The world of professional specialty coffee can be both inspiring and intimidating with many customers and new baristas feeling lost in the mix of rules, methods, and information. How can we create a great experience for guests and staff who all really want to enjoy coffee and find their place in it?
Today we get to learn from the story of someone whose career in coffee took him from curious customer, to barista champion, and finally to teacher and business owner, all along the way finding his identity in coffee firmly rooted in providing the kind of hospitality that won him over at the start.
Winston Thomas is 33 years old and grew up in the small suburb of Strand in Cape Town. He studied Civil Engineering at CPUT but developed an interest in coffee after reading a letter in his local newspaper of a woman complaining that there was no good coffee in Strand/Somerset West. This sparked his interest in coffee and during his studies he completed a barista course. This changed his whole perspective on coffee and after completing his National Diploma in 2014 decided to work in coffee full time. Since then he has managed to win the South African Aeropress Championship in 2016, the Western Cape Barista Championship for 2017, 2018 & 2020, the South African Barista Championship in 2017, 2018 & 2020 title as well as the Africa Barista Championship title for 2019. He now owns and runs a coffee training and consulting business called Winston Douglas Coffee and a Coffee Roastery Called Cedar Coffee Roasters.
In this episodes you will learn about:
- Winston’s entry into coffee and how his engineering mind helped him discover higher levels
- Curiosity and a desire to understand how things work are valuable traits in the coffee industry.
- Barista competitions can provide opportunities for growth and learning, but it’s important to maintain a sense of humility and not let success cloud one’s perspective.
- Hospitality as a fundamental aspect of coffee service
- Why baristas should strive to create meaningful experiences for customers.
- Building confidence and finding one’s identity in the industry
- The blessing and burden of winning
- Avoid overemphasizing fame and titles in the industry
- How having control over the variables in coffee brewing enhances the hospitality experience.
- Creating an authentic coffee experience specific to a region or culture is a challenge worth pursuing.
- How disconnecting from social media can foster creativity and originality in coffee
Links:
Related episodes:
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- 410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee
- 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies
- 282 : How to Listen to your Customers
- 430 : Embracing “Unreasonable Hospitality” w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
- 331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career
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