Derek Delapaz
Director of Roasting
Derek credits his success and mastery of the culinary arts to his formative years in his grandmother’s kitchen preparing daily meals for their large family.
Entry-level food service positions at the local bakery and KFC paved the way for a full-time position under French Master Chef Patrice Boely, propelling Derek to professional training at a culinary school in Napa Valley. After graduation, Derek spent a decade in Northern California working his way up to Executive Chef.
During a brief hiatus, Derek took a break from restaurants to work at Starbucks, quickly becoming a Starbucks “Coffee Master.”
Returning home to the Twin Cities, Derek’s growing interest in coffee led to a production roasting position at Peace Coffee. Peace’s rapid expansion led to a quick promotion to Peace’s newly created Quality Control department as R&D manager. Derek trained with Mane Alves of Coffee Labs International (CLI) and was certified as SCAA Green Coffee Cupping Judge, the earliest form of Q certification.
Over the years, Derek returned to CLI for their rigorous 5-day roasting class, attended 9 annual Roasters Guild retreat events and 2 SCAA events, made coffee sourcing trips to Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and Brazil, and earned a certification as an SCAA Certified Lead Instructor. Derek has been a Station Instructor at several SCAA and Roasters Guild events. Further notable coffee career highlights include a third-place showing in his first US Roaster Championship competition and providing cupping quality training in Sumatra over two growing seasons for a Dutch NGO.
During Derek’s 11 years with Peace Coffee, daily roasted volume increased from 500 lb. to over 3000 lb. per day. Derek’s responsibilities included maintaining 20-plus roast profiles a year, maintaining 15-plus blends, roasting and managing 15 different origins, creating 4 new seasonal blends every year, creating a minimum of 4 single-origin special releases every year, managing 2 full-time roasters, and cleaning and maintaining their Diedrich CR-70, Primo PR-50, and Renegade 1 LB Roaster.
Derek describes Mill City Roasters as drawing on all of Derek’s passion for quality and culinary arts and coffee knowledge to help guide students to commercial success as quickly as possible.
