Nick Berardi - head Roaster
Hi, I'm Nick, one of your roasters at Utopian Coffee. What draws me deeper into the world of coffee everyday is what had me wanting to roll pasta with my pops once I could see over the counter: delicious stuff is great!! Being able to derive physical pleasure from eating-- one of those things kind of necessary for life like shelter or sleep -- has always just grabbed me, and is what got me into cooking fine dining back in my younger days. Cooking is a homage to the soil and the toil that keeps us fed. When I had my first great-great cup of coffee, it opened my eyes to the fact that coffee could fulfill that and so much more. In addition to the visceral thrill, coffee is one of the most complex agricultural products on our big blue ball, and pursuing how it can be manipulated by our hands fulfills another adventurous thirst. More than that, though, is the sense of being a contributor that I was instilled with very young; with coffee being a top-5 market commodity and sometimes #1 traded, the volume of impact we can have here at Utopian Coffee in supporting farmers can be pretty darn special. Spending my days drinking great coffee that is grounding and gratifying is pretty aces if you ask me.
Josh Hoffman - Roaster
Hey I’m Josh, and I roast coffee! I first tried coffee after repeatedly walking past a cappuccino machine at my first job. After finally tasting the sugary concoction, I started to understand what all the fuss was about. After landing a barista job during college, I started to grow a true appreciation and build some groundwork knowledge around coffee. That thirst for knowledge led me to acquire several thrift store electric popcorn poppers and try roasting my own coffee at home. It wasn’t pretty, but it laid the foundation for where I am today. Brendon and the brave leadership team at Utopian brought me on and allowed me to apprentice under two of the most accomplished, knowledgeable, and clever coffee professionals in the world. I can truly say that I am blessed beyond measure and enjoy coming into work every day. Each day is a new and exciting challenge, and each coffee roasted has its own personality. How lucky am I to get to taste and roast the best coffee in the world every day?