"Coffee can transform lives, one cup at a time."
Newbery Street Coffee Roaster's founder, Pack, said in his talk at the Madrid Coffeefest on the Future of Thai Coffee.
Source: Instagram
Pack's journey was an unexpected one. Coming from the tech space, Pack originally was working at a startup aiming to create a travel application right before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. As travel restriction and stay at home mandates became the norm to keep everyone safe, the funding for the company ran out, and in working to keep his team and employees afloat, Pack was left with 27 dollars in his bank account.
In his lowest of lows, it was a cup of coffee that pulled him out
A friend gifted him a bag of whole coffee beans, which he originally had no idea what to do with. He was not a coffee person, he had no idea about the world he was about to enter.
When he took his first sips of the coffee, he remembered tasting fruity and floral notes in the drink. Something he had never experiences before. He was hooked.
Pack began to go down the coffee rabbit hole, taking classes, finding mentors and learning all he could about coffee and the coffee industry. This is what led Pack to meet Billy, a coffee farmer who is a second generation coffee farmer living in the Maemon Mountains in Chiang Rai.
Source: Instagram
Pack took several trips to visit Billy, learning more about the coffee farming process, but little did he know that these meeting would end up transforming Pack and also Billy's lives.
Having lived in the city most of his life, Pack was unprepared for life in the mountains of Thailand. The harsh weather at the high altitudes, cold showers, and a lack of the many comforts Pack had enjoyed in the city. But in those visits, Pack learned about the hard work and dedication that Billy had to his farm and the coffee he grew.
Source: Instagram
At the time, specialty coffee was scarcely understood, and Billy was among the few who recognized it's value. While most farms in the region focused on mass production for corporate giants, Billy envisioned a future where Maemon's coffee could transcend mere commercialism and this conviction led him to defy market norms.
Billy is dedicated to his craft
Cultivating, harvesting, processing, and drying the beans all himself. Continuing to improve the soil terroir, understanding how all these factors played into the coffees flavor, acidity, aroma, sweetness, body, and more.
This inspired Pack, and he was invested in this mission and putting his business expertise to work bringing several more coffee varietals to Billy's farm.
As the third wave coffee movement began to grow, Pack saw Billy's farm grow along with Billy's material conditions: Rebuilding his house, installing a water heater, enjoying the modern comforts that Pack had living in the city.
Pack also learned about the transformational power of coffee. It wasn't just a bean, it was something that can materially transform lives. It had given Pack a second chance at building a life and career, and it enabled Billy to materially transform his living situation.
Pack continued his search, driven by a deep passion for coffee
After his experience at Billy’s farm, Pack had the opportunity to visit other farmers across Northern Thailand, where he learned more about the growing movement of Thai coffee. He discovered that Thai coffee is entering the specialty phase, as farmers are increasingly prioritizing the quality of their coffee over production quantity.
During his journey, one of the farmers Pack met was Jaroon at Khun Lao Mountain in Chiang Rai. It was here Pack learned about Jaroon's experience of visiting Bangkok for the first time. Growing up in the mountains of Chiang Rai, Jaroon had never been to the country's capital city. But as the Thai coffee scene began to expand, so did Jaroon's world as he was given the opportunity to visit the city he had only ever seen on television.
Jaroon described the experience as surreal. He saw towering buildings, busy streets filled with cars, and heard people speaking multiple languages all around him. That moment shaped his vision for the future. He wanted the next generation to have opportunities to go out into the world, to study, gain knowledge, and return to continue the family’s work.
Today, Jaroon has made this vision a reality. His daughter, after leaving the village to study, later returned and works alongside him on the farm, helping manage operations and communicate with clients and roasters who source their coffee.
These are just two stories, but there are many more yet to be told; from farmers like Sopa in Omkoi, Nawin in Doi Chang, and Nui and Aoy in Doi Saket. All of them are striving to elevate Thai coffee and push it toward a future where it can stand proudly on the global stage.
When Pack founded Newbery Street Coffee Roasters in 2023, he was driven by a clear mission to bring Thai coffee to the world. Whether through partnerships with farmers like Billy and Jaroon, or by competing on the national stage, his goal has always been to showcase the potential and excellence of Thai coffee.
The future of Thai Coffee is bright...
Source: Instagram
Over the years, a community has grown around this same mission, farmers, roasters, world class baristas, and more. All invested in the ways coffee can transform lives, one cup at a time.
At Newbery Street Coffee Roasters, we source coffee from farms across Thailand, each with its own story and dedication to quality. As you’ve read through this journey, we invite you to be part of it by supporting Thai coffee and growing alongside this movement.
We offer a range of Thai coffees, from light to medium-dark roasts, crafted to let you experience the character and potential of each origin. Through every cup, we hope you can taste the future of Thai coffee and the passion behind it.