United States
Shelby Williamson
Huckleberry Roasters

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I started roasting coffee about 5 years ago and haven’t looked back. I started my career with a general interest in coffee and fell head-first into that rabbit hole. I am lucky to roast for the lovely Huckleberry Roasters in Denver, CO where I have been encouraged and supported to challenge myself and gain as much knowledge in my field as I can. When I am not roasting and slurping, I can be found on a trail somewhere in the Rockies, at a yoga class or on my couch with a good book.

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

2018 Roasting Rodeo – 1st
2018 USRC Qualifier (Denver) – 2nd
2019 USRC (Kansas City) – 1st

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

While I am excited for the competition and meeting other roasters around the world, I have to say that I am most excited to eat incredible food and take a stroll on some of those suspension bridges.

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

I am not necessarily only excited about a single country. On average, I am a huge fan of Ethiopian coffees, but there are plenty of gems all around the world. If the coffee is good and the people are good, I am excited.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

I love going to shows around Denver as well reading, writing, yoga, hiking. Oh, and I love a good roll on the Craps tables.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I hope in 5 years that I have begun to venture into my dream of owning a coffee shop/book shop. Books are my other passion–on level with coffee– and what’s better than surrounding yourself with everything you love.

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

I want to thank Huckleberry for supporting me through this entire competition run, Kevin Nealon (our green buyer and Director of Coffee) for telling me to compete in the first place, Joe Morocco for his theory lessons, Daniel Mendoza for his coaching, Trevor Curry for his patience and so many more who were involved in making this possible.

—

Instagram

Ukraine
Oleksii Konovalov
Ukrcoffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I have been working in the coffee industry since 2012, and started roasting coffee in 2015.

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

2018 Ukrainian Coffee Roasting Championship – 14th Place
2019 Ukrainian Coffee Roasting Championship – 1st Place

Turkey
Warrick Masfen
Kungpow Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I am a 30 year old coffee roaster from South Africa, living in Turkey. I started my coffee roasting career 6 years ago in South Africa. I moved to Istanbul in September 2015 as I was given the opportunity to follow my passion of coffee roasting and travelling. At the end of 2018 I started my own coffee roasting company in Turkey called Kungpow Coffee.

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

2019 SCA Turkey Roasting Championship – 1st Place

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

That is hard to answer as there are so many different countries that are interesting for different reasons.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Music production, cooking, and programming neural networks.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Roasting and presenting the coffees that I have helped grow and process with farmers to the world, while demonstrating that farmers are the true heroes of the coffee world.

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

The list is too long and they all know who they are, and I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for me.

—

Instagram

Thailand
Fuu Panratee
Maled Coffee Roasters

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I opened a coffee shop,  roasting coffee in Chiang Mai, in Thailand.

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

2019 Thailand National Coffee Roasting Champion

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

I have never been to Taipei so I am very excited. I want to go to see the coffee culture and the people there. And it’s the first time  to host a global competition, I’m very excited about it.

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

Thailand.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I think I’m still working on the coffee. But I will definitely develop myself more than now.

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

Thank you for my team.

—

Instagram

Sweden
Anthony Huy Nguyen
The Coffee Connections

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I’m a coffee manager at Alkemisten, roaster/ partner in Coffea Circulor, and the founder of The Coffee Connections. My core business is to serve specialty coffee in daily life and share the stories behind the cup. I’ve worked in the coffee industry for 11 years now and I’m always looking forward to learning more about coffee and people in my life. My main goal is to find the true meaning of life through coffee.

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

Winner – Swedish Coffee Roasting Champion 2019
6th Place – Swedish Coffee Roasting Championship 2015
5th Place – Swedish Coffee Roasting Championship 2017

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

Meeting coffee people and visiting all the specialty cafés in Taipei.

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

It is definitely Vietnam, where I was born and raised! The people there love to gain coffee knowledge, and the baristas are very involved at the farm level.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Music, whisky, wine and asian food!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I hope I have the opportunity to travel around the world to learn about coffee origins. Helping people understanding better coffee quality .

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

I would like to thank my parents, who have always supported my dream! I’d also like thank my wife and my little daughter who understand my work and my passion. They are always waiting for me at home when I get home late at night after working, studying, or competing.

—

Instagram

Norway
Simo Christidi
Solberg & Hansen

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I am the head roaster in Solberg & Hansen based in Oslo, Norway. I have held this position since 2009 but I have been roasting since 2004. I am the current Norwegian champion, a title I have held since 2017.

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

2012 WCR Challenge in Vienna – 1st Place
2017 WCRC in Guangzhou – 8th Place
2018 WCRC in Rimini – 6th Place
Nordic Roaster competitions
National cupping competitions

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

I am looking forward to meet a bunch of good friends from Taiwan, enjoy being there and hopefully do a good presentation during the championship.

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

Taste-wise there is nothing out there that can be compared to a great Kenyan Coffee. I guess I am in love with coffee from Kenya.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Beside my family and my kids I play basketball and football, and I love to spend my holidays in Greece.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Definitely still in the coffee industry.

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

My wife and my parents in-law for being so patient with me and taking care of my kids while I am roasting, cupping, travelling, training, and spending time with all this preparations.

—

Instagram

Mexico
Eduardo Juárez
Sonata Coffee Roasters

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I am passionate about coffee and the methods of roasting it. I enjoy everyday at work because everyday is a new learning experience.

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

Meet my fellow roasters and visit specialty coffee shops, because Taiwan is way ahead in specialty coffee.

—

Instagram

Japan
Koji Ida
Rokumei Coffee Co.

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I’m CEO and head roaster of Rokumei Coffee Co. The shop is located in Nara, Japan.
My coffee roasting career started in 2010.
I’m a judge in the Japan Barista Championship and Japan Brewers Cup.

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

2013 Japan Coffee Roasting Championship – 6th Place
2016 Japan Coffee Roasting Championship – 3rd Place
2018 Japan Coffee Roasting Championship – 1st Place

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

I’m looking forward to enjoying some delicious Taiwanese cuisine.

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

El Salvador.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Agriculture.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

In the area of coffee production.

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

I am grateful to my wife and parents, to everyone in the company and in the coffee community.

—

Instagram

Italy
Michele Anedotti
Caffe Corsini / Ditta Artigianale

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I started working at Caffe Corsini in 1996. I joined the quality control team in 2004, and in 2013 I started focusing on roasting.

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

2011 WCTC in Maastricht I placed in mid ranking.

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

Visit the city.

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

Ecuador.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Managing a roasting machine.

France
Connor Bramley
Mana Coffee

Please tell us a little about yourself: 

I originally studied mathematics in Scotland and fell in love with coffee whilst finishing my degree. I got a job as a barista, which led me over the following 8 years to become bar manager, café manager, trainer, quality controller, assistant roaster, and eventually head roaster! Aside from coffee, I have a strong love of anything that tastes good, especially if it’s fermented.

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

WBC:
United Kingdom 2013 – Disqualified
United Kingdom 2014 – Disqualified
France 2015 – 3rd place
France 2016 – Disqualified

WBrC:
France 2015 – 4th place
France 2016 – 1st place
Dublin 2016 – 34th place
France 2017 – 1st place
Budapest 2017 – Disqualified

WCRC:
France 2017 – 2nd place
France 2018 – 12th place
France 2019 – 1st place

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

Make the most of having some of the best and most knowledgeable roasters in the world all in one place together… and eating all of the food I can find.

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

Having seen some very interesting fermentation techniques coming from Colombia over the last few years, I’m definitely intrigued by what they’re doing. At the same time, the market situation in Ethiopia could make coffee buying very interesting in the near future!

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

I love cooking, eating, drinking, and playing board and card games.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

I want to continue working in coffee but I would love to have some formal training in another similar industry – making cocktails, producing wine, professional cooking, etc. Unfortunately there isn’t enough time to do everything so I’ll need to choose at some point.

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

My parents and girlfriend for their undying support during these competitions (and the rest of the time too), the Mana team, my coach Aurelien, the Diedrich Europe team, and every single roaster and roastery in and near to France that has helped me to practice and prepare.

—

Instagram