Valentin Hofer has turned his passion into a profession: he processes green beans into fine coffees. Anyone entering his coffee roastery – the Caroma roastery in Fiè allo Sciliar – immediately senses his passion for the black gold and the tantalising aroma of freshly roasted coffee fills the air. Hofer is actually a total career changer. In the 1990s, he worked for an ice cream manufacturer that had a small coffee roasting machine. His interest in the fine coffee beans grew and he decided to buy this machine and start roasting coffee himself.
He painstakingly taught himself everything he needed to know and soon founded his own roastery. In 2007, Hofer completed the "Coffee Experts" and "Certified Chief Coffee Sommelier" courses in Vienna, Europe's capital city of coffee culture. During his training, he realised more and more that you have to focus on quality and make people understand it. "Because only those who know what they are drinking can ultimately appreciate the coffee and are prepared to pay a reasonable price for it," says Hofer. During his tastings and guided tours, he lets visitors test the coffee themselves. In this way, he wants visitors to learn to taste quality.
At the Feuerstein, guests can experience the fine coffee flavour of the Caroma roastery for themselves. A trip to Fiè allo Sciliar to the Caroma coffee shop and coffee museum is also well worthwhile.
