To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.
Today we feature the story of :
ARIANNA PELI
Please tell us about yourself.
Arianna, 29 years old. Made in Italy. Food lover. Coffee passionate. Tireless traveler. Incurable dreamer. Curious explorer. Adrenaline addicted. Life enthusiast.
Born and raised in a small village of 2500 people near Brescia, northern Italy.
Grew up in my family’s restaurant, food and drinks are in my DNA.
After graduating in Foreign Languages for Information and Communication, I started working full time in the Food & Beverage industry of my family business as a waiter and barista and, subsequently, became passionate about coffee, studying and attending courses to improve my skills. After some experiences in coffee shops, I participated to the Italian Barista Championship in 2018 and 2020 placing 2nd and 3rd.
I always consider myself at the beginning so my role in the coffee industry is work in progress: basically I’m a barista, sometimes a competitor, a learner and some other a kind of teacher. Then, who knows…
What is your vision and goal?
Years ago I didn’t even drink coffee as I had the prejudice that it was bitter (I hate bitterness and, often, coffee is low quality and not so good in Italian bars and restaurants); when I tried to drink it I had to put at least one or two spoons of sugar. Just step by step, studying, tasting different coffees, being curious and discovering the world of specialty coffee, I understood it is more complex that defining coffee by its bitterness. Now, as a barista I can perfectly empathize with customers and try to help them opening their minds upon new tastes and not having prejudices (doesn’t always work!). We are not Gods, we are baristas and we are humans: our role is to try to shorten the distance between us, farmers, good coffee and customers, to guide them in the tasting experience, let them understand all the effort behind a single bean and all the people involved from producing countries to their cups.
How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?
Totally by chance! It was my second year at university and I had the chance to attend a free coffee workshop. In few hours I was completely stuck by the complexity that hides behind an apparent simplicity and found out how the coffee world is huge and fascinating; that’s why when I finished university, I tried to learn more and more.
If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?
No idea and never thought about it but, once, I wanted to be a food and wine critic.
What is your favourite coffee beverage ?
I’m not a conventional Italian: for sure, V60 and aeropress as well.
What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?
The coffee industry has caused many environmental and ethical problems: think about producing countries where working conditions are still not regulated (labor abuses, exploitations of farmers), deforestation, soil degradation. That’s why I think the major challenges and the main topics coffee professionals are still discussing nowadays are fair trade, sustainability, global warming and how it impacts coffee and fair prices especially to coffee farmers.
However, the biggest problem involving all fields and hospitality as well is the world pandemic: Italy has been in quarantine since the beginning of March and the situation is still critical here. I can’t predict the future but I guess there will be lots of changes and repercussions in our way of living, working and in world economy. Only time will tell…
One tip to improve the coffee industry ?
The ‘coffee industry’, as the word says, involves so many ‘actors’: from farmers to traders, roasters, from baristas to consumers. Best way should be that everybody could be more aware of what they can improve in their specific role as it’s a real commodity chain: educated consumers can pay more for high quality, educated baristas are able to better explain what people are going to taste and the story behind that specific coffee, aware rosters pretend the traceability of the production chain, and so on.
My tips? Be transparent, honest and passionate.
What is your favourite quote ?
I’m a quote lover so I have many, but most of all:
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt
“Do something everyday that scares you.’” -Eleanor Roosevelt
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” -St. Augustine
“No story lives unless someone wants to listen
”