WAZ article from December 4, 2021

Hugenpoet, König brewery, Michelin-starred restaurant in Düsseldorf and exclusive hotel on Sylt: restaurateur and coffee connoisseur Patrick Schiller has already worked in some top-class places. The 43-year-old has been running a café in his hometown of Essen since 2009, and in 2012 he added the coffee roasting company " Coffee Pirates" . His business was recently named one of the best roasting companies in Germany by "Feinschmecker" magazine - and business is booming.

Drinking good coffee has become a lifestyle trend in recent years: whether it's an expensive portafilter machine or a conscious understatement with a hand filter. "Coffee Pirates" is benefiting from this. Recently, working from home has given his business a huge boost, says Schiller, who runs an online shop in addition to his shop on Rüttenscheider Strasse . Essen restaurateurs also buy their coffee from him, for example "Gin & Jagger" and the Schlosshotel Hugenpoet.

Essen roastery offers fair trade coffee

There are between 18 and 20 different coffee and espresso variations to buy, including all kinds of flavors. Some have a berry aroma, some have a light lemon note, others a cocoa note. Cost factor: between 6.50 and 10.90 euros for 250 grams. Schiller also offers 100 percent biodegradable wooden coffee capsules. All coffees are fairly grown, he emphasizes. The beans come from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and India, among other places. The coffee expert also promises the highest quality.

But what exactly is the secret of really good coffee ? "It depends on your personal preference," says Schiller. For example, whether you prefer it from a French press, a filter or a fully automatic coffee machine. Depending on the situation, you have to prepare it differently. "Coffee has 800 different flavors," says Schiller, "more than wine."

Roastery wants to expand and is looking for new premises in Rüttenscheid

In his company, he also uses gentle drum roasting: depending on the variety, 13 to 18 minutes at a low temperature. "This way, no acid is produced that upsets the stomach," explains the coffee expert. In contrast, industrial beans are only roasted for one to two minutes at a very high temperature. The roasting date must also be taken into account. If you wait too long to prepare the coffee, the aroma will be lost.

Due to the high demand, Schiller is currently looking for new premises. He processes 150 to 200 kilos of coffee a day in his 12-kilo roasting machine. He would like to produce even more and use a 30-kilo machine, but he would need more space for that. On Mondays, when the café is closed, production for business customers is already running continuously. Finding something is not easy, says Schiller. Because one thing is certain: he wants to stay in Rüttenscheid , where he also lives with his wife and two children: "This is the center of my life."