Caden Ramey, a Shift Lead at Verve’s West 3rd Cafe, reflects on how he starts his morning with a freshly brewed coffee.
How do you start your morning?
I start my morning routine by waking up and heating my kettle for tea or coffee while I start to get ready for the day.
What's your morning brew?
My morning brew has been Verve’s Ethiopia Guji Highlands Natural on a french press.
What's your favorite part of your morning?
My favorite part of the morning is sitting down and taking a moment to reflect on the upcoming day and to breathe in the peace and quiet while sipping on my freshly brewed cup.
How did you get into the coffee industry?
I actually stumbled into the coffee industry when I saw Verve was opening their Manhattan Beach location. I knew I liked coffee, but I didn’t discover my passion for it until working at that cafe and the curiosity I felt after learning how much goes into harvesting and processing every cup that we drink.
What is your impression of Guji Highlands?
When I brewed Guji Highlands for the first time, I tasted peaches and berries with some grounding creamy and earthy undertones. It was a perfectly balanced cup that left me excited for another sip.
WHY DO YOU LOVE COFFEE?
I love coffee because of the joy it brings people to drink it, because of the depth of flavors each cup has, and for the tight-knit community that I work with through it all. I get really excited when tasting new coffees with my team and watching everyone’s faces light up when we all get to experience that first sip of something new.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GROW YOUR COFFEE CAREER?
I would love to grow my career in coffee by getting into green coffee, as the most exciting part of the job for me is trying new coffees when they arrive in stores. I’d love to help build out the menus for our coffee selections and be able to taste and source coffees by traveling to their origins.