At 6:10 each morning, Ana Duarte lights her roaster. The ferry has not left yet. Gulls cry above the harbour.
The roaster sits in what was once a storage room. It holds three kilograms of beans. Duarte roasts four batches before the first passengers board.
How it began
Duarte trained as a marine engineer. She loved coffee more. When the ferry company advertised a café space, she applied with a business plan and a sample.
“The sea gives you rhythm,” she says. “Roasting needs rhythm too.”
The routine
Her menu is small. A flat white, a filter and a cold brew in summer. Beans are chosen for the long crossing. She likes a sweet, round roast that holds up when the boat rolls.
Regulars bring their own cups. Some commuters have drunk her coffee for six years.
People come for the coffee. They stay for the view.
The challenge
Water is tricky at sea. She filters it on board. Humidity changes the roast. She keeps a notebook of each day’s weather.
On rough days, the espresso machine is strapped down. She laughs about it.
What next
Duarte plans a second roaster on the mainland. She says the ferry will always be home.
Ana Duarte is a fictional character created for this sample page.
