Upper Left Coffee is a large fish in the large pond of Portland, Oregon coffee and they found the equivalent individual in the US coffee scene.

Upper Left Coffee is nestled in the upper left corner of Ladd’s Addition, a charming neighbourhood in the upper left corner of Portland, Oregon, a coffee mecca in the upper left corner of the United States. It’s clear that Upper Left’s owner and founder, Katherine Harris, leads with intentionality. It’s one of the busiest cafés in Portland, which is a testament to both the calibre of coffee and the quality of service, considering it’s one among 600 cafés in the city. In the summer of 2021, Upper Left was looking to hire a new Director of Coffee. In her search, Katherine applied that same purposefulness to find the perfect person for the job, someone who cares for and uplifts coffee workers as much as they love the art and craft of roasting, brewing and drinking coffee. That person was Trevor Jermasek.

Trevor Jermasek’s coffee journey has equipped him with the necessary skills and experience for business and coffee, perfectly suiting him for the Upper Left.

His career began almost 13 years ago at Karma Coffee, a mom-and-pop café parked unsuspectingly behind an old gas station in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Karma is one of those cafés that doesn’t pay much mind to marketing and still is slammed day in and day out. Word of mouth attracted people in droves. It was here, under the wing of an incredibly patient and caring mentor, that Trevor sent his first batch of green through the roaster at the ripe young age of 18. He learned to roast on an enormous German machine that was purchased secondhand. (Rumour has it, the previous owner died in the middle of a roast, but that’s neither here nor there.) He stayed with Karma through college while he earned a degree in International Business, a field that ties into coffee quite nicely. Coffee is, after all, a global product with its own fluctuating market, offering a wealth of relational opportunities with folks up and down the supply chain.

Six years ago, Trevor packed up all his knowledge of coffee, from the café to the global market, and moved across the country to settle into a coffee career in Portland. He spent years filling various roles, from barista and production assistant to roaster and green buyer, where he continued to deepen his knowledge of coffee. He built lasting relationships with equally inspired and perceptive colleagues, some of whom would blaze a trail for Trevor as Director of Coffee at Upper Left. It was clear that he would excel in this role, given his wealth of experience and passion for the craft. He knows what it’s like to be in the weeds during a Saturday morning rush with a dozen drinks in the queue. He’s roasted coffee all over the spectrum, from smoky full city blends to bright, delicate Scandinavian-leaning single origins. He understands the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with growers and importers as well as coworkers at the café.

Among his array of duties, Jermasek is most impactful as Upper Left’s Green Buyer, making him the go-to coffee monitor, the researcher of coffee farmers and origins, and the balancer of costs, ethics, and quality.

All of these experiences have culminated into this new role, which could also be translated as “Wearer of Many Hats.” Most days he can be found glued to the roaster, a small but mighty Korean workhorse that holds just 12 kilos, which is small in comparison to most machines. 12 minutes per batch with a minute in between to swap out freshly roasted beans for green ones, all while ensuring quality control and keeping chaff fires at bay. In between roast days, he could be designing products, drafting newsletters, sourcing new coffees, heaving 150-pound burlap sacks of green coffee over his shoulder––you name it. It can be a lot. He knew he’d have to get used to spinning plates when he took this job. But the stress of balancing all the moving parts doesn’t outweigh the thrill of fitting all the puzzle pieces together.

Among his many duties, one of the most impactful is his role as Upper Left’s green buyer. This is no easy gig. It requires a lot of research when looking into new origins and farmers. He has to keep an eye on the Coffee Market, which fluctuates daily just like the stock market. And one of the heaviest and most consequential elements of the job is balancing costs, ethics and quality. Coffee purchases affect consumers and producers alike, putting the green buyer in a critical position. A cornerstone of third-wave coffee is the roaster-grower relationship, which allows green buyers to see where their dollars are going and exactly how and who they impact. This importance of supply chain visibility aligns with the expectations of consumers who demand more from their cafes these days. They care that the product they’re buying not only minimised harm but improved the lives of the people who produced their coffee. In order to gain a clear perspective from farmer and producer’s points of view, Trevor strives to take a handful of trips to origin every year. There are things that simply can’t be learned without having an eyewitness perspective, like the grandeur and greenness of a coffee farm or the quality of life among the coffee-producing communities in various countries.

An enthusiasm for the coffee craft and attentive care for each individual involved, from farmers at origin to baristas at home, is crucial.

While on an origin trip once, Trevor noticed that there was a swimming pool on the farm, perfectly manicured and crystal clear. This struck him as unusual, since most farms as he knew them weren’t exactly oases. In fact, some coffee cooperatives don’t even have running water. But that farm belonged to a very successful multigenerational family, whose operations spanned multiple commodity markets, from coffee to cattle to palm oil. And though they had precise traceability and a farm that could double as a resort, their coffees weren’t significantly better than the small cooperative without plumbing. Co-ops often have a larger impact in the lives of their community members, even without the bells and whistles. Trevor has come to know, by witnessing both operations, that it’s important to see for yourself when making sourcing decisions.

The same care and attention he pays to relationships with producers, he pays to relationships with his colleagues in Portland. An important consideration in the coffee buying process is making sure everyone involved is getting paid a fair wage, from coffee farmers and producers at origin to baristas and production workers back home. Finding that balance requires knowledge and attention but, most importantly, it requires care and respect for everyone involved. This is what discerns Trevor from the rest. He understands just how much care is taken to produce such outstanding coffees year after year. Without all these folks, who dedicate their lives to various areas of the coffee industry, there would be no coffee at all.

His coworkers can attest to the care and enthusiasm he brings to his work. He shares his knowledge freely and without pretension. He advocates for new coffees that he firmly believes in and researches them thoroughly. He brings a confident calmness to his work, even in the midst of a pandemic and supply chain snafus. In a never-ending field of study where things are constantly fluctuating and evolving, having someone like Trevor as an available resource all of a sudden makes the muddy waters seem much clearer. He can credit his skills and years of knowledge about the coffee industry to previous gigs and mentors, but he can only credit himself for freely and enthusiastically sharing that knowledge with his team.

A new cupping lab encapsulates the Upper Left’s culture of teamwork and innovation, pairing beautifully with the enthusiastic and care-driven demeanour of Trevor Jermasek.

As a physical manifestation of knowledge-sharing, curiosity and a passion for coffee, attributes that Trevor innately embodies, The Upper Left team is putting the finishing touches on a new cupping lab now. This is a place where any and all members of the staff can commune to sip coffee and get excited about it. It’s a step toward togetherness, a sacred ground where ideas are shared fluidly, a classroom to further educate those who care deeply about coffee. It’s a place where everyone’s insight is valued and all are welcome. Being on the same page about coffee matters. This doesn’t mean everyone agrees on the same tasting notes. This means everyone is rooting for everyone in the supply chain, uplifting the farmers through fair wages and exalting the product by roasting and extracting it with fervent attention.

By welcoming Trevor onto their team, Upper Left can expect their roasts to be dialed-in and their coffee shelves to be stocked with carefully sourced, interesting coffees as the bare minimum.  But giving the bare minimum isn’t exactly Trevor’s speed. Alongside his expertise, Upper Left will benefit from his demeanour; his air of calmness when things become stressful; his passionate dedication to excellence; his willingness to talk openly and freely share his knowledge with his coworkers. He’s spent years practicing these principles with various other companies, always keeping a deep love for coffee as the driving force. In Upper Left, Trevor’s found a company that matches his enthusiasm for honest work and excellent coffee.