When a roaster requests a coffee sample from us, there’s an entire process happening behind the scenes to make sure it gets out quickly and with consistent quality. That’s where our Production comes in, that you may remember as “the Lab.” Later in the article, we’ll explain why the name changed and how the new production workflow has improved efficiency and turnaround times. The production team is the ones making sure samples are roasted, packed, shipped, and archived, so roasters around the world can taste our coffees before making a buying decision.
Meet the power duo
We sat down with Luis and Iaryna, the two people running the department, to learn more about what production really works with at Nordic Approach.
Luis is our production assistant and joined Nordic Approach five months ago, completely new to coffee. His daily responsibilities cover processing and archiving samples, roasting green beans, preparing shipments, and handling all the moving pieces that make sample orders run smoothly.
With a background in food technology, Iaryna came on board as our production manager about three months ago to manage the team. She registers incoming samples, sets up cupping sessions, supports procurement with tastings, manages the delivery system, and keeps a close eye on shipments.
When it comes to favorite coffees, Iaryna says, “You can’t choose a favorite child!” while Luis is more decisive: “Colombian coffee - so much variety, always balanced. Washed Kenya is a classic too, always good.”
From Lab to Production
Until only recently, what is now our Production was called the Lab. When we started the Lab, roasting and preparing samples wasn’t its own job here, and the function was more closely tied to the procurement which sources our coffees at Nordic Approach and is in touch with producers at origin. As the work grew and more focus on roasting, processing, archiving, shipping was required, the “lab” no longer fit.
Today, it’s clear this is a production department. Just three months ago, the team officially transitioned from the former lab into an effective production. They produce roasted coffee for cuppings and samples, prepare green beans for dispatch, and ensure everything runs smoothly between sales, procurement, and logistics. Their focus is on making sure every sample gets in and out the door exactly as it should, to measure physical quality parameters, and to prepare each cupping season so others can concentrate on assessing sensory quality. Although the department is still new, the changes have already had a noticeable impact on turnaround times.
Challenges and Problem-Solving
Like any production environment, bottlenecks happen. Delayed containers, last-minute order changes, or shipping issues can cause stress. But the team has become faster and more flexible: samples can be roasted and sent out the same day they arrive if needed, and if a lot is delayed, Sales and Production work together to find matching alternatives. Weekly inventory updates mean information is always accessible.
Luis, who has worked in both the old department setup and today’s production workflow, , explains the change. “In the previous lab, many tasks were managed in a more ad-hoc way, with less visibility into inventory and prioritization,” he says. “Now, with the new production department at our HQ, everything is structured around efficiency: we have better control over inventory, clearer task prioritization, and a workflow that ensures samples move out quickly and reliably.”
A Day in our production department
With these two in the team it never gets silent in production. Techno Fridays? Yes, the Spotify playlist goes on at 8 AM sharp. Luis, who’s usually first in the office, takes advantage of the calm morning hours to blast rock before the rest of the office arrives.
“No two days start the same,” says Iaryna. Most mornings begin with checking emails - are there last-minute customer requests, delivery issues or updates from procurement? From there, it’s problem-solving first, then diving into the day’s tasks. Incoming samples are prepared for cuppings, which means measuring physicals like moisture, density, and water activity, roasting beans to carefully tested profiles with sometimes manual adaption, and setting up cupping tables, sometimes multiple times a week depending on the season. Meanwhile, outgoing samples, both green and roasted, are packed and sent off to roasters worldwide. Every detail matters, from the weight of each bag to the shipping method that ensures it arrives as fast as possible. The team relies on a mix of tools to keep things running. The ROEST roasting machine with in-house software, Odoo to track inventory and samples, labeling, sealing, and pre-weigh machines to speed up dispatch, and of course, a trusty dishwasher after long cupping days.
The production department might not be the most visible department for you at Nordic Approach, but it’s one of the most essential. Every roasted sample on a cupping table and every green bean sample in a roaster’s hand has passed through Luis and Iaryna’s care. Their work ensures that you can taste, evaluate, and make confident buying decisions, knowing the coffees arrive prepared with consistency, accuracy by our power duo Luis and Iaryna.
Read more about the Specialty Coffee Samples that our production team prepares for you.
