We recruited the best of the best Coffee Masters judges and MCs to join us at The London Coffee Festival 2020. Comprising legendary names from the world of specialty coffee, we are delighted to announce…
ANNE LUNELL – HEAD JUDGE
Coffee Masters Head Judge Anne Lunell is a Swedish Barista Champion, Brewers Cup Champion and the visionary behind Koppi, an internationally respected and well-loved coffee roaster in the Swedish town of Helsingborg, which she founded in 2007 with Charles Nystrand. Having been Head Judge of Coffee Masters – New York and London since their inception, there’s no one more up to scratch on what it takes to be a Coffee Masters champion.
FREDA YUAN
Freda Yuan’s incredible talent and accolades are evident in her winning the SCA UK Cup Tasters in 2017, 2018 and 2020, as well as gaining 3rd place in the World Cup Tasters 2017. Alongside this, she is a licensed Q-grader and a SCA UK Sensory Judge.
Throughout Freda’s six-year coffee career she’s worked on both sides of the supply chain, from barista through to green coffee buyer, with other roles including roasting and QC’ing. Her role as Origin’s Head of Coffee involves developing their direct trade coffee program and travelling the world in pursuit of exceptional crops.
DAVID DONDE
David’s Cape Town based cafe, Truth Coffee, has been named the best in the world by a prominent UK Newspaper or two. He believes in results, individuality, playing on people’s strengths and hates excuses.
KRIS SCHACKMAN
Growing up in Massachusetts, USA, Kris’ love for coffee started in the mid-1990’s while attending the University of Massachusetts and Hampshire College drinking, Scott Rao batch brews by the liter.
After a career in feature film and advertising in New York City, Kris fell in love with Berlin and soon after moving there, co-founded the Berlin based Five Elephant Coffee Roastery & Cake Shop with his now wife Sophie. Kris has worked since 2010 as CEO and Green Buyer for the international brand, focusing on ethical and responsible business practices and direct sourcing of high quality coffee.
As the director of Five Elephant Coffee he has been closely involved with staff competitions, participating in the training of numerous National Brewing and Barista Championship wins.
JAMES WISE
James Wise has worked busy bars, managed, owned and consulted for cafes, won coffee masters, given talks internationally, judged competitions, illustrated for global coffee folk and now works for one of the world’s best roasters: Assembly.
Do you know what he hasn’t done? Written an interesting bio.
KLAUS THOMSEN
Klaus Thomsen started as a barista in London in 2001 and has since then become deeply involved in coffee. Competing in the Nordic Barista Cup and winning the Danish Barista Championship further fueled the coffee obsession. In 2006 he became the World Barista Champion and then went on to co-found The Coffee Collective with Peter Dupont and Casper Engel Rasmussen. The Coffee Collective is both a microroastery, four coffee shops and importer of green coffee, setting the bar high for transparency and payments directly to farmers. On a daily basis Klaus oversees the quality development and training programme for their baristas and also sources their award-winning Kenyan coffees.
AND THE MC’S…
LEM BUTLER
2016 USBC Champion and co-owner of Back Alley and Black & White Coffee Roasters, Lem Butler is joining the impressive line-up of MCs for the sixth time. He’s won the US Southeast Regional Barista Competition no fewer than five times.
ERIKA VONIE
Erika Vonie is a veteran of the specialty coffee industry and a previous winner (and MC) of Coffee Masters™ New York, as well as countless other barista championships. Whether it be through her consulting or own educational YouTube channel, Vonie is committed to championing and elevating the advancement of women, LGBTQIA and all marginalised individuals in specialty coffee.
GWILYM DAVIES
2009 World Barista Champion and founder of East London’s Prufrock Coffee, Gwilym is famed for making coffee in 36 different countries. He’s now settled in Prague where he owns and runs a Barista Training Centre.
Coffee Masters at The London Coffee Festival is proudly sponsored by:
English (UK) 
Italiano