NOMAD COFFEE turns 10 years old

The last decade has been decisive for the specialty coffee industry: the boom in roasters, coffee shops and consumer interest has been spectacular. In addition, just this February NOMAD COFFEE celebrates its tenth anniversary, so we take this opportunity to review the key moments we have experienced both in the industry and in the company. 

Milestones of NOMAD COFFEE

1. Open our premises. The COFFEE LAB, located in Passatge de Sert and built on a small budget, was designed just to taste coffee, our own coffee. The beginnings were hard: Jordi roasted coffee from NOMAD of 300g in 300g. But he wanted to demonstrate his roasting skills, a trade he had learned during his years in London, where he discovered specialty coffee. On the other hand, it was clear to us that in our second location we wanted to show how we roasted, and so we did. Our Roaster's Home, in Poblenou, was an open window to the world of specialty coffee.

2. Roasting more. Jordi met Nino Tusell, who had his own industrial warehouse for roasting in Llinars del Vallès, and rented it to him so he could roast in a 10 kg machine and thus scale his business. On Mondays, as soon as the COFFEE LAB closed at 5 p.m., Jordi would go there to roast several batches.

3. To acquire our own machines. Each moment had its own toaster and each one lived its own vicissitudes: which one to choose, buying a very special and restored one, selling another one, waiting for long weeks for the arrival of a new one, assembling for months our second big toaster...

4. Roasting differently. We have done roasting consulting with the best roasters in the world to increase our precision. Today, we use specialized software that controls every value, from the ambient humidity to the temperature between roasts. The consistency of coffee from NOMAD, that is, that it is always as good as it is, is something valued by customers around the world.

5. Participation in events. NOMAD was born as a modest coffee cart that went around London's street markets looking for curious people who wanted to try a good cup of coffee. But after opening the first location and establishing ourselves, we didn't want to abandon its itinerant spirit, so we decided that we would participate in markets and festivals. The first of these was the Palo Alto Market, which was a perfect showcase for our coffee.

6. New recipes. When Jordi started making coffees in London, they were extremely potent. The ratio was 1:1.5, that is, for every 20 g of ground coffee we extracted 30 g of espresso. Now it is always above the 1:2 ratio, so for every 20 g we extract more than 40 g, something that gives a rounder, less potent but kinder taste. We have adjusted to the palate, to make it easier for everyone to drink specialty coffee.

7. The Coffee Academy. In 2023 we have launched this training space for professional and amateur baristas, where we teach everything you need to enjoy and prepare a good coffee, whether in a coffee shop or at home.

8. We start cooking. We had always shied away from cooking and food to focus on coffee, but when we were ready, we rolled up our sleeves and at Frutas Selectas we serve breakfast and lunch.

9. Trips to origin. Being able to enter the coffee plantations of our Entre Ríos coffee from Costa Rica, which was our first trip to origin, helped us to understand the reality of the producers, and to do everything possible to avoid intermediaries that affect the value chain of specialty coffee.

10. A continuous effort to be sustainable. Every gesture of NOMAD COFFEE is governed by the criterion of impacting as little as possible on our planet: from compostable packaging to the use of solar panels.

Sector milestones

1. Competitions. There are more and more contests that put our baristas in competition and stimulate them to be better and more creative.

2. Presence in gastronomic fairs. Alimentaria, Fòrum Gastronòmic, Madrid Fusión, FIBAR... All fairs specialized in gastronomy have their specialty coffee space.

3. Creation of the barista. In the past, there was no specific profession dedicated to coffee. Thanks to specialized training, today baristas can learn how to cup, roast and prepare all the coffee brews close to home.

4. Specialty coffee at home. During the pandemic, when we could not move from home, we all needed a very tasty coffee more than ever. That is why the number of coffee subscriptions and online stores through which it is possible to purchase specialty coffee to be delivered to your door with the regularity you desire has increased.

5. The quality of coffee rises. Today, the quality of coffee in Barcelona and, in general, in Spain, is very high. We believe that much of this is due to the efforts of the first roasters, who began by laying the foundations with very high standards that those who have come after them have maintained. Tourists are amazed!

6. Coffee festivals. The IBCF, the Coffee Awards and the Coffee Fest: the bustling trade fair activity, with its lectures, tastings and shows, indicates that the sector is more alive than ever and interest is growing.

7. More roasters. Every Spanish province now has at least one coffee roaster. It's early days!

8. And more coffee shops. In addition, in the capital cities, there are many options for specialty coffee.

9. Specialty coffee in your supermarket. The fact that specialty coffee has entered supermarkets means that it is an increasingly demanded product.

10. Increasing taste for coffee. The public has an increasing taste for specialty coffee and more knowledge. Many people today prepare their coffee at home with classic methods such as mocha or other newer methods such as aeropress or v60.

This has been a summary of our first ten years, which coincided in time with the great boom of specialty coffee. We have all been participants in spreading and promoting good coffee during this decade, from roasters to baristas, including, of course, everyone who has bet on drinking a better prepared and richer coffee. To all of you: thank you! Getting this far would not have been possible without your support. Who knows what the next ten years will bring? What is clear is that we will do it together, as always.