Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayy Terrell.
Hi Jayy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story started in Acres Home where I attended Carver Magnet High for the arts and really fell in love with the arts. I got my BA from UTSA double major in English and Cultural Anthropology.
After graduation, I did a brief stint teaching eighth grade English before stumbling into the coffee industry. I worked at several cafes around downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. During this time, I began finding ways to realize my artistic visions through the mediums of paint, poetry, and music.
In 2022, I moved to California to learn coffee quality in a fellowship aimed at bringing black folks back into the fold of coffee. I acquired my Q graders license (one of a few black Q graders in the country) From there, it’s been a constant journey of deepening my understanding of not only the physical and developmental aspects of the coffee industry but also the cultural relevance and the reclamation that’s been brewing for several years.
I currently roast with the team for a local company Three Keys, while also operating my own company Introverted Coffee Co. which does consulting and education, as well as a roasted coffee supplier to smaller entities.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been a smooth or a simple one for many reasons.
Historically speaking, coffee has been an exploitative industry. The producing countries have bore the brunt of the labor and low wages which larger consuming countries have been able to use to increase their own commercial wealth through the back breaking work of others. So in true imperialist fashion, as a black woman, I’ve been subject to a ton of discrimination and disregard professionally.. I’m very fortunate to have had the path I’ve had in the coffee industry and I really don’t take that for granted.
Additionally, there has only recently been a push to make careers sustainable in coffee. I think the average shelf life of a barista grows shorter and shorter just because it can be tough to make a living.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional coffee roaster and taster. I specialize in coffee roasting but offer consultation up and down the value chain.
What sets me apart from others is just my breadth of knowledge. The slogan for my company from “green to grounds” really says it all. I can help clients select a great green coffee, help profile a roast, execute and adjust roast curves to get to the right flavor profile. Then, once we’ve got the coffee profiled and are ready to go, I can help dial in the coffee recipes and even help out with menu development for cafes or other service aspirations.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I truly think patience has helped me tremendously along the road of my career. Patience with the process of learning, and humility when inevitably, things get rocky. I’ve also had to really learn to trust myself, as far as finding my own vision and the ways in which I operate best. That goes for coffee and also for making art. I don’t excel along the same lines as others, but allowing myself the space to find my own way has helped tremendously.
Pricing:
- Consulting Services 99$/hr
- Roasted Coffee from 16$/12oz
Image Credits
Jordan Robinson – local artist and photographer
