MILAN – Andrew Shwarts from Kiev to Rome – a city that he wants to call home for the next future -: a career related to coffee, its preparation, selection, and the dissemination of culture around the drink to promote a more sustainable and traceable supply chain. This entrepreneur has been able to passionately pursue his vision of the bean, between highs and lows, always keeping an eye on both its origins and on Italy and the world of espresso. Until the day when his whole reality changed irreversibly, with the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict that forced him to flee his country and rebuild his life in Italy, in Rome, where he currently works at Aliena, Barnum and Faro, and where he has finally brought his family, his wife and daughter, to safety.
He left the country legally, because he has been removed from the military register. So, he easily crossed the border. So, in three weeks after the war started, he left Ukraine and went to Rome.
The network created by the Italian coffee community did its job, offering asylum and professional security to Andrew Shwartz, who today shares his long story with our readers.
What is Shwarts’ path within the coffee sector? How did you become a barista and specialty roaster?
“My coffee path get started from 2012 in Ukraine. While working in the office as an analyst, I was faced with a tender for purchasing a large amount of commercial coffee. Yes, that was the beginning of everything. As a result of my work, I came to Ethiopia to meet the coffee producers. It was the first my cupping experience and realized the difference in coffee quality. Then I met different and various farmers. It was they, who began to change production to a more modern one.
After that, my life changed definitely. I started self-educating and was constantly looking for new sources of information and new acquaintances with manufacturers. I realized that I had found the product I wanted to work with – high quality coffee. After a while, the Rule. project was born in my head. The idea of which was the little rules (I call them the laws of work) on which all project is based on. And I set myself the task of controlling the coffee path chains, the entire path of the coffee cherry from the bush to the cup in the hands of the coffee shop guest. In short, it is direct trade buying from farmers, import, grading at certificated laboratory, roasting in my own equipment and production area and coffee brewing in my coffee shops.
And only in 2018 I started, opened my roastery – Rule Coffee Roasters. After some time I opened a laboratory, several coffee shops (one of which with a bakery) and a trading company whose idea based on another my idea – the Fair Price project (to develop coffee farms by financing them). Of course, over the years I have faced many difficulties and a lot of problems. But even in the most difficult moments, I did not raise the white flag. I used to fight to the end.
By the way, two years ago I even planned to open a Rule coffee shop in Rome. I came here often for a better understanding of the culture and of the coffee market in Italy. And then I met Dario (one of the owners of Faro and coffee Aliena roasters). The funny thing is, Dario doesn’t remember that at all.
I even managed and opened a Italian company and start looking for a place for a future coffee shop. But the Covid pandemic started, and a year later I successfully closed the company.)”
“But the night of February 24 2022 changed everything. “
Shwarts continues: “The war with the Russian Federation began. In one day, the beautiful and peaceful Ukraine turned into hell. The whole country was on fire, dying civil people, children and kids, killed women, thousands of people are still dying. It’s some kind of a terrible nightmare.
At that moment, I was with my family in the mountains on a winter vacation, which I think has been a big luck. We sat in bomb shelters for several days. In an instant we lost everything: home, relatives, work and all we earned. It’s been really shocking. Here you can write for a very long time.
I decided to do everything to save my wife and child. I am the father of a little girl Maria. Somehow I’ve crossed the border and to get to the European Union. I started writing to all my partners, acquaintances and coffee colleagues. But I got back nothing.
And then I wrote Dario: he immediately told me to go to Rome. So, in one week I was standing at the Aliena, meeting with Arturo and Dafne. And without any doubt they supported me. But supported it’s a very small word to describe all the help they have provided.
They tried and helped to arrange my staying in Rome, they gave me a job at Aliena and Faro. They met me and Daniele from Barnum, also provided me a job and anything that I needed. They saved my life, and of my child and my family too. Now, I started a new life here in Rome only with the help of these guys, these friends and I will own them everything I have or earn here.
You know, only several days ago I’ve been able to rent an apartment. I’m actually working at Aliena, Barnum and sometimes at Faro: this is a fantastic place with super cool and powerful team. They are the best coffee shop without any doubt.
This team and this guys – are the face of Italian coffee community. Incredible, open, educating and searching something new. I‘m very happy that my family is finally feeling safe and at home. Yes, exactly: at home. We want to stay here and live in safety and in a peaceful country, and Rome is a wonderfull city. “
What are your current plans: are you planning to stay in the capital or will you move elsewhere, perhaps back home?
“About my future plans: now I’ve just started to breathe. I can finally say that I’m not a refugee now. Working in the best coffee places in Italy, learning and teaching, getting a new coffee community friends here and trying to do my best for everybody who’ve helped me.
But yes, for sure I’ve just opened my italian company here, its name is Altro Caffè. It’s got to be new trading company here in Rome. I’ve already received two containers of high quality coffee, now they are in Napoli. I will try to sell them, I’m sure I will do that because it’s the best coffee I have found last year during an African sourcing trip. It was going to Ukraine but as a result it arrived here.
What to do next? We will see. I’m, for sure, at the place where I need to be. Always remember and never forget nothing.
I am here to make a real change.
And Altro Caffè will be at Milano for the World of Coffee, for sure.”
