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.

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