Our history

Borås Kafferosteri was founded by Jens, a coffee enthusiast who went from curious consumer to small-scale roaster with the whole world as a taste palette. Over the years, the passion has grown with beans from all corners of the world, our own roasting and a network of friends who share the love for real coffee. Here, Jens tells how it all began.

"Until 1991, coffee was just a good drink for me and not much more. The range in Sweden at that time was also not very large compared to today."


Autumn 1991

It was time for a family party and I was in the store to do some shopping. There I was struck by the thought, “I wonder if I should try a pack of Maxwell House Java”. Wow, something happened there. Can coffee taste that good? The experience gave me a taste for more and I started to buy coffee from time to time at Bergs coffee shop in Borås, among others. After a few years I bought my own coffee grinder. Wow, something happened there again. Can freshly ground coffee just before brewing taste that good?

Spring 2010

I started buying beans with me out of curiosity on my trips abroad and for the first time I tried roasting green coffee, which was absolutely fantastic. Roasting at home in the oven requires a lot of ventilation as it smokes a lot. So I later switched to roasting outside on the grill, which was appreciated, not least by the lady in my life.

Beans from around the world

Over the years, there have been beans from different parts of the world such as Ethiopia, Sumatra and Cuba, the list goes on! I also have friends who have helped me source beans from exciting places.

My friend Vesa found a small coffee plantation in northern Thailand. They wanted to sell him at least a ton, but an old guy from Borås of course managed to get me 6 kg of green coffee. The deal included a package of Zoegas Skånerost, I found out afterwards.

My friends Phil and Paula , who live half the year in Maui, Hawaii, picked up a kilo of coffee that grows wild outside the house where they live.

The guy's girlfriend Lovisa was on a bike ride down Blue Mountain in Jamaica, where one of the world's most exclusive coffee plantations is located. After very tough negotiations and a few dollars under the table, she manages to buy 2 kilos of green coffee for me.

My other friend Ingemar was in contact with a coffee plantation in Uganda when he was last there through a project for the school he works at. He hopes to bring some coffee with him next time he is there…

Stories and friends like these are incredibly appreciated. If you happen to run into a coffee plantation on one of your travels, you know….