About
Our Company
We are a micro-roastery based in Sunningdale, Cape Town. After many months of hard work, passion and dedication, we opened our doors in 2021 to the public. In doing so, we started the journey to fulfilling our lifelong dream – to run our own artisanal roastery and coffee shop. As a small business, we are passionate about our craft and endeavour to always ensure quality, freshness, and apply an attitude of learning to every batch of coffee we roast. We are grateful for all the support offered by our community – thank you!
Our Story
Early beginnings
Introduction
When it comes to coffee, the roasting process can make all the difference in the taste and aroma of your brew. At Apothecary Coffee Co, we understand the art and science of coffee roasting, and we’re dedicated to bringing you the perfect cup every time. Our story starts with our founder, Davis Todt, who turned his passion for coffee into a full-fledged business. Join us as we take a look back at the journey of Apothecary Coffee Co and the dedication that goes into every bean we roast.
A hobby is born
Apothecary Coffee Co‘s story begins with founder and head roaster, Davis Todt, who was in search of a distraction from the stresses of daily life and a way to indulge in his lifelong passion for coffee. With a full-time job as a Bioinformatics Scientist and a Masters degree at the University of Cape Town, Davis found himself struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he realized it was time to find new ways to find personal fulfillment. So, he turned to coffee roasting as a hobby, using it as a reward for pushing through the day or completing a chapter of work.
It didn’t take long for him to fall in love with the art and science of coffee roasting, using modified popcorn poppers and even roasting over open flames as a fun DIY method. This hobby quickly became an obsession, and within months, Apothecary Coffee Co was born from months of experimentation, daily cupping sessions, and careful preparation. Take a look at our image gallery for a glimpse into our coffee roasting journey.
From hobby to small business
Today, Apothecary Coffee Co is a thriving small business located in the heart of Sunningdale, known for our commitment to high-quality beans and expertly roasted coffee. We source our beans from some of the best coffee-growing regions in the world and take great care in ensuring that each bean is roasted to perfection. Our team of experienced roasters is dedicated to bringing out the unique flavors and aromas of each bean, resulting in a truly exceptional cup of coffee. We are proud to offer a wide range of blends and single origin coffees, catering to coffee lovers of all preferences. We also strive to promote sustainable and ethical coffee production to support farmers and their communities. At Apothecary Coffee Co, we are passionate about coffee and it shows in every cup.
A word from our head roaster
The combination of my background in biochemistry and biological data analytics alongside my lifelong passion for coffee have served me well in the quest for delicious coffee. Every batch presents a new opportunity to learn and fine tune our recipes. We do not pretend to know everything about coffee roasting (and frankly, anyone who does should not be trusted). Open learning and discussion lie at the centre of our core values and we strive to achieve this in everything we do – both in the roastery and via our social channels.
– Davis Todt
Our approach to coffee roasting
In terms of our roasting process, we are quite methodical and data-driven, while still remembering to focus on the sensory cues gathered during the roasting process (sight, sound, smell, taste and even touch to a degree all have a role to play during the process of roasting coffee). We also uphold a philosophy of “ultimately, what matters is in the cup”, which is why we taste test each batch of coffee we sell. This means that whenever we make a change to our standard recipes we take note of the effects it had on the cup and may alter the recipe accordingly.
Choosing a roast profile
Wherever possible, we apply the scientific method to identify variables that impact the ultimate flavour profile in the cup, and try to control for these variables where desired. Variables such as the type of green coffee and how it was processed, the temperature applied at each phase of the roast, as well as the shape and incline of the roast curve all have an impact on the roasted coffee. For instance, through experimentation we have learnt to enhance both body and flavour of our darker roasts, without introducing bitterness. Some of the other things we look out for are the impact of changes on acidity, body/mouth-feel, cup clarity and flavour. We then follow an iterative approach to arrive at a desired roast profile after many rounds of experimentation. Ultimately, what you taste in your cup is the result of hundreds of hours behind the roaster, and decades of passion to boot!
Our Journey – A Visual Perspective
Our Team
Meet the faces behind Apothecary Coffee Co. We are a small team and like to keep it that way to ensure attention to detail and quality are maintained at each step of the coffee roasting (and creative) process!
Interested? Shop Our Craft Roasted Coffee Collection!
Visit our shop if you would like to try one of our coffees. We know that you will find something to your liking ☕️