Q&A With Lynsey Hayes, Owner of Sorellina Coffee

In the September issue of The Roasters Pack, we featured a few delicious coffees from the new Edmonton coffee roaster, Sorellina Coffee. We caught up with Lynsey Hayes, the owner at Sorellina, to find out more about her origin story, coffee seasonality, and the ‘90s!

-What’s Sorellina's origin story? How did you get into coffee?

Before diving into coffee I worked in viticulture and wine-focused hospitality. In 2017 I began working with my brother Andrew at his roastery and café (Roasti Coffee Co.). I loved the similarities between the wine and coffee industries, not just for the sensory aspects but the farming and agricultural side of things. Learning about green coffee quickly became my focus with the goal of becoming the buyer for Roasti and someday having my own brand, focusing on small producers and emerging regions.

During the covid 19 pandemic, I had more time on my hands than usual and figured it was as good a time as any to start working on my own venture in coffee. As a nod to my brother, I named the company Sorellina or "Little Sister" in Italian. My focus is to work with small lots that fall under 2 categories, classical expression of terroir, and new-age expression of terroir (the crazy new science stuff). But what I really want is to make the experience of buying, making and drinking coffee fun and accessible for anyone, not just coffee nerds.

-Why do you keep your coffees seasonal?

I think by keeping my coffees seasonal we can teach the consumer about different regions via various harvest times around the world.

-I sense a lot of 90s references coming up in your coffee names, what's the story behind that?

I'm an ‘80s baby, so growing up in the ’90s was where most of these come from, I think most of the references I use evoke that feeling of happy nostalgia in people. Gen X, Z, Millennial, doesn’t matter...who doesn't appreciate a good Pulp Fiction reference?

-What's your fav movie from the 90s?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas...it's just too weird not to love.

-What are you most excited about for the future?

I'd really like to compete in a Tasters Cup, I have extensive training in sensory analysis for wine that I have been channelling into coffee. I would love to really dig in and use that knowledge.