking about coffee is a refreshing exercise for us.
What were the challenges when developing a coffee blend with Danny?
The biggest tasting challenge came during the creation of the traditional Italian blend. Danny likes his espresso with a particularly strong body, a touch of bitterness, aromas of brown sugar, and low acidity. Personally, I'm torn between a light and medium roast for my typical espresso. The balance of the Brulerie espresso blend perfectly reflects my preferences. Danny managed to create his blend by selecting beans from different origins and varying the ratios until he achieved his desired taste. So, I had to let him go without interfering… The final result is very interesting, and I'm sure that lovers of Italian espresso or caffè latte will also appreciate the structure of this blend, which, incidentally, performs very well in automatic espresso machines like Jura and Saeco.
