There’s an argument to be made that Noma (stylized: noma) in the best restaurant in the entire world—an argument that includes three Michelin stars as well as being named World’s Best Restaurant five times, an accomplishment that only two restaurants have ever achieved, the other being the now-defunct Spanish fever dream El Bulli. All of which to say is it’s a pretty compelling argument, in so far as awards can determine something so subjective.
But what isn’t up for debate is the primacy of Noma’s coffee program among high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants. (Which is sadly easier to attain than one would think, but that’s changing, albeit slowly.) At a time when it was considered acceptable for a $300 meal to be finished off with whatever slop came squirting out of a pod machine, the progenitors of New Nordic Cuisine redefined the post-prix fixe coffee service by applying the same attentiveness and ingredient-forward approach to coffee that made their food program so exceptional, even going so far as to develop their own hybrid filter/espresso preparation method, colloquially known as the Nomacano. It was revolutionary if not a touch obvious.
And since the fateful declaration in 2013 by founder René Redzepi that Noma would have “the best coffee of any restaurant in the world,” they have spent the last decade-plus working closely with Oslo institution and leader of another Nordic style—this one roasting—Tim Wendelboe to provide the coffee to make such a wild claim a reality.
Until now that is. Introducing Noma Kaffe. Launching today, March 6th, Noma Kaffe is the roasting arm of the iconic Danish restaurant that will bring their brand of coffee not just to those who can snag an in-demand reservation but to the entire world via a monthly subscription service.
To call Noma Kaffe new isn’t entirely accurate. It has existed in some form or another for two years now and its genesis stretches back even further than that, to 2019 when the brand’s current Head of Coffee Carolyne Lane worked out a deal with Noma to purchase an Ikawa sample roaster that she would pay off in installations via salary deductions. Lane the spent the new few years learning the craft thanks to an assist (and green coffee) from Wendelboe himself. Since then the team has grown to include Alastair Hesp, the former Head Roaster at Bonanza in Berlin who takes over the same role from Lane, and Tsubasa Maehiro, the former Kurasu Head Barista who joined the Noma team after their 2023 Kyoto pop-up, all of whom, along with Lane, fall under the leadership of Beverage Director Ava Mees List—who is “in charge of all liquids that are not soup,” Lane tells Sprudge via email. Redzepi, while not formally involved in the day to day, remains “fundamentally obsessed with coffee” and is “always there to advise, guide, and more importantly, taste!”
The conceit of the project is a familiar one for most specialty coffee drinkers. Every month, Noma Kaffe will send subscriber two (unique) 250g bags of coffee. Each coffee is meticulously sourced and roasted by the Noma team to “reflect the same principles for quality that have guided noma for decades” and will include a variety of different origins and roast profiles. The coffees will also include information about the producers, “notes from the Noma Kaffe team on brewing techniques, origin research trips, and other exclusive material.”
Where this subscription differs, though, is that it comes with the weight of expectation associated with the name Noma. “How does one channel the Noma service spirit of empathy, warmth, and creativity to a coffee project? It’s an exciting question to consider!” Lane states. For Noma Kaffe, it is applying the same open-minded approach to ingredients and how they are handled to sourcing and roasting.
“Noma has always sought to write its own story. In the first years this meant not putting tablecloths on our tables (imagine! This was radical back in the day!) or using only Nordic ingredients,” Lane tells Sprudge. “In the beverage realm this has meant that our wine list hasn’t historically featured big Bordeaux wines. Our cuisine is delicate, bright, floral and ultimately, our wine list is reflective of that. In the coffee realm, this has meant serving this hybrid method of coffee. Working in this way demands that we approach our work with a truly open mindset. This is the energy that we want to carry with us into Noma Kaffe. We are here pledging to build a meaningful coffee roastery, in the same way Rene pledged all those years ago to build a world class coffee service. The coffee subscription is an invitation to join us as we again write our own story.”
Coming out of the gate, Noma Kaffe will feature a washed Garnica variety from Chiapas, Mexico by the Tseltal indigenous community, which they first encountered in 2017 while sourcing for their pop-up in Tulum. And they return somewhat poetically to the same coffee for their introduction to the world at large. “As amazing as Noma is, working restaurant service behind a closed door, for which you need a reservation to cross the threshold, is limiting. With this project we will suddenly be able to reach more people than ever before,” Lane states. “I am most excited to connect more fully with the world with this project.”
The Noma Kaffe subscription retails for 375 DKK ($65 USD) for two 250g bags of coffee and can be cancelled at any time. For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit Noma Kaffe’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
All photos courtesy of Noma Kaffe
