In 2015, Julie Audet captivated the judges of the Art Latte Challenge by drawing a swan with milk froth. We knew then that behind this sketch hid another sign: that of a career as a coffee ambassador in North America.
Freshly arrived from Costa Rica, Julie Audet has the calm gaze of someone who has just returned from a month-long tour of Central America to visit farms and select her next coffee imports. “It looks very glamour on Instagram, she confides, but the reality is that when I’m not in the field, I’m constantly following the route of the coffees I have booked [il y a cinq mois] and to hope that the container is not taken somewhere, that everything arrives here in good condition! »
The one who buys hundreds of kilos of coffee was not destined for a career in the field, however, as she grew up in a family that drank Folgers soluble coffee. “For me, coffee just smelled good! Everything took on a new meaning when she started working as a barista in Australia. “I was served an espresso from the Yirgacheffe region in Ethiopia, and it clicked. It was so good and delicate. There were hints of black tea, citrus and flowers. Two years later, she returned to Quebec as third-wave coffee groped its way. The best was yet to come.
After winning the latte art competition and opening a Café Saint-Henri branch in the capital the following year, she realized that her pleasure lay beyond making coffee. She was offered a job as a trainer and quality manager for all the Saint-Henri cafés. She also passes on the first attempt – quite rare, it is said – the exams giving the right to the Q Grader certification, a title granted by the non-profit organization Coffee Quality Institute, whose mission is “to improve the quality coffee and the lives of those who produce it”.
“My ultimate goal has always been to be closer to coffee producers and agriculture. After a while, Jean-François Leduc [fondateur de Café Saint-Henri] said, “OK, we’ll take you to the origin.” And I became a coffee buyer, which I had always wanted to be, finally. »
Caring for the coffee industry
When Saint-Henri changes hands, Julie Audet takes the opportunity to take another step, nourished by 13 years of experience. A year earlier, she joined Jeff Fleming, founder of Apex Coffee Imports — a young company previously based in Western Canada — as co-owner and buyer. In addition to creating partnerships with producers established in nine countries, it selects the various raw materials that will then be sold and roasted by more than a hundred companies scattered across Canada and the northern United States, including Pista, deTerroir , Nektar, Zab Café and Detour Coffee.
“Like other companies, we specialize in source-traceable coffee. The way we buy coffee is against the grain compared to what has been done for so many years. It remains a product of colonialism; the price of grain is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and producers are at the bottom of the food chain, she laments. Through my work, I want to open the dialogue, understand their costs, their challenges, and establish a price that works for both parties. I want to give letters of nobility to coffee culture. »
His recent weeks spent in Central America confirm to him that the challenges are still heavy on the shoulders of producers. In addition to global warming and inflation, the major difficulty is the migration of workers to other countries, such as Canada. “The seasonal workers you see on our farms were mostly coffee cherry pickers. They come here because they make more money, and I understand that. On the other hand, consumers do not want to pay more for their coffee, [ce qui aiderait le producteur à garder ses employés], explains Julie Audet. It’s really a big issue right now. And there is the younger generation who grew up there and who do not want this precarious environment, preferring to go live in town rather than take over the family farm. »
My ultimate goal has always been to be closer to producers and agriculture around coffee
Julie Audet is categorical: “We have to take care of this industry, because consumers won’t stop drinking coffee overnight. She finds that not all consumers are yet aware of the work involved in growing coffee. “There’s nothing snobbish about that. We just need to change mindsets. Everyone sees coffee as a commodity, whereas it is increasingly a luxury. »
His leitmotif: one step at a time. Like her career, she knows that she still has challenges to overcome to adapt to this environment in the midst of environmental and inflationary tremor. Driven by the same enthusiasm she had while drinking her espresso in Australia, she will do her best as an ambassador to inform people and explain the hidden side of coffee importation.