The story of Hills Coffee Co

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

HILLS COFFEE CO

Please tell us about yourself.

We are Ross & Kiandra, the husband and wife team behind the micro roastery Hills Coffee Co.  We're based in the Dandenong Ranges, an hour east of Melbourne in Australia. 

I’m not sure of our role in the greater coffee industry, but we are currently focused on our role within the local community. We want to offer coffees that are approachable and interesting to both seasoned pro’s and those new to specialty coffee. We also hope to be a resource for anyone who wants to learn more, and provide information on why your choice of coffee matters and the impact that it can have locally and at origin.

What is your vision and goal?

With the business side of things, we really wanted to create a brand that was sustainable and environmentally friendly end to end. We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. It's no good sourcing coffee in a sustainable manner and then packaging the beans in plastic. We don't believe you can uplift one aspect at the expense of another which is why we wanted to create a better base standard. Every area of the business has been developed with the environment in mind. We are certainly not perfect, and this will always be in continual development for us, but we hope this consideration for the environment and the 'base standard' that we are creating will be the new norm. 

And with the coffee side of things, we want to provide our community with coffee that’s interesting and approachable. We want to show the range of flavours that can be found in coffee and help people to see that there is a coffee for everyone. The idea of introducing someone to a flavour or style of coffee they haven’t tried before, but love, is very exciting!

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

Kiandra - My family have always loved coffee, it was a daily ritual in our house since I can remember, whether it was made with a small home espresso machine or a french press. My first job as a part timer after school was as a barista at Gloria Jeans. That job carried me into my 20's and from there I never looked back. There was always something more to know about coffee, the learning hasn't stopped even now, it's both humbling and exciting. 

Ross – A coffee or two was a requirement of mine starting the day out on site as a young electrician. With Kiandra working in the industry and having a dream of opening a roastery I was always looking for ways we could make it happen. After a quiet summer holiday and too many YouTube roasting videos we decided to enrol in a coffee roasting course. This fuelled my interest in the industry as a whole, but more specifically in the areas of roasting technique’s, machinery and the software used. I love that I’m able to utilize the skills learnt in my electrical background to better understand and operate the equipment required for roasting.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

Kiandra – I think I would have been an artist or illustrator.

Ross – I’d like to help people with their financial independence so maybe a financial advisor.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

We love coffee in all forms but are both partial to a strong latte and a V60. 

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

The average customers perception of value is a major challenge facing the industry. We need to work towards changing what customers believe is a fair price to pay for coffee.  If they were to walk into a cafe and saw a small latte was $6 they would immediately think it's expensive, though to those in the industry the assumption would be that perhaps a higher grade of coffee was used or it's a single origin, and that the farmers have been paid fairly as well as the barista making the coffee, etc. No one thinks twice about the price of a $14 craft beer or glass of wine, and that's the impression we need to create for coffee. We need to close the gap in knowledge between industry professionals and consumers.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Consume consciously. How you purchase coffee and how you engage with the coffee industry can have a positive or negative impact. It is within our power to choose what impact we will have.

What is your favourite quote ?

“If it is to be, it is up to me.” William H. Johnson.

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen ”

— J.K. Rowling

Lucia Solis

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

LUCIA SOLIS

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Lucia Solis and I am coffee processing specialist. I consult with coffee producers all over the world but the majority of my work occurs in coffee farms in Central and South America.

I was born in Guatemala but migrated to the United states when I was 5. I grew up in California and went to UC Davis to study Viticulture and Enology.

I worked in the wine industry in Napa Valley in California and Baja, Mexico for a cumulative 9 years. In 2014 I started traveling to coffee farms and using yeast to control coffee fermentations.

For the last 6 years I have been continuing the work of traveling to coffee farms and consulting with coffee producers on how they can take charge of their processing to differentiate their coffee. For too long the roaster has had most of the credit for “discovering coffee gems” and it’s my goal for producers to contribute to the story of what makes a coffee taste good.

What is your vision and goal?

My goal is to do my part in the anti-oppressive movement by contributing whatever scientific knowledge I can regarding microbiology and processing to coffee producers. My hope is that this knowledge can provide some confidence to producers to push back when buyers ask for trendy processing practices (“anaerobic fermentation”, “carbonic maceration”, “lactic process”, etc) that don’t make sense given the producer’s climate and resources. 

My vision is to reverse the trend of buyers asking producers to process coffee in a way that prioritizes the dominant class and exploits the growers.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I got started when a yeast company approached me to test their catalog of yeast strains on coffee and cacao fermentations. I was happily working in wine with no thoughts on coffee at all (I was not even a consumer at the time), but the opportunity to travel and apply my winemaking knowledge to a new industry was appealing. I fell in love with the industry when I realized I could be useful. I realized I could contribute by closing the knowledge gap between how producers were processing their coffee and the flavors in the cup.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I loved working in wine, and somedays when the future of coffee seems so bleak, I remind myself that I could go back to making wine. But if I could go back to high school, I would have loved to study filmmaking. I’m drawn to the story telling aspect and attention to detail. 

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

I have not yet found a love for espresso or espresso based beverages. My go-to is a drip, preferably v60 made at home. There are many incredible baristas, but I enjoy the meditative process of making my own cup of coffee. For me, the ritual of making it myself adds to the drinking experience. Even thought I’m not a trained barista, and I do not believe I make the best cup of coffee, I still prefer my own cup of coffee to one made by anyone else.

In fact, I have trouble metabolizing caffeine, so I don’t drink coffee everyday, but I still enjoy making it and some days I make it for my partner and don’t drink any myself.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

One challenge I keep coming up against is a lack of academic rigor. In my experience the industry attracts passionate individuals but that is not supported with equal academic or technical training. 

I think another major challenge the coffee industry is not wanting to reconcile that coffee is a fundamentally colonial product. We can dress it up in all the romance and theatre we want, but at its core it was set up as a colonial structure and we continue to uphold it to this day. 

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

A lot of my work recently is focusing on building a better vocabulary for processing practices and questioning how much we are borrowing from beer and wine industry without a deep understanding of what the terms refer to and how the can be applied to coffee. I think the words we use matter and if we don’t build a solid vocabulary we will not have solid foundations. I would like the coffee industry to stop trying to compare coffee to wine so much and let coffee be coffee. 

We think comparing it to wine is a way to add reverence but it’s erasure. Coffee has it’s own history and identity and we shouldn’t be trying to make it be something else. 

What is your favourite quote ?

“The opposite of a fact is a falsehood, but the opposite of a profound truth is often another profound truth” Niels Bohr, Danish physicist

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen ”

— J.K. Rowling

Winston Thomas

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

WINSTON THOMAS

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Winston Thomas. I am from Cape Town, South Africa. I have won the South African Barista Championships 3 times in 2017, 2018 and 2020. And have place 41st and 32nd at the WBC in 2017 and 2018 respectively. I am working to improve on this in Melbourne later this year. My role in the industry is mainly focused on Education and Training. I have recently started a business in Cape Town focused on this providing SCA Barista courses as well as consulting. 

What is your vision and goal?

My company is called Winston Douglas Coffee. Our goals and vision is to improve coffee knowledge and education throughout South Africa but also Africa through training courses but also by building networks, hosting events etc. On a consumer front but also with those working in the industry. We see this as a means of also increasing domestic consumption in African producing countries and creating a market for Africans to drink better quality coffee.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I grew up in a small town in Cape Town. When I was 22 I read a letter in my newspaper from a woman who complained that there was no good coffee in my town. This made ask myself the question, what is good coffee? After this I googled “best coffee in Cape Town” and started visiting the coffee shops and roasters on the list. I then did a barista course in 2013. After completing the course I knew I wanted to work in coffee. In 2014 after I completed my studies in Engineering I started working as a barista. The rest as they say, is history.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I would still love to be teaching and working with my hands and senses. The best alternative I could think of would be working in another space of hospitality - perhaps wine or baking?

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

It depends on the time of day. In the mornings I prefer to drink Espresso or filter (V60, Aeropress or Batch Brew). At lunch time I enjoy a flat white or cortado.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

Right now everyone is facing the challenge of Covid-19. The immediate effects are very clear but I believe the biggest challenges will be the after effects of the pandemic on the entire coffee value stream and how it will affect producers, exporters / importers, roasters, cafes, baristas etc. The uncertainty of this after effects makes it even harder.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Education and understanding between different roles and parts of the values stream. For example, producers understanding the role and the work of the barista and vice versa. Roasters gaining more insight into the work of producers, a deeper understanding beyond the information provided by the importer etc. A positive example of this has been with Espresso Machine manufacturers who have taken advice and feedback from skilled baristas / cafe owners and implemented changes to their designs to better serve the ergonomics and needs of a busy cafe.

What is your favourite quote ?

It is a bible verse. “And not only that, but we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5: 3 - 4.

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen ”

— J.K. Rowling

The story of Adrian Vocalan

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

ADRIAN VOCALAN

Please tell us about yourself.

My Name is Adrian Vocalan work at the giving cafe Philippines, I've been a barista for 8 years and through  passion, persistence, patience i became a 2017 Philippine National Latte Art Champion and 2020 Philippine National Barista Champion and Coffee Roaster. .

I think my role is to become an example to all newbies in coffee industry. And to those who still afraid to showcase  their skills and talent and share to everyone of what they've learned. In short to inspire people. And also to bring back the Philippine coffee into global coffee spotlight.i do roasting and latte art also.

What is your vision and goal?

I'm just a simple person and my hobbies are taking photos, draw some sketch, in other word, i love Art, and through hard work and passion i fulfilled my dream to become  2017  latte art champion, my curiosity and doing creative methods put me to become 2020 barista champion and a Coffee Roaster.

I'm currently working at (TGC) stands for The Giving Cafe, TGC is a social enterprise program created by Henry & Sons to support the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) in its aim to bring the Philippines back to the global coffee spotlight through sustainable local coffee farming.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I really don't know to be exact when or how did i get started in to coffee, because here in the Philippines coffee is part of our morning ritual using 3 in 1. Other than that if there's a ground coffee we boiled it and drink afterwards without filtering it. 6 years ago, I've heard about specialty coffee and started trying single origin coffees. It absolutely taste different from coffee i drink before.  different flavor profile, roasting profile and brewing methods. And That's the time I've fallen in love with coffee, i told to myself that i need learn more about it.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I finished 2 year course of computer system design and programming. If i weren't a coffee lover i think I've done a lot of programs and websites right now.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

Espresso and long black

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

Having a higher price of green beans and the result of  selling these coffees to the consumers with a higher price when roasted But some people can't buy because of the price. How do they get a chance to experience this kind of coffee?

"The most expensive coffee taste better??" this kind of perception. As simple as that. You know what i mean. .

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Explore making good quality coffee,so we can see in future what other things we can discover. Plant more coffee trees, so we can harvest more coffee cherries, experiment different kinds of fermentation, Roast different profiles, brew different methods and using different parameters and drink different varieties of coffee.

Just be fair enough,. Be humble, share your knowledge .

What is your favourite quote ?

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give”

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen
”

— J.K. Rowling

The story of Frederic Bertolone

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

FREDERIC BERTOLONE

Please tell us about yourself.

I’m Frédéric Bertolone. 28 years old coffee professional and entrepreneur.

I was born in Germany, son of a Sicilian-French father and German mother. I grew up in a little province before I lived in bigger cities like Cologne, Barcelona, Madrid, Santiago de Chile and later Bogotá. 

I am scoring my personal achievements step by step by fulfilling the professional ones. When I started my first project four years ago I wanted to close the producer – consumer circle successfully. That worked out well, but was a lot of work. 

I am a creator and a connector. Certainly others have started projects and businesses like mine, but everyone’s approach and execution is different. I am giving coffee farmers a voice and I am giving coffee roasters a choice. I teach and bring people closer to coffee. 

What is your vision and goal?

I want to create long lasting relationships. Between several actors of the broad coffee value chain. I want that farmers meet consumers, that roasters receive great, transparently traded coffees, I want to raise awareness on farming. 

My vision is that farmers get money for value, easy. 

My goal is to bring as many people as possible to our partner farms. You need to experience coffee farming if you want to be a real coffee professional. 

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I started drinking coffee when I was 17 years old. My father had a La Pavoni Espresso Machine at home and would show me there and on trips to Italy that a real good coffee needs thick crema and that the sugar should last at least a few seconds on it. 

It blew my mind when I got to know the so called Specialty Coffee scene, with different origins, processes and roasts. I discovered filter coffee to be my new favorite drink. 

I deeply fell in love with coffee on my first visit of a Colombian coffee farm. 

That’s why I need to show that culture and submit those values to everyone I know and can receive in Colombia. 

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I’d be most probably on a sunny island working I tourism. That is what I did during and after my business studies to make a living. I enjoy being around people and show them around, make them feel comfortable and entertained. 

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

My absolute favorite coffee beverage is filter coffee, preferably washed with extended fermentation, prepared in a Chemex. 

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

I see that the major challenges are the automatization of processes in the coffee production such as in Brazil, which lower world market prices to a level that small scale producers of less developed countries are not able to cope with. 

If the consuming countries do not react by accepting prices that are the actual worth of coffee, more and more farmers will stop their cultivation, which will lead to an even more complex situation. 

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Modern slavery stops when consumers get closer to the origin of the product. 

If you’re really into coffee, go to origin, meet the producers. 

If you’re a coffee lover, buy responsibly traded coffee from small roasteries. 

What is your favourite quote ?

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” 

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen
”

— J.K. Rowling

The story of Nikos Antzaras

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

NIKOS ANTZARAS

Please tell us about yourself.

- Im Nikos Antzaras, Im 30 years old

- I’m from Greece and I live in Athens

- I have studied Medical technician

- Im a Q Arabica Grader and Q process Level 1 and also an AST trainer. 

- 2nd place at Greek Barista Championship 2020

- 2nd place at Greek Brewers Cup 2017.

- I work in the coffee industry since 2010 as a barista. Nowadays I work as a roaster at Samba coffee roasters since 2016.

What is your vision and goal?

Our vision at Samba coffee roasted for the coffee industry is to move coffee forward, for us this means to help the coffee producers by sharing our knowledge. Last summer we visited Colombia and we established “The Farmers Camp”, an education program for the producers about sensory skills, cupping protocol and basic brewing skills.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I started to work as a barista in a small coffee shop, the first thing that I loved in coffee was that you can provide happiness through a cup of coffee, and with a smile you can make someone’s day better.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

As a coffee professional I’m always in a research for better roasting profiles, better extraction and that is my motivation. If I wasn’t in coffee industry, maybe I would be a chef or a pastry chef, because they have the same passion about their product and they are always in a research for their recipes.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

My favourite coffee beverage is espresso, because be changing a very small parameter you can have a different cup profile and also you can enhance even more the aromatic of the roasted beans

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

The major challenges for the coffee industry I believe is the climate change. We see that every year coffee producers are facing big problems with weather and we know that rainfall and humidity are very critical for the coffee trees.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

My opinion to improve the coffee industry is to help the coffee producers. Make even more people to appreciate the product that they have in their hands because for us is not just a cup of coffee, is a chance for them to improve their quality of life and improve their coffee quality.

What is your favourite quote ?

“ You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy coffee”

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen
”

— J.K. Rowling

The story of Arianna Peli

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
”

— J.K. Rowling

The story of Daniel Horbat

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

DANIEL HORBAT

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Daniel Horbat and I am the current World Cup Taster Champion.

I am originally from Romania, but I’ve been living in Dublin, Ireland since 2012.

My lifelong passion started as a job in college, 15 years ago. During my time competing I managed to place first for nearly three years in a row at Irish Cup Tasters Championship – 2016, 2018 and 2019, taken third place at London Coffee Masters in 2019 and been in the finals twice for Ireland’s Latte Art Championship.

My latest competition was Ireland National Tea Masters Cup organized by European Tea Society where I managed to place third.

I think my role is to share my knowledge and passion with others, to educate and inspire them to be able to make a better coffee industry.

What is your vision and goal?

I would like to build up a company that’s entirely transparent, no bullshit involved, to be a leader in innovation, service and quality from bean to cup, a company that will help farmers, that will try to make their life easier, but which on the same time will focus on offering a luxurious experience to its customers.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

During my 15 year career, I worked as a barista in Romania, Greece and Ireland for different companies, from small independent cafes to some of the very large players on the market. But it was only few years ago, when I moved to Ireland,  that I've been introduced to the speciality coffee, when I found out about origins and how every bean is different in taste and aroma from one another, depending on numerous factors.

From that moment on, I’ve fallen in love with it, I've became fascinated by coffee and its delicious complexity. 

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I would probably be working as a bartender. I was always attracted by mixology, by playing with the flavours and how you can put few ingredients together in order to make an interesting beverage. Since I start working in the industry I was always fascinated abut sensory, any sensory, so theoretically speaking I see myself being I bartender.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

I love preparing the coffee using a v60. My recent “addiction” is the gem series brewer. It gives a very consistent brew, with clean and bright flavours. But I am not going to lie, I am quite lazy so most of the days I end up using one of the batch brews I own ; Moccamaster or the Behmor.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

I think that the biggest issue now is the global warming. It directly affects the coffee farms, the agriculture, which results to a drop into the amount of coffee harvested.

In addition, the warmer climate makes a perfect environment for pest and coffee diseases to grow, like the leaf rust which can kill a coffee tree. Coffee rust is a serios epidemic, very difficult to control and which has spread to all coffee growing regions and has a massive impact on the Arabica bean production.

Also, the higher temperatures cause coffee berries to ripen faster, which hurts the quality of the beans.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Seeing the industry from this side, from behind the coffee machine, I think nowadays it is also important to focus on educating the consumers. Creating an experience for them, using knowledge and hospitality. Focusing more on the direct trading, which helps us to tell them the story behind the beans. Sustainability.  Better quality coffees, lighter roast profiles, innovative brew methods are all small steps that will eventually result in creating a better industry.

What is your favourite quote ?

A quote that helped me to challenge myself to get better and better, to compete more and more is   “Discipline plus effort equal success”.

I applied this quote in my professional and personal life for the last 3 years and it got me where I am today, a world champion.

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen ”

— J.K. Rowling

The story of Nasko Panov

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

NASKO PANOV

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Nasko Panov and I’m a coffee researcher from Sofia, Bulgaria. I work as a service engineer and application specialist for one of the biggest companies for analytical and measurement instruments. In free time, I’m a coffee researcher and coffee blogger. I’m performing experiments and different projects related to coffee. This was something I was considering for a few years and I started my website a few months ago.

What is your vision and goal?

I would like to continue improving my website, coffee research and I hope I can develop it so I can perform even more deep and ambitious coffee projects.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

It all began four years ago while spending my vacation in Italy. It was the first time I had ever tried a specialty coffee. And since then I am constantly searching for that special cup of coffee. I have been to Germany, Italy, Austria, Romania, Indonesia, Scotland and many more where I'm trying to find it. Sometimes I did, and sometimes it found me.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I really like woodworking professions. This is another hobby that I’m practicing, and I probably could do it instead of coffee.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

Espresso for the intensity of taste and Aeropress because of versatility and possibility for experiments.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

Climate change is one of the major challenges that will influence the coffee industry in the future. 

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

 Read and think more about coffee.

What is your favourite quote ?

“I do what I do because it’s right! Because it’s decent! And above all, it’s kind! It’s just that… Just kind.”

-This is a quote from Doctor Who tv series.-

The story of Ramón Quiroz

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

RAMÓN QUIROZ

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Ramón Quiroz, I was born in Guadalajara, México where actually I own Café Nonno which is a small coffee roasting and distribution business. I´ve been working and learning in the coffee world for almost 3 years and my goal for this year is  to take mexican specialty coffee outside México´s borders with my brand.

What is your vision and goal?

Café Nonno works with small Mexican coffee farmers, mostly with the ones that produce specialty and organic coffee. Here we roast and pack the coffee to distribute and ship all over México to coffee shops, offices, hospitals and solo coffee drinkers.

My grandad was a farmer and I saw the struggles that he had maintaining and selling at a fair price his crops and produce, so I promised  myself that someday I´d do something to change things for people like him. Here is my opportunity I think. That´s where our  business mission came from: Bring Superb fair trade Mexican coffee to people.

I want people outside the country to realise that México has great coffee, hence Café Nonno´s goal for this year is starting to ship and export our Mexican speacialty and organic coffee to other countries.

By the way, the name of my brand is a Spanish-Italian word mix which means,  ”Italian style Mexican coffee”

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

Well, that´s a funny story because till 6 years ago I used to not drink coffee because I had some troubles with the caffeine effects on myself. My bad was to believe that all types of coffee do the same. One of those days I was working in a project for Mexican government, in Chiapas, where I got in touch with coffee farmers and I started trying organic coffee, which was pretty different to what I had tried before. Then a specialty coffee bar opened at the university where I was working and there, I started to become a regular coffee drinker.

Some time later I had struggles with my job and I decided to return to Chiapas to visit coffee farmers and learn more about. They started to ship coffees to me, to Guadalajara, I got a second hand 1 kilo coffee roaster and the rest is history. 

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

Since I was I kid I was very curious about how things are made or constructed, also I am very passionate about art which means that you could be talking now with an architect or a designer.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

I have 2, depending of the time during the day. Macchiato for mornings and an iced v60 brew for afternoons/evenings.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

I´ll tell you 2, a global one and another more local, mexican coffee industry situation I mean.

• Global: Climate change. Some of us are aware that due to global warming in 10 years or less the coffee plant could start to disappear and with it the coffee industry maybe, so it’s in our hands starting to take actions ourselves and demand to do the same to our people and governments.

• México: Local support. Most of people here doesn´t know that we are one of the main coffee producer countries on the globe and also they ignore that not only we produce but that also we have a quality product. Instead mexicans preffer to buy cheap coffee from transnationals or even buy from another origins. Therefore Mexican coffee industry challenge is to educate Mexicans about the products we produce and their quality.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Sustainability. Reduce the carbon footprint on all coffee chain from farming to retailing. Avoid using agroquimics in coffee farming, using better perfomance coffee roasting machines, reduce plastics on packaiging and to encourage costumers to reuse packs and mugs.

What is your favourite quote ?

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult”

-Seneca-

The story of Gianmarco Frosoni

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

GIANMARCO FROSONI

Please tell us about yourself.

Hello there I'm Gianmarco Frosoni from Rome.

My role in the coffee industry is to share knowledge about coffee, cheer up people's day by giving a smile therefore I'm a Barista. I have been working in a specialty coffee shop in Rome for 4 years now, at “Pergamino caffè” where I got to grow professionally and personally. I have the possibility to confront my self with people from all around the world, talking about coffee and how the coffee culture is changing in Italy.

I participated at some latte art smack downs, but competing at high levels is complicated and the psychological aspect plays a fundamental role. 

What is your vision and goal?

My vision is to increase my knowledge about the coffee industry, to be able to share in the best way possible my passion and what means to drink a really good coffee, the many layers of the flavours, like its acidity and its sweetness. And who knows, I hope one day to be able to open my specialty coffee shop with a micro roastery.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I attended the hotel and catering school, I started my studies about coffee there. My passion began watching latte art videos on internet, afterwards I started to dig deeper into the different aspects of specialty coffees. I started to study again, because for me improving your self in your field is essential.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

If I wasn't a professional, for sure I would have been the first maitre in a luxury hotel.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

So, I like all the coffee beverages, starting by espresso during the morning followed by filter coffees, such as V60 or Aeropress, which are the ones I like the most.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

In my opinion the major challenges facing the coffee industry are to be able to give the right traceability on the coffee chain, help the farmer as much as possible in the farms, giving them the right compensation for their hard work, because behind every single cup there are years of work. Nowadays another challenge is to able to find a way to make the coffee plant survive due to the constant climate changes.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

The only tip I can give is to study and share as much as possible, in order to create a global coffee community.

What is your favourite quote ?

One of my favourite quote is taken by a book which is very important to me:

“If life is not smiling at you, give it a good tickling!!” 

The story of Michalis Katsiavos

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

MICHALIS KATSIAVOS

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Michalis Katsiavos and I am based in Athens Greece. I have been involved within the specialty coffee industry for 9 years, now.

In 2018 I became the Greek barista champion and 4th place in W.B.C in Amsterdam the same year. My role within the coffee industry is to improve coffee quality and promote specialty coffee. It is an endless effort from the producers, roasters and baristas to produce and offer specialty coffee to the market. This is not just a cup of coffee.

What is your vision and goal?

I am currently working for the Greek roasting company ‘’Samba Coffee Roasters’’ and I am at the department of Research and Development and at the Quality control. My vision and goal, is one day to buy a coffee farm and produce my own coffee and roast it at Samba Coffee Roasters. 

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

I started working temporary in coffee, but I soon realised there were many variables affecting a well brewed cup of coffee. Trying to understand all these variables and taking control of them I started falling in love with coffee. From that time I started working in high professionalism environments, serving always delicious cups of coffee. 

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

I can not imagine myself being out of coffee.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

I can not decide what is my favorite beverage. I like drinking espresso and filter coffee. In filter coffee It doesn’t matter for me if it is made on Aeropress or V60 since it tastes delicious.  All brew devices offer delicious cups as far as you adapt your recipe to the coffee. It is all about the variables that affect the final cup as I told before. 

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

Changing weather patterns, increased temperatures and new disease and insect prevalence are some of the majors challenges that coffee world is facing. Also, The land available to grow Arabica coffee is expected to dramatically shrink in coming years, meaning that coffee trees must become more productive to meet increasing demand.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

New varieties are needed and needed quickly to meet the challanges of the 21st century. Without better planting material the coffee industry faces a disastrous decline in Arabica supply in the coming decades. So, the selection of new Arabica plant varieties is one of the lines of defence from the damages of temperatures and rainfall increase. 

What is your favourite quote ?

“We have to move coffee forward”

The story of Kaapo Paavolainen

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

KAAPO PAAVOLAINEN

Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Kaapo Paavolainen and I am an independent coffee consultant based in Helsinki, Finland. I am also the Finnish Barista Champion for 2020.

I don't have a lot of achievements yet but I've placed second a few times. I've been second at Finnish Brewers Cup 2018, Latte Art 2019 and Barista Championships 2019 but this time I finally managed to break the cycle of second place and got first place at our national Barista Championships. I've had a couple of popups, most significant one with Decent Espresso Machines last September.

I don't really see that I have a specific role within the coffee industry but I guess if I'd have to put it to words I'd say that I'm an educator of sorts. I try to demystify coffee as much as possible so that it is accessible to everyone who is interested.

What is your vision and goal?

What I want to do is open peoples perspective on coffee, that it doesn't have to be something bitter, strong, weird stuff that only hipsters and people who want to feel like they're special drink. I want to show people that there are so many flavors to be discovered and that the picture that people have about coffee might actually be something different if they are just willing to open their perspective a bit.

This is why I want to demystify coffee to the people, that in reality there is no "barista magic". When I entered "the scene" I noticed that I've kind of found my people but I also noticed that our scene of specialty coffee was also full of people who think they're better than the person next to them, people who don't share knowledge fearing that sharing their own findings might make someone else better. I want to change that or at least be a part of that change. I believe that we, as coffee professionals, should be as hospitable to each other as we are to our customers.

There is no harm in sharing what you know.

How did you get started in coffee, what made you fallen in love with it?

Unofficially I started when I was in high school back in 2011. A couple of other students and I, we had a "coffee club" of sorts. During our breaks and in between classes we were brewing different coffees, anything that was "special" we could get our hands on really, with a French Press.

Eventually I started to notice different characteristics between varietals and roast profiles and then at one point my friends and I got our hands on a Finca La Esmeralda Gesha from Colombia and it was then that it hit me. A realization that I had not known coffee to be able to taste like that. I think that specific Gesha was an early version of Esmeraldas Gesha lots and I still remember the distinct jasmine and peach flavor of that one coffee. After that eye opening realization I started to seek out different flavors, in coffee, in pretty much anything that can be had from a glass.

After that it has been just a one long road down an ever deeper rabbit hole. There was my first popup (specialty ice tea), then came my first barista job, then my second barista job, a third one. After the third one it dawned on me that I want to introduce something new and disruptive here in the coffee scene in Finland and in order to do that I had to go my own way to achieve it. I haven't reached it yet but I'm slowly but surely getting closer and closer.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

Honestly, I have not even thought about that. I think I probably would have wanted to be a teacher or an architect.

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

I really enjoy a well made batch and hand brew, sometimes I drink espresso in one of the local cafes in Helsinki but mostly I enjoy making coffee at home where I can focus on it. At home I mostly drink hand brews but on weekends and when I have time to focus I enjoy an espresso.

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

The most immediate challenge for the hospitality industry is the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which is grinding the whole world into a halt. Many specialty cafes have to either temporarily, or worse permanently close their doors which will result in thousands of industry people being out of work.

Another challenge is that of green coffee market price which is driving coffee growers out of work or forcing them to switch to different and more economic crops. This is one of those things where we as consumers of specialty coffee can have a say on things by starting to ask for the info of how much money was paid for the farmer. This is also where greater transparency would play a massive difference for the overall health of the industry.

In the long run the most pressing challenge is that of global warming and its effects on coffee growing regions.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

I think there's nothing better right now than to be transparent with your information or knowledge. Hoarding anything never gets anyone forward.

What is your favourite quote ?

Oh there are so many. Many from songs, a lot from books and some by notable public figures but I think that my most favorite is by Joseph Campbell who said "Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls". 

The story of Folklore global traders

To connect coffee lovers and professionals from all around the world, to inspire others, to make new friends.

Today we feature the story of :

Folklore global traders

Please tell us about yourself.

We are a family of wholesalers speaking on behalf of the Mexican producers. We are committed to supply a high quality and exceptional coffee to roasters and connect them with producers in order to build sustainable trade in a long term.

What is your vision and goal?

At Folklore we are promoters of culture and diversity, our vision is to diminish extreme poverty by reducing uneducated consumerism, supporting fair trade and fostering local communities' economies.

What brought you to work within the coffee industry?

The passion for the beverage and the appealing coffee atmosphere lift in Melbourne made us want to be part of this beautiful community.

If you weren't a coffee lover or professional what would you have done instead?

Regina – I would have been an Airplane Pilot

Daniel – I would have been an Actor or Diplomat

What is your favourite coffee beverage ?

Regina - Cold Brew coffee

Daniel - Flat White

What do you see as the major challenges facing the coffee industry?

To preserve the production and quality of coffee in the long term minimising the ecological impact.

The fostering of the local consumption in the countries of origin.

One tip to improve the coffee industry ?

Exploring the uses of coffee in other industries that may be helpful to create an Ecological-Social-Health impact. As well as creating an educated coffee community about the coffee properties and all the work that is behind its production.

What is your favourite quote ?
“ The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step “