Jamie Jongkind

Jamie works in sales at Nordic Approach, focusing on building relationships with roasters and supporting customers in selecting coffees that fit both their needs and their way of working. His key markets are Benelux, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. Originally from the Netherlands and now based in Oslo, he brings close to two decades of experience across roasting, sourcing, and running coffee businesses.

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Role and responsibility

His role centres on working closely with customers across markets, translating Nordic Approach’s offering into practical buying decisions.

This includes ongoing dialogue with roasters, as well as contributing to sourcing and selection processes. A significant part of the work takes place both in market and at origin, often hosting customers on trips to provide direct insight into how coffees are produced, processed, and prepared.

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Approach and ways of working

A central part of the work is combining technical understanding with a practical view on how coffees perform in real-world use.

The focus is on helping customers build offerings that are both consistent and distinctive, while keeping expectations grounded in how coffees actually behave in the roastery and in the cup.

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“I’ve slurped my way to something resembling enlightenment. It usually smells like blackcurrant, flowers, and occasionally something less romantic.”

He approaches coffee with the view that quality is contextual, and that clarity — both in the cup and in communication — is essential.

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Experience and background

Jamie has worked in coffee for close to 20 years. His background includes roles as barista, head barista, bar manager, roaster, and educator, as well as founding and running coffee companies in the Netherlands, including Aloha Koffie and Aloha Rotterdam. He joined Nordic Approach following several years of independent work and entrepreneurship within the coffee industry.

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He has over seven years of roasting experience and has worked with sourcing for several years, including during his time at Nordic Approach. His experience spans both production and commercial sides of coffee.

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He has also been involved in hands-on fermentation and processing projects at origin, including work in El Salvador, Honduras, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda.

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In addition to running coffee businesses, he has supported competitors and professionals within the industry, contributing to training, preparation, and development of routines and coffees for competition and service.

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Industry exposure

He has worked across a wide range of coffee-producing countries, including Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, India, El Salvador, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Rwanda.

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This includes extensive involvement in industry events, competitions, and cuppings across Europe, including participation in AeroPress competitions, local festivals, and regular contributions to Nordic Approach’s cupping events and presentations.

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Perspective

Approaches coffee from both a professional and personal perspective, with a focus on how coffees perform within their intended category, while still looking for distinct and memorable experiences in the cup.

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“Professionally, it’s about finding what a coffee can be at its best within its category. Personally, it’s the coffees that make you stop talking for a moment.”

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With a pragmatic view on the industry, he recognises that different perspectives on quality and preference can coexist.

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“Everyone is a professional in their own reality. The trick is figuring out what that actually means when you’re buying coffee.”

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And, occasionally:

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“Coffee is not complicated. People just like to make it sound that way.”