Hi Again! Silver linings and Delicious Horizons

(Note: this was another dictated and edited blog- hope you enjoy, the title shouldn’t be fully misleading as it is a reflection on the current state of me and Kuro Neko and also some optimism sprinkled throughout- Great Coffees here and more to come!)

Well talk about a ups and downs. Looks like the pop-up fell through and I got sick but we’ve got another new coffee on the menu. It’s a banger. I’m going to be in BC or moreover my coffee is going to be in BC for the first time which is very exciting. Another café is considering having me which is incredible, and I’m finally gonna take my first vacation of the year to visit my friend while he presents at Blizzcon this year, so keep your eyes out in the crowd for Kuro Neko haha. But before that. a few weeks back I went to my first ever coffee competition as a spectator at the origami cup!

 I got to meet a lot of cool people there. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful and then one of my friends actually placed second! Sabin of One for All. Please check them out if you’re ever in Hamilton, they are an incredible café. Next step is the aeropress competition in Toronto and I am looking forward to being a spectator again at that too and maybe you might even see me being a participant at an upcoming competition  but I’ll let you try to figure out which one that could be ;)

It’s definitely been tricky, challenging and tiring juggling a personal life, a full-time job and then this coffee business. I’m still really enjoying roasting but I realize a lot of it makes me nervous too. What it is, is, my coffee is a product and it’s putting me out there. Someone’s first impression with a coffee is technically their first impression of me and the level of quality and care and hopefully results that they enjoy is what they’re gonna think of when they encounter me (should they ever encounter do so). Obviously I don’t want that to be a bad thing or for that to be a mistake or feel I’ve burned them by them not liking my coffee. This is because I truly care, I put in effort, sincerity and hope it all translates into seeing me; Like I’ve said before this coffee/brand can be seen as reflection of me and as those who know me can say it’s fairly accurate, the sweetness, playfulness and sincerity hopefully translate hahahaha.

It helps that I’ve been told by many baristas and cafés alike, that my coffee is quality(I jokingly say it's your baristas favourite coffee), which has been nice but you know there is still that nervousness and I guess fear of “maybe they won’t like me, maybe they’ll think I’m not good enough or fake, maybe this roast didn’t work despite the numbers and it’s actually trash”(not that it would ever be trash I know the coffees I get are from good producers haha so the error would be on me- a bad workman blames his tools(to a degree))

But  I think it’s fair for me to be kind of nervous being so new. My first ever roast was in end of March this year 2026. My first pour over was in 2023 at weekenders in Kyoto. It was, I think, a washed Ethiopian and it was great and then I only really started tracking/getting into specialty coffee in earnest in April 2025. So I am very new/young to the scene and I think that comes with kind of being a small fish and a big pond, that I don’t have a title to my name, that I don’t have a café. 

I am a micro roaster doing very small lots or small portions of bigger lots and trying to manage. Truth be told I wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t have a full-time job that’s why I am grateful to that. I hope things pick up. Seems like they might. I am glad I’m having fun though and you know, enjoy enjoying it and meeting people along the way. 

Even though I am nervous about roasting, people’s impressions and all that jazz it’s good to push myself. I am willing to say that I am tired. It hasn't been all gas no brakes but pretty gas gas gas because of stuff going on with my full-time job, life and coffee stuff as well. 

 I’m looking forward to a little vacation. hopefully it’ll not just reset me a bit, but let me take care of myself a bit more too. Because I realize I have to work on that balance, not just so my family doesn’t worry but to be able to realize that putting yourself first, let’s you then put others ahead because you’re now in a position that you can take care of others since you've taken care of yourself, if that makes sense.

You can’t take care of others if you’re not taking care of yourself, you’ll burn out and I don’t want to do that, so yeah, there will be this vacation and then come October, some exciting news to share, and then my second vacation. So stay tuned, stay posted!  Huge coffees are coming. I’m very excited about them as usual haha. Apparently the titles on these blogs aren’t untrue but the content can definetly be shaded a certain way haha- the silver lining is the current coffee slection is wonderful, people are enjoying it, more is coming, I’m getting better bit by bit with illustrating and despite some cafes and such not getting back to me, I still learn, grow, reach out and am having fun! What more can I really ask for?(well lot’s, the world, the moon! Haha but sincerely, I’m grateful and blessed to be able to do this and share this with you all <3)

This was another stream of thought, a dictated ramble and then edited. This Blogs been a long time coming. Apologies for missing it. 

Yes, I know some of you keep revisiting the stuff in my shop haha, I don’t know who you are, but I see where you’re from(now it's someone from Richmond Hill who keeps revisiting!). Again I don’t believe we’ve met, but hello! and hello! to those from some of the other provinces, the states and other countries(always exciting to see where I’ve somehow reached)!

Again as usual if you want to talk coffee or anything like that shoot me a message “phillip@kuroneko.cafe” otherwise I hope you’re not a bot and I hope you guys are all enjoying yourself reading all this and seeing the updates though they’re not as frequent as they should be!

Take Care, Oh and don’t forget to follow me on socials @Kuroneko.ca. 

Thanks for Reading!

Sincerely,

Kuro Neko

PS apologies if any of this felt repeated! Also apologies on the lack of animations- I’ve got them in mind but it takes more time than I often have haha.

PPS another surprise coffee dropping Tuesday- happy accident or by design? who's to say-it's a silver lining regardless :D