Published on 29. February 2024 by Holy Bean Coffee Roasters
It’s crazy. Ten years have gone by! I honestly have no idea where the time went! It really feels like I’m still a new, young entrepreneur who’s always trying things out, but 10 years—that practically makes you old in this! (Sine Klejs Gren)
Sine’s entrepreneurial journey certainly wasn’t planned or even a real dream, but 15 years ago she happened to meet some interesting people in the coffee industry, and that kick-started the whole adventure. They sparked Sine’s curiosity about coffee as a product—and especially coffee as a complex raw material—but also how you can actually handle coffee in a way that was completely new and different to her. At that point, Sine decided she really wanted to work more with coffee and get even deeper into this complex raw material. At the same time, she very much wanted to stay on Funen. It’s where she grew up and where she belongs, but unfortunately there weren’t many opportunities to pursue the coffee dream while staying on Funen. By another stroke of luck, Sine met Bo, who wanted the same things with coffee as she did, and without much hesitation or overthinking, they jumped into the coffee adventure together.
Ten years ago, not many people on Funen had encountered light-roasted specialty coffees, but Sine’s curiosity about this complex world and her desire to show what coffee could also be really shone through. Thankfully, that long, steady effort of communicating, roasting, and brewing an awful lot of cups has helped pave the way not just for more micro-roasteries, but especially given the people of Funen a great opportunity to get to know light-roasted coffees—at a time when they were mostly something you’d find in big cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus.
We were completely on our own and had to spread the word by telling the story, educating, and brewing an awful lot of cups of coffee—something people on Funen just weren’t used to tasting. (Sine Klejs Gren)
Over the years, Funen has embraced light-roasted coffees more and more and gotten to know the roastery. Not just on Funen but across Denmark, Holy Bean today primarily sells to individual customers via the webshop and to business customers such as cafés, restaurants, specialty shops, and offices.
There’s no doubt that when you mention Sine, you can’t avoid talking about Holy Bean—and vice versa. The Holy Bean micro-roastery is Sine’s passion project, and one of the most important things for her has been to bring herself along every step of the way. Being able to look herself in the eye and build a business on values like integrity and responsibility has mattered to her throughout the journey. Sine has always taken an ambitious approach to running a business, without compromising her personal values. Being a pleasant person who’s easy to work with—and keeping the quality of the coffees as the top priority—are hallmarks of the Holy Bean micro-roastery. For Sine, it’s important that Holy Bean, and the people behind it, are trustworthy partners—both when it comes to our customers and, just as importantly, to our coffee suppliers and the farmers who grow the beans. That’s why Sine has traveled to five producing countries to soak up farmers’ experience and knowledge and to build strong relationships in the industry.
We need to be good partners to those we deliver coffee to as well as to those we buy coffee from, so it’s important to be someone you can rely on—and someone who has made serious decisions and choices for a reason. (Sine Klejs Gren)
And as a coffee lover, you quickly sense the personality that has shaped Holy Bean’s identity. There’s a certain feminine touch and lightness to the brand—both in how we communicate the coffees’ complex universe and in our approach to coffee—and also in the whole taste experience, which is mainly characterized by light, delicate flavor nuances with unique, floral notes. Over time, many have noticed Sine’s thoroughness and passion for coffee. She’s certainly not one to rest on her laurels. She constantly works to develop her skills and help others improve, which is why, among other things, she has served as a judge at the national barista championships.
And there’s always a smile when you work with us. (Sine Klejs Gren)
If you’re curious about Sine and all of Holy Bean, feel free to visit us on March 9 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the roastery, where we’ll be celebrating our 10th birthday.
