UK Cigar Scene Magazine June Issue 18 | Page 26

Davidoff Cigar Roller Tours the UK There is nothing like the thrill of watching a craftsman roll a cigar in front of your eyes, unless he hands it to you to light up. So there is some great news for those of you who enjoy watching a true craftsman at work. Mr Roque Tejada Martinez from Davidoff in the Dominican Republic will be touring the UK during June. It used to be the case that a roller from Cuba would be in the UK for most of the summer visiting stores, and various events but there hasn’t been one for a few years now. It’s not clear why when Cuban rollers appear to tour the Middle Eastern states up to this year. Anyway, we should be delighted that we have Roque here and this should be a ‘must see’ for every cigar lover. After attending middle and high school Roque attended a number of tobacco training courses on quality control, productivity and human relations. When he left school at seventeen he completed a full course at the Dominican INFOTEP institute learning all the elements to rolling cigars. In 2000 he started work at the Ok Cigars factory as a cigar roller making “Avo, Zino and Griffin’s Cigars”. He rose very quickly and by 2002, as a result of his excellent work, he took over the position as a Davidoff Roller Supervisor. In 2011 he was selected as a specialised cigar roller and started to travel to Europe to demonstrate his craft as an expert cigar roller. With his passion for fine cigars and his devotion to his profession, Roque ensures that each Davidoff Cigar is made of the highest quality. I’m looking forward to getting a fresh one of those myself! Mr. Roque Tejada Martinez is 30 years old and hails from the small town of Loma de Cabrera, near Dajabon in the Dominican Republic. His interest in cigars began at the age of nine. His mother worked in a tobacco warehouse and young Roque would help her after school. His roots in the industry go back to his Grandparents who were tobacco farmers. 25 By Nic Wing Monday 20th June - Turmeaus Chester Tuesday 21st June - Turmeaus Knutsford Wednesday 22nd June - Davidoff of London Thursday 23rd June - Davidoff of London Friday 24th June - James J Fox, 19 St James’s Street