Mike Steele

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As loads of lads my age do, I took a job in a coffee shop to get through college and then university. That was it, and it was just a job to pay the fees while I took my degree. The part time job then became a full-time job and the place was great, the baristas were nice guys, I liked them. They piqued my interest, particularly with latte art. I started mining consuming YouTube videos and I was picking up tips and learning techniques, all in a quest for the perfect cup of coffee.

I will never forget the first time I perfected a heart; I ran around the building showing everyone. Needless to say, my colleagues' enthusiasm didn’t match my own. As I got to understand coffee, the science hooked me in. While working at a small artisan coffee shop by the sea, I had the moment, the moment that all coffee lovers experience at some point: the ultimate cup of coffee.

The coffee in question was a Kenyan Kiawamaruru peaberry, (we still keep in touch) and this drink opened my eyes to what coffee can be, it’s versatility, it’s taste, and it’s purity. From then on I was on a mission, not just to recreate my ultimate cup, but to see how far I can take it, what I can do to make the best coffee I can make.

I love coffee because it is a natural product that can be so different, it is always changing, and I am always chasing it. I love what I do, creating those blends, making the roast perfect, all the science, all the care. I do it to ensure that a cup of coffee from 200 Degrees is as close to perfection as you can get.