Who I am
I am Marek Kubinek - a Czech barista and coffee lover living in Dublin and Prague. For more than last 20 years I am in coffee industry and for more than last 8 years I am focusing on specialty coffee and pottery creating. This include various alternative coffee preparation and also ways how to enjoy coffee drinking.
I love coffee and enjoy to experience it with all my senses. My favorite coffees are hand-brewed because I like the aesthetics and natural simplicity that is associated with it. Simple things, like heartfelt daily rituals, can make a big difference in our lives.
For while was running a small own coffee shop, where I also organized several coffee workshops and events. I have a pass the coffee shop to somewhere else. I had feeling, I need to travel and known more about various culture, meet new people, visit other coffee shops and learn more this way. I like travel and discover new culture. Learn the skills, take photos and look around for new ideas, inspiration. All of this I would like also share with other open mind people.
My inspiration
I travel to explore the international specialty coffee culture. I find happiness in exposing myself to unfamiliar cultures, sights, colours, smells and sounds. Meeting friendly people on the road make travelling such a rewarding experience.
The deep creative spirit of Chiang Mai’s artistic community, in Northern Thailand and Ubud, Bali (Indonesia) has inspired me. Chiang Mai is only a few hours drive away from the mountainous Arabica coffee growing regions of Chiang Rai, Doi Chang and Doi Tung. It’s a vibrant but at the same time quiet city filled with many small coffee-shops run by highly passionate owners, who respect nature and the mindful preparation of drinks and food. Local baristas deeply enjoy the simple, sensual ritual of preparing, serving and tasting drip coffee.
They love to smell the coffee while grinding it and find beauty when they observe how the hot water slowly flows through the freshly grounded coffee. Similar to the Japanese Tea Ceremony, baristas put all their attention into predefined movements and exact measurements. They use specific, functional equipment with elegant shapes to prepare the coffee. Ubud, it is same as Chiang Mai inland town, created with many villages around. It is place more about food, but there is also very strong movement with coffee. Generally, the local coffee it is more dark and bitter. But, even coffee can be many times not very tasty, but always you will serve to some special cup and local they understand a lot, the drinking of coffee it is not only about alone taste of coffee, but also about environment and and alone cups what you holding in hand.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand, or in Ubud, Bali and on many places around Asia. The coffee making it isn’t only simple preparation, but it is important ritual, which it is part of coffee enjoying.
My mission
Coffee is no longer just a beverage you brew in the morning before work. It's a culture with its fair share of enthusiasts. If you are one of those folks, you take everything about coffee seriously, from the grind to the machine used to make it to the ingredients you mix to make the perfect cup.
If we're honest with ourselves, we want coffee to be an experience, not just a brewed beverage.
I love to inspire and to create exceptional experiences. I want to encourage coffee-lovers to learn to handcraft coffee and to replicate the sensory experience of preparing and drinking drip coffee in the comfort of their homes. For the reason, I have decided to create own coffee equipment. Even I am not professional designer.
Approx. 10 years ago I have decided to go to Asia and learn about pottery. I think the clay it is one of the best material to make some equipment. It is natural, environment and recycle. It is holding for long time drink hot or cold. It is very comfortable to hold it in hands. Thanks to various structure of glaze of clay the coffee moment you will enjoy not only via your nose or mouse but also via skin of your hands.
Products
- Cups and Mugs
- Bowls and pates
- Servers
- Drippers (Pour-overs)
- Coffee dripper stands or holders
- Kettles