Agnieszka Rojewska

Agnieszka Rojewska reflects on life post-WBC

Agnieszka Rojewska has been gracing the competition stage for more than 10 years. The eight-time national titleholder and former World Barista Champion explains why she enjoys the thrill of the chase, but not always the catch. When 2018 World Barista Champion Agnieszka Rojewska boarded a flight in Milan, she was stopped for a selfie. When she looked on Instagram she saw a video of herself walking down the street someone had just posted. And when she went to the supermarket, the cashier stared at her and said, “congratulations. I know who you are”.
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Christopher Hendon

Coffee chemistry with Christopher Hendon

Dr. Christopher Hendon discusses the impact of water chemistry, freezing coffee, mathematical models, and artificial intelligence on cup quality. Dr. Christopher Hendon’s current employer, the University of Oregon, touts him as “Dr. Coffee”. He’s an expert in coffee science, and his research into how water chemistry and grind temperature affect flavour have been used and discussed on stage at the World Barista Championship (WBC) many times. 
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Emilio Lopez Diaz

Emilio Lopez Diaz on coffee from seed to cup

Emilio Lopez Diaz is a champion of El Salvador’s coffee industry. Through Topeca Coffee Roasters, he operates a vertically integrated company from production and milling to roasting and retailing. In 2000, Emilio Lopez Diaz had a decision to make. A recent graduate of an engineering management degree at the University of Portland, Emilio could follow his original plan to open a microbrewery in his home country of El Salvador, or, he could join the family coffee business.
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Jody Leslie

Toby’s Estate appoints Jody Leslie as General Manager

Toby’s Estate General Manager Jody Leslie on her career in food service, diving head-first into specialty coffee, and preparing for long-term growth. In her short time as General Manager of Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters, Jody Leslie has already seen how the Australian coffee scene differs to the rest of the world. “Compared to the United States for instance, Australia has a larger focus on specialty coffee,” Jody tells BeanScene. “If I had a theory as to why, it would be around the age of our coffee industry. It matured around the same time as the rise of specialty coffee [globally].
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Simonelli Group Fabio Ceccarani

Simonelli Group CEO Fabio Ceccarani invests in sustainability

Simonelli Group CEO Fabio Ceccarani on adding market value and why it’s time for the manufacturing industry to invest in more sustainable practices. Fabio Ceccarani is well aware that Italian espresso machine manufacturer Simonelli Group has a privileged position. It’s an industry leader in its field, yet is responsible for one of the most important parts of the value chain – the end result in the cup.  “It is an incredible honour to know that our machinery contributes to the customer’s coffee experience. But because of this privileged position, we also have a big responsibility to make coffee in the fairest and most sustainable and respectful way possible,” Fabio tells BeanScene
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Ever Meister

Ever Meister of Cafe Imports sends her message

A typical specialty coffee shop experience involves receiving an espresso or filter coffee with an information card. Its purpose is to spark a customer’s curiosity and gain further appreciation for the coffee they’re drinking.  The card or subsequent bag of roasted coffee often contains details such as the farm and producer’s name, the names of their children, how many people they employ, the harvest schedule, farm altitude, farm size, and volume of bags per harvest. But nowhere does it say the name of the person who roasted the coffee, their hobbies, and the names of their children.
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Jenny Willits

Seven Miles CEO Jenny Willits’ act of kindness

Jenny Willits is comfortable working on big marketing campaigns for iconic brands with huge budgets. She recalls working on an award-winning TV commercial for Lion Nathan’s Boag’s Draught, “From the Pure Water of Tasmania”, at Publicis Mojo. She’s worked on a global print campaign for Ericsson telecommunications with a budget in excess of £1 million ($1.7 million) and a two-week shoot in South Africa, and the list of high-end brands rolls on: Nescafé, Kahlúa, Ballantine’s whisky, Kellogg’s, and Foxtel.
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Enrique López of Finca Chelín – a pioneer of processing

Enrique López could be considered the Heston Blumenthal of the coffee producing world. Much like the cooking sensation’s love of molecular gastronomy, Enrique is an advocate for processing innovation and experimenting with concepts and theories not yet tried before. “I love to be innovative. For more than 12 years I have enjoyed discovering different flavour notes and sensory attributes in the same coffee, which is only achieved by trying different methods of washed, honey and natural processing, as well as experimenting with variations of these same processes,” Enrique says. 
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Morten Münchow’s mission

As a scientist and researcher, Morten Münchow believes in experiments having a cause and effect, and results that are black and white. In 2002, he recalls brewing a coffee in a small moka pot. While most coffee drinkers savour the brew and determine if they like it or not, Morten had a deeper train of thought.
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