How roasters can build an international reputation

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Key takeaways

• Mastering a home market takes years, even for skilled roasters.
• Huracán Coffee became the World’s Best Roaster at the 2025 Global Coffee Awards.
• Distinctiveness matters more than chasing international growth or recognition.
• Local partners help translate a brand’s identity into unfamiliar markets.

Standing out in specialty coffee used to mean gaining a foothold in your own city or country. But even becoming a great roaster in your own market takes far longer than most people expect.

“You need to spend time with your community,” says Vytautas Kratulis, founder of Huracán Coffee. Huracán recently won the 2025 Global Coffee Awards World Championship, receiving the title of World’s Best Roaster.

“You need to know what people like, but still have the nerve to show them something they haven’t yet learned to enjoy,” Vytautas adds.

But today, with the rise of ecommerce in an increasingly global world, roasters compete for attention across borders. A strong reputation at home, however, doesn’t automatically travel abroad.

You may also like our article on what it takes to become the world’s best roaster.

Mastering your own market

Becoming a respected roaster in your own market often takes years. Understanding local and regional preferences only goes so far, since most long-lasting competitor brands have developed the same level of knowledge. 

Instead, real differentiation comes from developing a distinct point of view rather than simply meeting expectations that roasters have already set.

Founded in 1999 as Lithuania’s first specialty coffee roaster, Huracán has spent decades earning its reputation. “Back then, even simple things had to be proved: there are farmers behind coffee, not just brands; better coffee should cost more; and being a barista is a craft profession,” Vytautas says.

“Today those battles are mostly won, and now the difficult part is having a point of view,” he adds.

In a market like Lithuania, where around 30 roasters operate across the country and consumer preferences are evolving quickly, it can be tempting to follow in competitors’ footsteps.

“I try to have my own agenda. When everyone is buying from Colombia, I might switch to Mexico, Honduras, or Nicaragua,” Vytautas explains. “Looking for different origins and finding producers who deserve more attention gives you an opportunity to make space for new coffees and find an audience for them. This is where a roaster can show real judgement, imagination, and originality.”

Building an international reputation

Selling coffee in markets outside your region can be lucrative. In regions like the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and India, specialty coffee consumption is booming. Tapping into these consumer bases, which are often eager to try new brewing methods and varieties, seems promising for growing a brand internationally.

But expanding geographically carries risk, and Vytautas is wary of chasing regional or international growth for its own sake.

“For a small independent roaster, there’s not much value in ‘collecting countries’,” he says. “The biggest risk is becoming successful at selling products or services that no longer feel original.

“The instinct is to adapt: change the roast profile or the products you offer to make yourself easier to understand,” he adds. “Some of that is good business, but every adjustment takes you somewhere else, so you need to know what you aren’t willing to change first.”

Once a roaster has earned a national or regional reputation, expansion into international territory becomes a realistic next step. For Huracán, the clearest signal came earlier this year, when the company was named World’s Best Roaster at the 2025 Global Coffee Awards World Championship in El Salvador. 

More than 2,000 samples from over 125 countries were entered into the competition, with only 30 roasters from 16 countries reaching the final round. Huracán’s win, decided through blind judging, reflected the strength of its everyday offerings rather than a single exceptional coffee.

The team then attended World of Coffee Brussels, hosting an exclusive afterparty and serving coffee at partners’ booths. “Competitions give you international credibility, while events create international relationships,” says Vytautas.

Growing beyond Lithuania

Understanding local buying habits, and preferably working alongside an established local brand, makes the transition to scaling into new markets more stable.

“A good partner can see in five minutes what you won’t understand in five months, especially at a distance,” Vytautas says. The value of these relationships is in translation rather than imitation: local partners can help roasters find where they belong in a new market, rather than matching what other brands already offer.

Six months after the GCA win, Huracán’s presence beyond Lithuania is growing. “We see customers finding us from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Romania,” Vytautas tells me. “Relationships are also developing in the UK, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal.

“We’ve also had some orders from Taiwan, which is interesting as preferences are very different, but it’s too early to call it a market. It’s enough to pay attention, though.”

Collaborations add another layer to this growth. At World of Coffee Brussels, Huracán worked with Shelbru, a collaboration that is continuing around the launch of Shelbru’s new dripper. 

“These are better signals than a long list of countries you could expand into,” Vytautas explains. “It means someone picked you out specifically. Collaborations put you into somebody else’s cultural context, and distribution eventually makes it a real market.”

Why understanding a new audience is important

Roasters preparing to enter international markets can’t treat them as a bigger version of what they already know. Quality is no longer enough of a differentiator, since more consumers worldwide expect excellent coffee.

“The obvious risks are money, logistics, freshness, and regulation,” Vytautas says. “However, the less obvious risk is dilution. Each adjustment, whether a different roast profile or a safer product range, can seem reasonable in isolation, yet the cumulative effect is a brand that becomes easier to sell and harder to recognise.

“For a small roaster, distinctiveness shouldn’t be used as decoration,” he adds. “It’s probably the only advantage you have that a bigger company can’t buy.”

Huracán‘s next moves suggest the same discipline applied to sourcing. “One of the coffees I’m most looking forward to this season is Costa Rica from Copey Hacienda in Tarrazú,” Vytautas tells me. “We’ve worked with them for several years. Last year their Yellow Catuai brought us medals at GCA; this year we’re bringing in their honey-processed Geshas.

“In September I’m going to Colombia for the Best of Nariño competition,” he adds. “We’re also waiting for our Cup of Excellence lot from Honduras, which we won at auction this season.”

Product diversification is another route for roasters to build an international reputation.

“Instant has been another interesting direction,” Vytautas says. “There’s been strong demand for Huracán Scout, and the summer travel season confirmed that there’s a market for high-quality coffees in this format. Towards the 2026 holiday season, we’re looking to collaborate with local specialty brands outside coffee, including cacao roasters.”

Building an international reputation is less about chasing recognition and more about preserving what earned it. Huracán’s path, from Vilnius roastery to world champion to a growing list of curious markets, shows that credibility can travel as long as roasters stay true to values.

The lesson isn’t to imitate a single award-winning moment, but to keep making sourcing, roasting, and distribution decisions worth discovering. A new market should make a business bigger without shrinking its ideas or changing its identity.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how roasters can drive real innovation in specialty coffee.

International roasters FAQs

Why does a roaster’s strong local or national reputation not carry over to other countries automatically?

Ecommerce lets roasters compete across borders, but local recognition does not travel with them. Each market has its own buying habits and preferences. A good local partner can help a roaster find its place rather than copy existing brands.

2What is the main risk for a small roaster that expands internationally?

Dilution is the less obvious risk, alongside money, logistics, freshness, and regulation. Each small change to a roast profile or product range looks reasonable alone, but together, they can leave a brand that is easier to sell but harder to recognise.

How can a roaster stand out in a crowded home market?

Established competitors already understand local preferences, so meeting expectations is not enough. Differentiation comes from a distinct point of view. Roasters can source from less popular origins, spend time with their community, and introduce coffees customers have not yet experienced.

Photo credits: Huracán Coffee

Perfect Daily Grind

Please note: Huracán Coffee is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

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