Coffee Masters Contenders – London 2015




















Coffee Masters Judges – London 2015





Anne Lunell is a Swedish barista 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.
Coffee culture has changed a lot since Gwilym started making speciality coffee for Londoners in 1999 at Monmouth Coffee. By the time London’s Speciality Revolution took off in 2009, Gwilym was the UK and World Barista Champion. After moving his old-style Lever machine into the front of Present, a gentleman’s clothing store, he co-founded Prufrock Coffee which is a café and training centre in Leather Lane. Gwilym is now a Head Judge with the World Coffee Events (WCE) Barista Championship.
Gwilym now lives in Prague where he has a Barista training centre with his Czech barista champion and author wife Petra Vesela.
Employer:
Timberyard UK
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
I am Yuko Head Barista at Timberyard. I am Japanese who hates sushi, but loves coffee.
Employer:
Bewleys Coffee Ltd. / Grumpy Mule
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
Food and drink has always been at the heart of my family and social life. I started out at Harris + Hoole and I am now a trainer for Bewleys (Grumpy Mule). Learning about coffee is what I enjoy most about being a Barista Trainer.
Employer:
Morning Glory Coffee
Country:
Indonesia
Biography:
Born in Bandung West Java, I left my formal education to become a photographer. I couldn’t drink coffee at home so I ventured to Australasia and Europe to take several coffee courses. In 2006, I opened Morning Glory Coffee Shop in Bandung, using different coffee processing methods and roasting my own coffee. In 2014 I became AST for barista, brewing and roasting.
Employer:
ST. ALi
Country:
Australia
Biography:
ST. ALi’s go to man for anything involving latte art. I love to push the limits of my abilities, which has given me a bit of a reputation as a cowboy when it comes to rules.
Employer:
De Superette
Country:
Belgium
Biography:
Sommelier turned Barista – seven years ago I swapped wine for coffee and have never looked back. I have been involved in the setup of several coffee bars including Café Labath and have recently joined forces with Michelin starred chef Kobe Desramaults to open De Superette, a bakery, cocktail bar, restaurant and of course coffee bar!
Employer:
BHS
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
Started in a food & beverage role at the age of 16 when coffee breaks were just a great way to catch 5 mins but found coffee in 2007, working as a unit manager for a chain before starting an espresso bar with his wife. I now work as a coffee specialist for BHS, developing training plans, machine maintenance, customer service, coffee quality and menu development.
Employer:
Forum
Country:
Poland
Biography:
A barista since 2005 and winner of the Polish Barista Champion title in 2008. I now own Forum, a pop-up coffee shop in Warsaw with my fiancée Ilona. Our mission is to find, brew and serve the world’s best coffees. As good coffees are running out really fast, our work is a never-ending story!
Employer:
Self-employed barista trainer, co-founder & coffee consultant at Good Spirits Beverages GmbH
Country:
Germany
Biography:
Born in Texas, raised in Bavaria, living in Berlin. I moved to Berlin to study dance, but coffee is what kept me here. I’m a barista, a trainer and a cold brewer, but always a student.
Employer:
King Coffee Service
Country:
Latvia
Biography:
Every day, since starting work at a company called King Coffee Service as a sales manager, I learn more about coffee. These guys taught me everything I know about coffee and that the possibilities in coffee are infinite. So I don’t think I will ever be able to say that I know everything about coffee.
Employer:
Square Mile Coffee
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
31. SYD/LDN. Husband. Father. Redhead. Worked in the coffee industry for over 10 years, and in speciality for the past 4 years in cafes and for Square Mile in wholesale.
Employer:
Five Elephant
Country:
Germany
Biography:
I was born a cold April morning in Gothenburg, I don’t remember anything about it, as most of us don’t. I like milk and people that are dedicated, not in words but with their actions. I grew a beard and got interested in building organizations. Started with coffee, got disappointed with the lack of dedication in the industry. Shaved my beard. Moved to Berlin, read and watched everything by Malcolm Gladwell. I am the guy that hasn’t been to one single bar in Berlin since I moved here some five months ago, because that would take away too much time from my coffee practice. Thank god for the TW team.
Employer:
ST ALi and Sensory Lab
Country:
Australia
Biography:
Barista, Roaster, Trainer, Green Buyer and Partner at ST. ALi and Sensory Lab in Melbourne. My focus is always on maximising consistency and tastiness using basic science and common sense. Coffee has taken me all over the world, and continues to be an incredible challenge.
Employer:
Caravan Exmouth
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
I started making coffee straight out of high school and managed to land my dream job at 18 years old working for Flight Coffee Roasters in Wellington New Zealand. Since then I’ve been climbing the ladder of knowledge.
Employer:
Timberyard UK
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
Fell into coffee after university and haven’t fallen out of it yet. I work at Timberyard’s Seven Dials shop, for my sins. Excited about humans making it to Mars sometime this century.
Employer:
Union Hand Roasted
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
Better known as Westy, I am a barista trainer, tech-head, keen competitor, and builder/restorer of guitars, particularly telecasters. I also build v60 stands out of telecaster bodies and love to brew, particularly with the humble chemex, and the kalita wave decanter. I live for punk rock, tattoos, and my similarly coffee-minded girlfriend Ash.
Employer:
Think Tank Coffee
Country:
Australia
Biography:
Australian coffee pro and green bean sourcer, two times Australian Barista Champion. Loves to race cars, eat dinner by candlelight and take moonlit walks on the beach.
Employer:
La Chichera Café
Country:
Italy
Biography:
A great lover of the world of coffee. I live to create, invent, experiment and have fun! Authorized SCAE Trainer, Italian Cezve/Ibrik Champion 2015 and Italian Coffee and Good Spirits champion 2015
Employer:
UCC Coffee
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
Starting as a barista and now working as Coffee Development Manager at UCC Coffee, this is my 9th year working with coffee. A qualified Q grader, SCAE approved Professional Barista and a master Brewer, I have trained over 1000 Baristas. Coffee is not another job for me but my career.
Employer:
Workshop Coffee Co.
Country:
United Kingdom
Biography:
Learning and relearning about coffee since 2006.
Employer:
Bloom Specialty Coffee
Country:
Romania
Biography:
Coffee-mad scientist by day, coffee dreamer by night. Speciality Coffee obsessed since 2008. Coffee trainer and owner of Mr. Barista
A hospitality entrepreneur and former lawyer from an Italian migrant background. Salvatore’s coffee career began when as a third-year law student at the University of Melbourne he opened Caffeine – a coffee outlet for students – to huge success, before taking over ST. ALi in 2008 as majority owner.
The ST. ALi Family is a group of cafes, retailers and specialty coffee roaster founded and based in Melbourne, Australia in 2005. ST. ALi was an early adopter of specialty coffee in Melbourne and was one of the pioneers of specialty coffee movement of single estate and single origin coffee beans. St ALi has been credited with being a contributor to the third wave of coffee movement in Melbourne, with a strong focus on quality beans, and unique brewing methods.
Andrew Tolley is a co-founder of Taylor St Baristas and Harris + Hoole. Between the two businesses they have trained over 600 baristas in the arts and craft of being a professional barista. Andrew is a sensory judge in the UK and world barista championships & brewers cup, and a Q grader. He has also helped establish the barista guild of Europe and is helping to run a pilot professional barista apprenticeship.
Co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, Anette started her career as a barista in Norway 16 years ago. Since coming to the UK in 2003, she has worked in green coffee imports, education, training, cupping and roasting. She has extensive experience as a UK and World Barista championship judge, Cup of Excellence juror and Q grader and won the World Cup Tasters Championship in 2007. Anette now buys green coffee for Square Mile, visiting her coffee producing partners regularly to ensure she sources the best coffees available.