CoLab: Antwerp: "Coffee, I love you but you're bringing me down" | Talor Browne (Talor & Jørgen)

Talor Browne’s “Coffee, I love you but you’re bringing me down” brings the topic of coffee professionals’ physical and mental health directly to the forefront of our discussions about the future and sustainability of the coffee industry. Despite the fact that there is a general agreement that there are important things to consider, the unwieldy and multifaceted nature of the topic—difficult to discuss generally, let alone in an actionable way—has tended to stifle the conversation and left it at the periphery. 

Talor’s CoLab: Antwerp presentation is a call for us to re-open the discussion, no matter how uncomfortable or difficult it might be, and to talk about the health of our people: there is “no one-size fits all” answer, we’ll all need to pitch in to find solutions to a problem that will impact the growth and maturity of our industry moving forwards. 

The overwhelming response to both Talor’s initial survey and subsequent presentation in Antwerp highlighted how important it is to have this conversation, so we’ve helped to facilitate the continuation of the conversation online: share your thoughts, join the discussion, and view the survey results at COFFEE, I LOVE YOU BUT YOU’RE BRINGING ME DOWN.  

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Talor Browne cut her teeth in the early days of what is now the heaving behemoth of the Melbourne specialty coffee scene. Fortunate enough to have worked with Mark Dundon from St.Ali to Brother Budan and Seven Seeds, then on to Market Lane and just about every other notable bar in the city. In 2012, Paris beckoned and she left her old life behind to team up with Coutume. That partnership was short lived when she was offered a barista position in Oslo. Not long after, she was promoted to head roaster. After 13 years working for people she admires, Talor is now in the process of building a very different kind of coffee roastery in Norway. She also happens to be a great cook.