Who are you and what is your position at Boot?
I'm Dennis van Zal and I do several things at Boot, but on paper I'm an account manager in the sales department ;-) Besides you as a consumer, we also have very nice catering, resale and office customers. Besides personal contact with the farmer, we also maintain personal contacts with our business customers. Bringing in new business customers, giving and maintaining training is part of my tasks. I also deal with marketing and events within the company.

Why do you work with coffee?
I work in and with coffee because it's a very interesting world. Partly because of my work as a chef, products with different flavors have always interested me. In the coffee world, there are so many flavors to explore. Thereby, the process from a coffee berry to eventually a cup of coffee is a journey that never gets boring for me.

What is your most memorable moment as a coffee professional?
By far my visit to several plantations in Panama. Getting up at 5 a.m. and walking through the morning dew among the coffee plants is an image I will never forget. In the process, the farmers are incredibly nice and passionate. They just barely shove a coffee berry in your mouth. Although I would definitely put a coffee berry in your mouth, should you ever visit a plantation. You can already taste in a coffee berry the potency of your final cup of coffee.

In your opinion, what is a coffee that everyone should try?
Each country has its own flavor characteristics and within a country there are also different varieties and drying methods. In short, go try everything and discover your preferences! What I like to experience in a coffee is layering. This means you can taste something different in every sip. Our coffees from Panama are tremendously layered and my favorite. Take our Panama Birdsong. A coffee with lots of sweet fruit and chocolate notes. Or our Panamaria. A coffee that Ricardo Koyner grows with pride and perfection. You can taste this back, because every sip is a new discovery.