Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Ramage.
Hi Kyle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
SO, Black & White was founded by Kyle Ramage and Lem Butler in 2017 on the heals of each of them winning the United States Barista Championship and then going on to the Final rounds of the World Barista Championship. Lem (2016 USBC and 4th WBC (Dublin). Kyle (2017 USBC and 6th WBC (Seoul).
This is the foundation of the company, being involved in the great barista competition landscape, and was formative for the way we think about coffee and coffee flavor. To put this simply we are always in search of the most interesting and distinct coffee flavor profiles possible, which often leads us to source some rather outside the box coffees.
Though the competitions we met some of the most advanced coffee producers in the world, and with out sourcing model we continue to meet some of the brightest minds in the coffee producing world. This focus on flavor has guided the company through the years, and has really been the hallmark of the brand. Flavor driven and producer focused.
Side note, Lem left the company in early 2025, but is still in the industry focusing on relationships and projects that bring him joy and fulfillment. Kyle, remained on to continue to run B&W and is still the Lead Green buyer and Green coffee relationship manager, along with the Director of B&W operations
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
OH, it has not been a smooth road at all, for some periods, but overall it is a startup so that is somewhat expected.
COVID was both devastating and great for B&W. When the lockdowns hit we had just opened a cafe, and a new roasting plant. So…. cash was lean, and when all the cafes closed down things were very very scary for a few months. Would we make it through, could we make payroll? These were all very legit concerns.
Thankfully the team had build a robust website with the capabilities to take on tons of orders from around the country. About 2-3 months into COVID people seemed to realize that this wasn’t going away any time soon, and it seems that all of a sudden people found us online and sales begin to grow, and grow quite fast.
Pretty soon we were back to our pre-COVID numbers, but the growth of Direct to consumer sales continued and continued. We were blown away, and so happy to come out of that time larger as a company and more determined than ever that people wanted to taste what we were working on.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Black & White sources, roasts, distributes, and brews some of the most captivating and complex coffee profiles on the planet. I am so proud of the team we have built and our continued pursuit of compelling coffees with amazing stories and vibrant flavor profiles.
One of the projects I am most proud of is our “Future” product. This product utilized a new processing method call “co -fermentation” where the green coffee seeds are fermented with other fruits. The most recent is called Grape Soda, and utilizes a grape conferment along with other coffees to present a flavor profile that is both nostalgic and compelling. Other profiles include Strawberry Daiquiri, fruit punch, blackberry lemonade, Pina Colada , the list goes on an on. The idea of focusing on flavor profile, and nostalgia has proven to be a huge hit with our customers, and a lovely marketing exercise.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
plan for the future, but never hold those plans too tightly. Something will inevitably change.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackwhiteroasters.com
- Instagram: @blackwhiteroasters
