Meet the National Committee: Beth Beall

Beth Beall, Texas Coffee Traders

South Central Regional Coordinator

Austin, TX

What is your favorite/most memorable coffee moment?

This one is hard because there are so many “aha” moments that I have had in coffee that either changed the way I thought, brewed, or taught/trained. Every time I think I have it figured out I am shown that I have so much more to learn.

One of my favorite memories of coffee is from high school. I grew up in Houston and we had a local donut shop, Shipley's, that stayed open until 10 pm on school nights. When we turned 16, my best friend and I got our driver's licenses. We would get in our parents’ cars and drive around our neighborhood, listening to music and seeing who else was driving around.

Inevitably, we would end up at Shipley's because that is where a lot of the kids our age would go. We would have a donut and a cup of coffee. I remember the smell of the place to this day... sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, tennis shoes, and then some really bad coffee that sat on the burner until it was empty. To me, however, it was magic, it tasted like being on my own, freedom. I was grown up, driving, and drinking coffee. It was a great feeling.

What led you to coffee? What’s your coffee "origin story"?

My original ambition was ceramics. I attended the University of Texas and was in the Fine Arts department.  After school, I found that ceramics might not have been the most practical of fields to have pursued. I moved to Denver, Colorado, and then in 1993, I moved back to Austin, Texas with two sons. At the same time, a friend of mine from high school, R.C. Beall, had arrived in Austin and was looking to open a roastery as an addition to the one he had in Montana.

One evening, my godmother brought R.C. over to my house for a visit, and he told me all about his 10-year adventure in coffee and his plans for the Texas business. He also just kept showing up at my house with freshly roasted coffee, and about three months later we were married. 

So, I very often say I “married into” coffee. From 1994-on, I was in the coffee world. What I loved about it – and still love – is the community that coffee creates. Wherever you go in the world, there seems to be a coffee community, and sharing in that, creating friendships and life-long bonds, is a privilege. 

Why did you volunteer to be a part of the US Chapter leadership group?

I fully support the idea of regions having a voice in what is happening in the US Chapter. The South Central region has a strong coffee community that has sometimes felt left out or lacking a voice. It has been exciting to meet with other regions, meet as a group in the South Central region and listen to concerns, hopes, ideas and have a pathway to have these contributions heard.  I volunteer because I feel I can help create a structure for our region and help build a community so that it continues to grow and develop over the years.

What cause or element of the coffee community drives you to continue to be a participant?

Coffee pricing at origin, social justice, livable wages, inclusivity, and diversity are the causes I believe we have the power to affect.

What’s the most inspiring thing you hear from members of your community that keep you inspired about the future of coffee?

The types of discussions that include the whole community and are focused on growing, creating change.  The price crisis webinars have lead to lots of discussions in our community about farm security, food security, biodiversity, small farms vulnerability, etc. The livable wage discussion in producing countries is truly exciting. The livable wage discussion for baristas and those in the US coffee community is also exciting. This list could get really long.

What celebrity would you most want to teach how to enjoy coffee more?

Well, I am not sure that I am in a position to decide that for someone. For all I know, they enjoy coffee more than I can even imagine. So, who would I like to share a cup of coffee with? Ruth Bader Ginsburg for sure.  

Who’s your favorite person to make coffee for?

My Dad. 94 years old and he always says it is the best cup ever. Every time.

How do you see yourself representing the diverse and large groups of individuals from your region?

Open forums, chats, events, discussions, etc. are great ways to involve people throughout the South Central region. Most of our meetings and chats are not large groups. I think Expo is a great format for a really large group. What I try to do as the regional coordinator is advocate for our region. Our regional/community reps do this by reaching out through Slack and asking for information, news, posts as well as on the social media sites. I participate in several SCA committees that give a forum to promote our region and what is going on and what we need in order to grow.

You should reach out to me if…

You want to host an event and would like tools, resources, ideas. We have a lot of folx in the Slack groups that are very happy to help.

Why should I join the SCA? Great question! The US Chapter of the SCA is our own thing. It is an association of coffee professionals across the US that are passionate about specialty coffee. It is exciting to be able to participate in the formation of and beginning steps of this Chapter and I highly encourage those that have ideas, would like to help with the growth of the US Chapter to join in!

Where can I take an SCA Barista class? There are classes being offered across the US and I love to talk with people about what they are looking for, where are they located and helping them find the best solution.