Yun Jins Trip to Korea

Hear it from Yun Jin

Meet Yun Jin, our barista managing our Annex café which connects to our Coffee Roastery. We recently took Yunjin on a trip to Korea to support our events around the World of Coffee which was held in Busan.

Greetings! This is Yun Jin, one of the baristas at The Barn. I’m a Korean born Canadian. In the beginning of May, I had the pleasure of visiting Busan during World of Coffee week. It’s been 10 years since I’ve been back home and I couldn’t wait to find out how the coffee culture in Korea has changed.

Korean people love coffee; we drink coffee as breakfast, lunch, sometimes dinner and of course, as dessert. You can tell by the number of cafes and bakeries within one block. Most of them are open from 7am to 10pm at night. About 90 percent of these cafes are big brand chains using commercial grade coffee. The rest are specialty coffee roasters and cafes.

How is coffee culture changing?

In the last 3 years, “acidity” became a buzz word for coffee drinkers in Korea. I heard the word from a group of customers in their 60s at our Busan cafe. As they sip different filter coffees they ordered, they talk about tasting notes, acidity and pick their favorites - a new culture that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

People are having fun talking about coffee and curious to know more about this new wave called “Specialty Coffee”. Slowly but surely, specialty coffee is making its way into mainstream culture.

Gabriel from Daterra.

Wilford Jr. from Lamastus Estate.

World of Coffee: A Global Gathering

During the week, we’ve had visitors from all over the world, participating at our events: presentations and Q&A time with two legendary coffee producers; Gabriel from Daterra, Brazil and Wilford Jr. from Lamastus Estate, Panama.

We’ve also had 3 public cupping sessions. These were fantastic opportunities to meet and talk to local coffee industry personnels. From cafe owners to coffee connoisseurs, it was a gathering of people who love and support specialty coffee. World of Coffee really brought together a big global community.

Owooker Coffee Cafe

At the end of the trip, Ralf and I visited two cafes in Busan - Owooker Coffee and Goof Coffee Bar. Both shops carry our beans in their own unique ways. Owooker Coffee is a cozy shop in a small streets filled with boutique shops including bakeries, flower shops.

Every inch of the cafe is touched with the owner’s aesthetic; cute handmade goods and antique items. You feel like you’re invited to his own studio. As a multi-roaster cafe, he curates the drink menu in rotation. He also makes playful signature drinks such as Peach Milk Tea, a summer favorite by customers.

Goof Coffee Bar

Goof Coffee Bar takes place in the corner of another trendy block, inviting with an open bar layout and a communal table on one side. The cafe provides live vinyl music selections by the baristas. It’s a cross between a listening bar/cafe, serving cocktails and coffee.

Their signature drinks include a barrel-aged cold brew, served with a big cubed ice like a whiskey on the rocks. The cafe is also a design shop, filled with clothings and goods by local artists.

These two cafes are a great representation of how specialty coffee culture is digested in Korea. It’s becoming a platform for artists and artisans to collaborate and create experience for consumers.

I feel lucky and proud to have been a part of this experience with The Barn Korea team, and I’m looking forward to be back in the near future.