2019-11-06T14:17:51+00:00

Romania
Bogdan Georgescu
Sloane Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I’m an IT guy with lots of passion for coffee. I started in specialty coffee no more than 5 years ago, as a home barista and roaster. Soon enough after discovering specialty coffee I started working on a full-scale roaster, and managed to do something interesting in the Romanian coffee industry. All this while still working in IT.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

Romanian Coffee Roasting Competition 2017 – 4th Place
Romanian Aeropress Championship 2019 – not sure what place
Romanian Comandante Cup 2019 – not sure what place
Romanian Coffee Roasting Competition 2019 – 1st Place

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I’m most excited about meeting coffee people from around the world and gaining more experience in roasting. Also getting in touch with the local culture, food, and coffee scene.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

It used to be Ethiopia, but now with all the new fermentation techniques, I think any country can surprise you immensely.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

I like a lot of things—family, food, sports, and photography.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Still doing something related to coffee, hopefully roasting.

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2019-10-21T10:50:38+00:00

United Kingdom
Diana Johnston
DRWakefield

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

Coffee came early in my life, because I grew up visiting my grandfather who was working on the coffee farms in Mexico. I can still remember that specific aroma that used to drift into my room in the early morning—coffee being freshly roasted on the stove top. My grandmother or grandfather would wake up early in the morning and roast some coffee with cinnamon on the stove, and then grind and brew it. I used to enjoy a little bit with milk, pretending to be an adult like the rest of my family, as you do when you are small. In those moments I never imagined that coffee would become such a part of my life. But as I grew older I become fascinated with not just the cultural and ceremonial aspect of coffee, but also the scientific side.

My first job in coffee was during high school as a Barista for Starbucks and it was here my interest in coffee grew, particularly from a sensory perspective. While at University I continued working in the industry, eventually become a company trainer for Peet’s Coffee and Tea in Berkeley, California. Now with 15 years of experience in the field working across various parts of the business from quality control to roasting to green, I am a regular on the coffee competition scene. 2017 saw me compete in 10 competitions including all UK SCA comps as well as Coffee Masters, Aeropress and more. This was the first time (as far as I am aware) anyone had done that. I am certified as an AST in both Green Coffee and Sensory, and I am the Head of Quality for DRWakefield, a green importer based in London.

As a person, I’d call myself eccentric, eclectic, and striving ever more to be a renaissance man – you know – like da Vinci or Michelangelo. Ever since I was really young, I liked the idea of studying many things to come up with new ideas. People think that all I do is coffee, but it’s not. I also create film and music; I’ve been doing so for some time.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

2013 UKBC – Not sure of placing (first coffee competition)
2014 UKBC – Semi-finalist
2014 UKCIGS – 5th place
2014- Scottish Aeropress  – 3rd place
2015 UKBC – Finalist (6th place)
2016 UKBC – Semifinalist
2016 UKCIGS – Unsure place
2017 UKBC – Finalist (6th place)
2017 UKCIGS  – 3rd Place
2017 UKBrC – Finalist (6th place)
2017 UK Roasting Competition – 7th place
2017 London Coffee Masters – Quarterfinalist
2017 UK Cuptasters – Not sure of placing
2017 UK Latte Art – Unsure of placing
2017 Aeropress – Unsure of placing
2017 Prufrock Brewing Competition – Finalist (second place?)
2017 Another brewing competition but i don’t remember its name – Finalist
2018 UKBC – Semifinalist
2018 UKBrC – 3rd Place
2018 UK Roasting Competition – 9th Place
2019 UK Roasting Competition – CHAMPION (current)

* In addition I have just been selected to compete in Los Angeles Coffee Masters just before the World Roasting Championship in Taipei

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I am really excited to meet all of the other National Champions. This competition is my favourite one as I really feel that it brings the community together. Because you have several days together, you really get a nice opportunity to share the experience together.

In addition, I am looking forward to exploring the city and learning about the culture of Taiwan, both in terms of coffee and day to day life. I really hope to go see some of the temples, try many different foods, see cafes, and learn more about that side of the world.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

At the moment Brazil. It’s one of those origins that is so commonly underestimated! It is the biggest coffee producer and everyone expects basic chocolate and nuts, but in fact there is so much more going on out there. Brazil has the history and technology to really experiment with coffee, both in agronomy and processing in a controlled way, and are able to achieve stunning results.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Filmmaking, Music, Languages, Travel, Fashion, and Vintage things.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Roasting and Sourcing Coffee.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

Jamie Treby, my coach. Everyone at DRWakefield, especially Simon Wakefield (the owner). My family and friends who have been there for my during the many times I haven’t won, and inspired me to keep going. You know who you are!

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2019-10-21T10:43:32+00:00

Poland
Mateusz Karczewski
Audun Coffee – Norwegian Roast

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I am watching skateboard videos while writing this 🙂 I love life — travelling, animals, people, food, art etc. When I was a kid I was dreaming about my own bar, and now I am a coffee roaster. Living my dream, with my family 🙂

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I’m looking forward to trying local cuisine, meeting new people, and chatting with them.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

Rwanda.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Music, cuisine, travels.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I see myself having my own restaurant ;D

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

My family.

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2019-10-21T10:36:54+00:00

Korea
Donghan Hwang
Caffe Museo

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I have been roasting coffee for 6 years, since I was 28, although my major in university was mathematics. Now I’m working in Caffe Museo as a roaster, being very excited about seeing many kinds of excellent and trendy coffees. I dream of a world where high-quality coffees are popularized by connecting with various people.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

2018 KCRC – 7th Place
2019 KCRC – 1st Place

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I’m excited about meeting other passionate international rosters, and looking forward to enjoying good coffee in Taipei.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

Any place that produce beans of a good grade makes me excited, regardless of nations.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

I’m interested in music and math.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Wherever good coffee is, I will be there.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

Firstly, thanks to my wife, Seon-a Choi, and my parents. Thanks to Min-ho Kim, Jun-hui Park, Myeong-hae Lee, who helped me prepare for KCRC. And lastly, I really appreciate Su-man Jin, managing director of Caffe Museo, for supporting me and giving me many chances to learn as a roster. Special thanks to Yunchang Choi!

2019-10-21T10:04:57+00:00

Greece
Alexandros Ferras
Kudu Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I started 7 years ago as a barista. After 4 years as coffee shop supervisor, duty manager, and head barista, I finally became the head roaster of Kudu Coffee Roasters. Through learning so many things every day, I realised how much of this job I like! Last year my coach and our head roaster helped me to get to 4th place,  but it wasn’t enough for me. This year I competed again and won. When I’m not cupping or roasting I like playing football and foot volley!

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

Greek Roasting Championhip 2018 (4th place)
Greek Roasting championship 2019 (1st place)
Greek Latte Art Championship 2018 (6th place)
Greek Latte Art Championship 2017 (3rd place)

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I am excited in general to visit Taipei! Being amongst and meeting the top roasters from all over the world is really something that excites me a lot. I’m looking forward to learning and gain a lot of experience.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

Kenya, washed ones in particular.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Football and travelling.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I’ll definitely still be in the coffee industry, learning, being better, and sharing my passion. Things are changing every day.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

My brother Nick, and owner of Kudu Coffee for all their support . My girlfriend, for understanding my passion; Chris Charitopoulos, for the best advice ever; my coach and all the team in Kudu coffee, for helping me with the really late cuppings.

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2019-10-21T09:56:14+00:00

Austria
Felix Teiretzbacher
Felix Kaffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

My name is Felix and I started working with coffee back in 2003, when I worked for a espresso machine local supplier. In 2008, I opened a small coffee shop and four years later I founded my own roastery. I sold the coffee shop 2 years ago to focus on the roastery. I really enjoy what I do!

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

Austrian Coffee Roasting Competition 2019, 1st Place

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I’m curious to see the city and its specialty coffee scene. And I’d love to go for a run.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

After years of roasting I’m still learning about origins so its hard to say. I’ve been to Ethiopia and I loved it, but there are a lot more coffee countries with great coffees and people behind it.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Music and trail running.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Next to a roasting machine and hopefully able to answer the question about the favourite coffee-producing country.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

There are lots of people I’d like to thank for many reasons, but there is one person I have to thank the most—my girlfriend, Christina. She always helps me with my ideas and is the greatest support I can imagine, and she is also part of the roastery.

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2019-10-18T17:02:41+00:00

Brazil
Jonathan Piazarolo
Trentino Cafés Especiais

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

My coffee story begins in 1994 as a producer in Santa Teresa, ES (72 km from Vitória) and expanded to include roasting for small regional markets in 1999. My first course was in 2001, improving upon all the work I had done until then, and reaching the specialty coffee market in 2004. This entire history elapsed on the farm, until in 2009 we opened the first coffee shop in downtown Santa Teresa. We added a micro-roastery in 2011 and began the Trentino Cafés Especiais brand. In January of 2018, we moved the operation to Vitória.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

2018 Brazilian Coffee Roasting Championship, 9th place

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

Train, cup, and use my free time to train more!

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

When speaking of producing countries, especially because of the limited access we have to foreign coffees, it is not possible to over stress the work that our state has done, with distinct regions, aromas, nuances and post-harvest processes, each of them outstanding. Today Espírito Santo is complete.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Outside of the coffee universe, as we are in a coastal city, I stroll with my wife and children on the city’s beaches, I play foot-volleyball at dawn and take advantage of the waves. Espírito Santo offers these activities very close to regions that produce coffees that the entire world appreciates.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

In five years, I hope to see a more stable market, with the Brazilian economy helping all links in the coffee value chain, and a critical mass at all of these links, conveying information and serving excellent cups.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

Naara Paletta (my wife), Vagner Benezath, Vagner Uliana, Clayton Barrossa Monteiro, Lima Deleon, Carlos Alberto Altoé, Edevaldo Costalonga, Fábio Nakasato, Diogo Cypriano.

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2019-10-03T14:10:41+00:00

Taiwan
Jason Hua (Hua Ming Hsuan)
Reba Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I am Jason Hua, I have been running RebA CoffeE since 2017, and my coffee shop RebA CoffeE RoAst DojO is also located in Tainan city, Taiwan. I started my coffee journey at around 17 years old, and have been dedicated to roasting coffee beans for more than 20 years. I welcome you all in visiting Taiwan, I hope you have a nice cup of coffee here.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

2019 WCRC Taiwan Champion
2017 WCRC Taiwan Champion
2015 Toper Roast Master Taiwan Champion

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I plan on visiting my friend’s coffee shop in Taipei, and trying to find some famous local vegetarian restaurants. (I am a vegetarian).

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

Panama is the coffee-producing country that most interests me.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

I love to learn kung fu, for example Wing Chun, MMA, etc.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I hope the coffee I roast can be tasted by much more people around the world.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

First of all, I would like to thank to my mom Amy, without her support I couldn’t have my own coffee career. I want to thank to my wife Jacinda, she is always on my side and helps me with everything.
My coach for the WCRC, Carrie; my lovely family; my teacher Fang, who has taught me a lot; and my friends, Vince, Teresa, 6Q…

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2019-10-03T12:52:32+00:00

Russia
Arseny Kuznetsov
Traveler’s Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I am a professional coffee roaster from Siberia, where people take their coffee very seriously.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

I have participated in different Russian coffee competitions (cup tasting, barista, and roasting). I have won some top places but this is my first time at the World Coffee Roasting Championship.

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I’m looking forward to seeing Taipei’s best coffeeshops and I’m also expecting a lot from the coffee exhibition.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

I am mostly inspired by Ethiopia. I believe that Ethiopian coffee has unlimited potential.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Music, food, and extreme sports.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

I would like to thank the Russian coffee community, especially all the competitors who I had great relations with. Friendly competition has always inspired me and allowed me to grow as a professional.

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2019-11-06T17:57:44+00:00

Germany
Benjamin Pozsgai
Benson Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

My Name is Benjamin. My nickname is Benson, so the idea came up to name my coffee brand like that. I’ve been roasting coffee for a living for 7 years now, and it feels like the journey has just started.

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

German Roasting Championship 2015 – 3rd
German Roasting Championship 2016 – 1st
World Coffee Roasting Championship 2018 – 3rd
German Roasting Championship 2019 – 1st

What are you excited to do while you are in Taipei?:

I met so many awesome and beautiful people from Taiwan volunteering at the 2018 WCRC in Guangzhou while I was competing. I am just as excited to get to know Taiwan better, the food, the people, the culture, the landscape etc.

Which coffee-producing country most interests or excites you?:

There are a bunch. I would say Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and of course Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

I have a family so I don’t have too much time for other interests… haha. But I love music, good food, and beauty in general.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I hope to have my own roastery in the future, making people happy by roasting their favorite coffee.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:

Yes, a lot of people have helped me so far! My old company in Cologne, Neues Schwarz Roastery in Dortmund, Dauner Kaffeerösterei. SCA Germany, my coach Andrés. My wife, my kids, and my parents. Thank you all!

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