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TitreDateDurée
Carlos Escobar: My Dad Stopped Growing Coffee Because Farmers Have Been Undervalued for Too Long.17 May 202500:40:27

In this deeply personal episode, Brewing Champion Carlos Escobar shares the story behind the cup — one rooted in sacrifice, injustice, and unshakable purpose. Growing up on a coffee farm in Colombia, Carlos witnessed firsthand the harsh reality of an industry that undervalues its producers. His father stopped growing coffee — not because of poor farming, but because farmers have been undervalued for too long.


Now, Carlos is using his voice, skill, and platform to advocate for change. We dive into his journey from farm to world stage, the broken systems behind your daily brew, and how we can all be part of something better.

Brydon Price: How the World Brewers Cup Head Judge Scores the Best in the World11 May 202501:01:48

World Brewers Cup Head JudgeEver wondered what it takes to impress the Head Judge of the World Brewers Cup? In this episode, we sit down with Brydon Price — certified sensory expert, coffee professional, and Head Judge at the global stage — to uncover the behind-the-scenes details of scoring, what separates a good brew from a great one, and how competitors can stand out.


From technique to taste, Brydon shares insights that will change the way you brew and appreciate coffee. Whether you’re a barista, competitor, or just a coffee nerd.

Dave Makin: How Axil Coffee Built a Roasting Empire — Growth, Grit, and Lessons Learned04 May 202501:21:55

In this episode of The Coffee Show with Kirk Pearson, we sit down with Dave Makin — founder of Axil Coffee Roasters, Australian Barista Champion, and one of the key figures behind Melbourne’s specialty coffee movement.From starting out as a barista to building one of Australia’s most recognized coffee brands, Dave shares the untold story behind Axil’s rise. We dive deep into the challenges of scaling a roasting business, staying true to quality at volume, and what it really takes to lead in a fiercely competitive market.Whether you’re a café owner, aspiring roaster, or simply love coffee, this episode is packed with raw insights, hard truths, and lessons from one of the industry’s best.

Orlando Marzo: Lessons from the World’s Best Bartender for the Coffee Industry27 Apr 202501:17:50

In this episode, we delve into the world of Orlando Marzo, the Italian-born, Melbourne-based mixologist who clinched the title of Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year in 2018. From his beginnings in Italy to honing his craft in London’s vibrant cocktail scene, and eventually leading the bar at Melbourne’s acclaimed Lûmé restaurant, Orlando’s journey is a testament to innovation, precision, and passion in the beverage industry. 


We explore how Orlando’s emphasis on sustainability, education, and collaboration has not only elevated his cocktails but also offers invaluable insights for the coffee industry. Discover how principles from high-end mixology can inspire coffee professionals to rethink flavor development, customer engagement, and sustainable practices.

Osoi's Founder's Playbook For Creating A Viral Cafe In Melbourne20 Apr 202500:58:18

What does it take to build a café that captures the internet’s attention and the city’s heart?


In this episode of The Coffee Show with Kirk, we sit down with the founders of Osoi, one of Melbourne’s most talked-about new cafés. They break down the strategy, creativity, and chaos behind going viral — and share the lessons they’ve learned along the way.


From building brand identity to managing overwhelming crowds, this is a must-listen for anyone in hospitality, marketing, or just curious how a small café became a social media sensation.

Ross Quail: Everything You Know About Big Coffee Might Be Wrong.13 Apr 202501:24:07

From the cupping table to global coffee competitions, our guest today has seen it all. Ross Quail isn’t just a name in the Australian coffee scene—he’s a legend. Former World Barista Championship judge, trainer, green buyer, and consultant, Ross has helped shape how we taste, talk about, and serve specialty coffee today.


In this episode of The Coffee Show with Kirk, Ross drops truth bombs about the myths we’ve been sold, how ‘big coffee’ really works, and what the future of specialty could look like if we’re brave enough to change the narrative.

Yannis Apostolopolous: Specialty Coffee Association CEO Explains Controversial Changes To Coffee Scoring System28 May 202500:18:17

Recently it was announced that the system coffee quality graders (Q graders) have been using to score coffees for decades will radically change, causing fury throughout the industry.

In this podcast Kirk questions the CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association on how the new system works, why it is changing and how it will be implemented.

The scale of the change has been hard to comprehend for Q graders and many coffee producers. Some have said they won't recognise the new system, while others have welcomed the change as it reflects a changing coffee industry.

Which pages of the new system should cuppers use? Should cuppings be managed on an app from now on? Kirk and Yannis discuss this at the World of Coffee in Jakarta.

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Hide Izaki: How a Coffee Legend Sees the Future of Consumerism and AI in Coffee26 May 202500:37:18

Hidenori Izaki — 2014 World Barista Champion and one of the most influential voices in specialty coffee — joins Kirk to explore the evolving landscape of coffee.

From the shifting dynamics of global competitions to how baristas can stay sharp, Hide offers rare insight. They also dive deep into the intersection of AI and coffee, and how the industry can better connect with everyday consumers without losing its soul.

A must-listen for anyone passionate about the future of coffee.

Gabriel: How Daterra’s Product Development Director Sees the Coffee Drought in Brazil23 May 202500:43:48

In this episode, we sit down with Gabriel Agrelli, Product Development Director at Daterra Coffee, one of Brazil’s most innovative farms. Gabriel shares firsthand insights into how the ongoing drought is reshaping coffee production, what it means for farmers on the ground, and how Daterra is responding with cutting-edge agricultural practices and long-term sustainability strategies.


From climate resilience to future-ready coffee varieties, this is a conversation every coffee professional and enthusiast should hear.

Yoshua Tanu: Jago Coffee, The New Indonesian Coffee Start Up Taking Indonesia By Storm!02 Jun 202500:33:30

Yoshua Tanu is an icon in the Indonesian Coffee Industry. A former Indonesian Barista Champion and co founder of Common Grounds Coffee, he has founded a new venture that changes the game.

Jago Coffee is a mobile cafe that operates using karts. Mobile karts are very common in Indonesia for selling food and other goods. Jago Coffee have for the first time introduced mobile cafes to Jakarta using refrigerated smart bikes that take coffee to where customers are.

Using both nimble bikes that can weave through Jakarta's notoriously congested roads and combining them with smart technology that can alert an operator where customers are, Jago has been able to rapidly expand and now have 1500 carts operating in Jakarta (a city of 28 million people). Jago Coffee is also very affordable, offering coffee for under $1 USD.

Yoshua explains the challenges of entrepreneurship in coffee as well as his vision for Jago in the future.

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Jordy & Herru of Ombe Kofie04 Jun 202500:49:45

Jakarta's specialty coffee industry is booming! With more cafes opening than anyone can keep track of, Ombe Kofie has remained adored in a hyper competitive market.

Ombe coffee serve some of the best coffee in all of Indonesia (we can confirm that). We were lucky enough to record this podcast inside one of their venues.

Two of Ombe's leaders, Jordy and Herru join us to explain the origins of Ombe Coffee (founded by Jordie's father Jason). Why did they decide to open a cafe? How challenging was it? What is the coffee scene like in one of Asia's most populated cities? Jordie and Haru answer all in this podcast.

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Savina Giachgia: Why Sustainability Is More Important Than Ever In Coffee04 Jun 202500:22:52

Savina Giachgia is a runner up in the World Brewers Cup competition of 2023 and passionate advocate for sustainability in coffee.

In this discussion Kirk and Savina discuss why everyone should be more concerned about sustainability and what we risk if we don't pay attention.

Kirk also reflects on a recent farm visit in Indonesia and highlights why investing in farms is essential for the future of coffee production and maintaining financial viability of coffee farms.

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Boram Um: World Barista Champion, Coffee Producer, K-Pop Star? 16 Jun 202500:19:46

Boram Um is the 2023 World Barista Champion, a coffee producer and contender for worlds most handsome barista!

In this podcast Kirk and Boram discuss the challenges of preparing for a world title run, how Boram prepared and how life changed for him after the win.

Boram and his family own Fazenda Um in Brazil from which he produced one of his world championship coffees.

Interestingly, Boram is an advocate for the new changes to the coffee scoring system under the Coffee Value Assessment, which is contrast of a lot of coffee personalties based in consuming countries. Do coffee farmers actually see this as a good thing?

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Daryanto Witarsa: How Jakarta Cemented Itself As a Global Coffee City11 Jun 202500:20:12

Daryanto Witarsa is a well known coffee entrepreneur in Indonesia who now works as high ranking government official overseeing food security.

Hosting the World of Coffee is now a competitive process and Yanto lobbied for years to make it happen. This year that dream was achieved with unprecedented success. The show was bustling and set a new standard.

In Yanto's new role, he oversees a project of national importance working in the government of newly elected Prabowo Subianto, as a director of food security. Prabowo as he is known to Indonesians, has prioritised nutrition for Indonesians as a key pillar for their economic goals which are ambitious.

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Jay Kim: Why Hospitality Will Always Be The Secret Ingredient To Great Coffee!09 Jun 202500:34:50

Jay Kim is the co-founder of the UFO dripper and growing personality in the specialty coffee space.

Jay's public profile has grown enormously in recent times for his inspiring social media posts and videos emphasising the importance of hospitality in coffee.

In this podcast Jay and Kirk talk at length about inequality in coffee and how drinking coffee is a privilege, not a right.

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Coffee Show Q&A #125 Jul 202500:19:43

Kirk answers listeners questions sent in.

What is the best cafe in the world?

Who is in his Pokemon party at the moment?

How to watch the UFC when you have a family?

Tips to opening a cafe?

Kirk answers all in this podcast.

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Mason Salisbury: How Tariffs Are Affecting US Coffee Businesses and Relentlessly Pursuing Quality 20 Jul 202501:21:14

Mason Salisbury is the founder of Luminous Coffee operating out of Las Vegas Nevada.

In this podcast Mason outlines the uncertainty of trade policy in the US right now and how it is impact US coffee roasteries.

Mason above all, is a quality focused coffee roaster with an enormous amount of experience operating on almost type of coffee roaster. We discuss his recent transition to roasting on a Typhoon roaster, a completely electric and convection based roaster.

Plus, does drinking only washed coffee mean you're lame? Find out our answer!

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Jack Simpson: Can He Win Finally Win The World Barista Championship?14 Jul 202501:04:35

Jack Simpson has won the Australian Barista Championship for the past three years. At the world level he has placed 3rd and 2nd in consecutive years and this year he looks to do one better in what might be his final campaign.


Jack has evolved over the years, and this year Kirk thinks he is looking better than ever.


Kirk and Jack discuss competition at length and Kirk also tells a story about Strawberry Matcha you might not believe!


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Rhys Woods: 10 Things You Should Know Before Opening A Cafe07 Jul 202501:22:40

Are you thinking of opening a cafe or wanting improve your current one? Then this podcast is an excellent resource for you.


Kirk is joined by Rhys Woods of Ona Coffee and together they distill some 10 great points on what you should consider before opening a cafe, some of the tips will save you a lot of pain!


Rhys Woods works as an Account Manager for Ona Coffee, who are a successful and quality focused coffee wholesaler in Australia, while Kirk Pearson is a cafe owner himself. Together their information formed these ten 'commandments' that you should consider.


Plus, Rhys and Kirk discuss the recent Best of Panama results, some competition news and UFC!


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Aston Utan: Building The Indonesian Specialty Coffee Scene30 Jun 202500:51:26

Aston Utan is one of the founders of Common Grounds in Jakarta Indonesia.

Common Grounds are hugely responsible for the development of the Indonesian specialty coffee scene and Aston is their CEO.

In this episode Kirk and Aston discuss how the Indonesian coffee scene has grown to be one of the most vibrant in the world.

Aston and Kirk also discuss how technology will influence coffee service in the future and why customers prefer buying coffee from people rather than robots.

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Kai Janson - Pana-drama! What Makes Coffee From Panama So Special? 23 Jun 202500:35:56

Kai Janson is a world leading coffee producer from Panama operating Janson Family Estates.

Coffee from the Janson family is internationally applauded and used in competitions all over the world. In 2023 Janson Geisha was used by Boram Um to win the World Barista Championship, a first for the Janson family.

In this episode Kirk and Kai discuss what it is that makes coffee from Panama so special! Kai also spills the beans on what some call 'pana-drama,' a term that describes the friendly rivalry between coffee producers in Panama who many believe produce the worlds best coffee.

Securing this interview was a win for us at the Coffee Show and offers insight into some of the unspoken tales of Panamanian coffee. The highs, the lows, the beginning and the pana-drama!

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Mikael Jasin: World Barista Champion, Cafe Owner, Coffee Exporter19 Jun 202500:27:58

Mikael Jasin is the reigning World Barista Champion, cafe owner and coffee exporter.

Mikael took the world by storm winning the World Barista Championship prioritising mindfulness and recounting the challenges he had to overcome to finally win, a great metaphor for life in general.

Above everything, Mikael is a proud Indonesian. Since winning the WBC he has been a powerful ambassador for his own country and greater Asia .

In this podcast Mikael and Kirk discuss how competition could improve, what Indonesian coffee farmers need to grow and a vision for the coffee industry in the future.

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David Flood and Sam Keck: He Brought a Knife to a Gun Fight, And Won!27 Jul 202501:12:19

Sam Keck is a co-founder of Commonfolk Coffee in Australia and helped build Zukukubora, a social enterprise in Uganda that's purpose is to empower coffee farming communities to making farming sustainable and regenerative.

David Flood until recently was a little known brewer from St David's Dairy in Melbourne. He competed in his first Brewers Cup competition using coffee from Zukukubora and wiped the floor with all of competitors on the day, with a performance that had people in tears.

People are now describing what David accomplished as bringing 'a knife to a gun fight.' Most brewers cup competitions are won using high end coffee from Panama or Colombia, and David flipped that narrative on its head using coffee from Uganda.

In this podcast you will learn that David's words are powerful, meaningful and impactful. David emphasis coffee as a 'tool for social innovation' and he explains in perfect words why our purchasing choices can mean so much to so many!

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Lance Hedrick: Do Home Baristas Make Better Coffee Than Cafes?04 Aug 202501:18:09

Lance Hedrick is a respected coffee content creator with a massive Youtube and Instagram following.

Lance is known for his long form breakdowns of equipment, brewing methods and many other advanced subjects in the coffee industry.

In this podcast Lance and Kirk discuss Lance' introduction to the coffee industry, how he made bank winning latte art smackdowns, golf and health.

Perhaps the most interesting topic discussed though is whether home baristas now make better coffee than most cafes!

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Kirk's Take: I Think Esmeralda Will Sell For $30,000/kg, Here's Why: 05 Aug 202500:10:41

This week the Best Of Panama Auction will take place and it is the most anticipated auction ever.

Since the competition took place, the industry has been abuzz about Hacienda La Esmeralda winning all three categories.

Their Washed Geisha entry scored an unprecedented 98 points, which may be the best coffee on record!

Many are speculating that this coffee will exceed $20,000 USD per kilogram, and Kirk sees a possibility that it could reach as high as $30,000.

Kirk explains all in this short podcast!

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Best of Panama Reaction: The Most Expensive Coffee Of All Time!07 Aug 202500:11:45

Yesterdays auction shattered every record possible and was predicted almost to the dollar by Kirk. This is our reaction to what went down at the Best of Panama Auction!

Australian Specialty Coffee Association: Dropping The Elitism In Coffee Competitions11 Aug 202501:07:17

Todays guests Bruno, Jennifer and Emiline of the Australian Specialty Coffee Association discuss with Kirk their new change in approach to competition in Australia and how effective it was.

The organisation themselves identified that their own competitions had become 'elitist' and wanted to do something to change that and make competitions more accessible, to develop community!

This is something that should be viewed from around the world so we can ensure money and status are not a barrier to entry for coffee competitions.

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Rachel Peterson: Producer Of The Worlds Greatest Coffee14 Aug 202501:36:24

Rachel Peterson is one of the family members that own Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, which has a claim to being the most recognisable coffee farm in the entire world.

Recently as the Best of Panama auction they didn't just break the record, the totally annihilated it, winning every category and setting a new world record of $30,000 USD per kg.

This is the first podcast Rachel who represents Esmeralda has done since the infamous auction, which will go down forever in the coffee history books.

Record prices like this haven't always been the story of Esmeralda. Kirk and Rachel discuss the early years, how they operated at a loss and how they built the brand of Esmeralda and Panama coffee collectively.

Kirk asks Rachel all about the competition, what the days following were like and together they addressed the industries reaction, most of which was positive, though there was some criticism.

This was one of the most logistically challenging podcasts we have done, so please enjoy!

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Kirk's Take: This World Barista Championship Will Be The Most Competitive Ever17 Aug 202500:07:02

The upcoming World Barista Championship will be the hardest ever to win!

There are three returning baristas that are all former podium winners that have won their respective national competitions multiple times.

So who will win the World Barista Championship in Milan?

Grab a coffee and listen in for Kirk's take!

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Julijan Markovic: Esmeralda Aftermath & Why You Shouldn't Start A Business In Coffee08 Sep 202500:51:36

Julijan Markovic is the founder of Brew Methods in Melbourne Australia and is one of Australia's most talented coffee brewers of the last few years.


This podcast occurs right after we tried the Best of Panama winning Washed Geisha, Natural Geisha and Laurina. This was an incredible experience.


Julijan and Kirk also talk about what makes a good coffee experience and controversially: Why you shouldn't start a coffee business!


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Morgan Drinks Coffee: Your Friendly Internet Barista!31 Aug 202501:13:36

How do you introduce those who need no introduction? Like this:

Morgan Eckroth is the most recognisable face in the coffee industry today!

With nearly 10 million followers across Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok, Morgan has touched every corner of the globe with their catchy videos and lessons on making unbelievable coffee drinks!

We were excited to learn that Morgan is as big of a Star Wars fan as Kirk and has some spicy takes on which order to watch the films in.

Beyond that, Morgan is a world class barista competitor and committed member of the coffee community.

In this podcast Morgan also spills the beans on they make world class drinks!

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Dr Dean Miller & Pete Licata: Coffee Doesn't Ruin Your Sleep!28 Aug 202500:54:54

Dr Dean Miller is a sleep and circadian scientist based in Adelaide who studies sleep and works with high performance athletes advising them on sleep to optimise performance.

Pete Licata is a World Barista Champion who started a new coffee company 'Caffeine Control Coffee' which offers different coffees with varying levels of caffeine, so that people can better manage their caffeine intake and improve sleep.

In this podcast Kirk, Dean and Pete discuss whether coffee consumption in general is bad for your sleep.

How many coffees can you have in a day and still sleep well?

Should we wait when we wake up to have coffee?

If you drink coffee does that mean your sleep will be bad?

Is sleep one of the most important elements of health?

In this episode those questions get answered and much more!

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Lucy Ward: Why Food Security Is Something The Coffee Industry Should Focus On26 Aug 202500:55:37

Lucy Ward is green coffee buyer for one of Australia's biggest and most influential coffee brands, ST ALI.

Kirk and Lucy are former colleagues and discuss at length an existential threat to coffee not enough people are talking about: The aging workforce at coffee origins.

Recently we learned that the average age of a coffee farmer in Colombia, one of the worlds biggest coffee producing countries, is 58.

With coffee farmers aging and not enough young people interested in becoming coffee farmers, we have a looming crisis that requires solutions fast.

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Kat Melheim (Roaster Kat): How To Become A Coffee Roaster15 Sep 202501:09:43

Kat Melheim is a veteran coffee roaster who has developed a large online following for her roasting content.


In this podcast Kirk and Kat go through how to enter the industry as a coffee roaster and discuss some of the nuances of the profession.


Plus, we talk about the 'importance pie' and give our coffee roaster Mt Rushmore's!


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How To Open A Cafe On A Shoestring Budget: Fabian Brito of Officer Coffee28 Sep 202501:02:09

Do you want to open a cafe but don't think you have the money? This story is something you want to hear.

Fabian Brito together with his business partner Leon Holdsworth (Kirk's Sensei) bootstrapped opening their cafe Officer Coffee, where you will find the who's who of coffee in their spare time.

In this episode of the Coffee Show, Fabian gives all the details of what it took to open Officer Coffee.

From building most of the cafe themselves to becoming creative with finding furniture they finished the job with an eventual price tag of $30,000 aud ($19,500 usd), which could have been lower if they chose to source their coffee machine differently.

If you have been dreaming of it, this podcast is certainly for you, Fabian's story is one that will resonate with many of you.

Also, is Fabian the new Fonz?

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The Key To Good Coffee? Good Water! Simon Gautherin and Nemo Pop (The Waterboys).22 Sep 202500:53:27

Simon Gautherin and Nemo Pop from Apax Labs are reshaping the way coffee is made world wide.

Apax Labs make mineral concentrates to enhance the quality of coffee both pre and post extraction.

Simon has long been among the leading thought leaders around the world on the importance of water for coffee for years now. Nemo is a new employee of Apax tasked with better understanding the impact of the 'Wave' machine by Wavedtech, which pulses electro magnetic waves though liquid.

Together they're making new discoveries on what this machine might be able to do for the coffee industry and the results are already promising.

Recently Nemo won the Australian Aeropress Championship and the Wave machine played a key role. Kirk's cafe, Project Zero Coffee has been using the Waved machine for months and it has already made a great impact.

Plus, we discuss Simon's Pokemon card investments and talk about Indian food being the most slept on cuisine of all time.

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James Hoffmann: How Coffee Shops Can Thrive In 202505 Oct 202500:58:54

James Hoffmann is the most recognised face in all of coffee.

From winning the World Barista Champioship, his detailed coffee videos and the World Atlas for Coffee, James has for a long time been the biggest name in the coffee industry.

After years of asking, Kirk finally landed the interview and the conversation did not dissapoint.

What makes a cafe thrive in 2025?

Are cafes competing against home baristas?

Should we switch the internet off?

These are some of the questions we answer on the podcast.

This is the biggest interview we have every done, so please don enjoy!

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Chris Baca: 9 Years of Cat and Cloud. Good Company Culture Makes Life Easier for Everyone!12 Oct 202501:03:13

Chris Baca is one of the founders of Cat and Cloud Coffee in Santa Cruz, California.

Chris is also a previous winner of the USA Barista Championships and one of the original specialty coffee content creators, dating back more than ten years.

Chris career journey is one of the most traceable in all of coffee. Nowadays his focus is on Cat and Cloud and one of his biggest focuses is building a nurturing company culture, which he broadly implores the rest of the industry to do.

Chris and Kirk talk about the costs and disadvantages of high staff turnover and even touch on skateboarding in the early 2000's!

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Jack Simpson Wins World Barista Championship21 Oct 202500:22:40

Jack Simpson of Australia has won the World Barista Championship. 


About an hour after his victory we sat down with Jack, his roaster Matt Crowley and owner of Axil Coffee Roasters Dave Makin. 


In this podcast we discussed what went into becoming the world barista champion and the methods Jack used. 


Instrumental in his success was his entire team, perhaps most of all was Matt Crowley (Head of Coffee at Axil) who was with him every step of the way. 


As many know, Jack came second last year in what was the tightest result in WBC history, and he came back determined as ever to win. 


What goes into sourcing, roasting and preparing for a World Barista Championship run? Find out in this episode of the Coffee Show. 


Thanks again to Jack who is a great friend of The Coffee Show. 


Thanks again to our Sponsors Timemore, Oatly and Barista Group. And big shout out to Specialty Coffee Association Panama who lent us space on their booth which allowed us to record podcasts at the show. 


Watch Jack's winning routine here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVoHoMhzy2w


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Jamison Savage: World Barista Champion Coffee Producer20 Oct 202500:23:33

Jamison Savage is a Panamanian coffee grower who has produced coffee for multiple World Barista Champions.


Jamison is unique in his approach with his processing as he regularly embraces experimental processes with his coffee fermentations.


In this podcast, recorded at Host Milan, Jamison discusses champion barista Jack Simpson who is using his coffee at this years World Barista Championship.


Jamison also discusses what goes into starting a coffee farm and shares an update on the recovery of Morgan Estate, which was tragically damaged during Hurricane Eta in 2020, rendering it unable to produce coffee.


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Don Jose and Sofia Luttrell: The Father-Daughter Dream Team28 Oct 202500:20:33

Jose Luttrell (or Don Jose as Kirk likes to call him) is the Patriarch of the Luttrell Family that owns Panamanian coffee farm 'Abu Coffee.'


Sofia Luttrell is his daughter who hasn't finished high school yet, but is keenly interested in the farming life and at the ripe old age of 18, is the Brewers Cup champion of Panama!


Together they make a dream team that is amazing to see, and it is fair to say that the future looks bright for Abu Coffee!


Abu coffee is known for producing some of the most complex and high quality coffee in the world.


In this podcast hear how Abu coffee has been producing coffee since the 1800's and what the future holds for Sofia, who is planning to study at university and use her skills to improve the farm at Abu.


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Noma, Worlds Best Restaurant, Opens A Cafe! With Carolyne Lane02 Nov 202500:58:16

As part of our recent tour or Europe, Kirk stopped by Copenhagen where he discovered that the #1 Restaurant in the world has opened a coffee bar!

Kirk was the first customer and managed to secure an interview with Noma Head of Coffee Carolyne Lane inside the new space.

So why have Noma ventured into coffee? And what are their plans in the future? WIll Noma's world leading expertise on fermentation be part of a broader collaboration in the future? Find out on this episode of the Coffee Show with Kirk Pearson!

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Most famous coffee bar on the planet, how did they do it? Patricia Founders Bowen Holden and Pip Heath 09 Nov 202501:20:59

If you ask most coffee professionals: What is the most famous specialty coffee place in the world? Most of them will answer Patricia Coffee Brewers in Melbourne. 


Patricia is one of the crown jewels of the City of Melbourne. They make 1200+ coffees per day and people travel from all over the world to experience going there. 


What makes it so special? This is a coffee shop tucked away in an alley of Melbourne. Next to it are some dumpsters and the best seat you can get is a milk crate, and yet people wait in line (no matter the weather) just to drink their coffee. 


For that level of devotion they must be doing something right! In this podcast Bowen and Pip give the A-Z of how they started, and what details the went over to get things right. 


How valuable is complimentary sparkling water? What do customers really care about? How do you make a negative experience a positive one? 


If you want to open a coffee shop, you NEED to listen to this first, there is so much value in one podcast! 


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Pitch Of The Century: How Paul Ross Sealed The Deal To Open Special Guests Coffee in London16 Nov 202501:01:53

Paul Ross is a UK barista champion and founder of Special Guests Coffee in London.


On our recent Euro tour, Kirk stopped by Special Guests Coffee and was blown away, calling it the best coffee in the UK and he isn’t alone.


Paul told a really interesting story about how he made coffee for the landlord which blew them away. It was that fateful decision of taking a flask of competition coffee to the pitch that helped him beat out others for a highly coveted space to open a coffee shop in a swanky part of London.


Paul also talks about his hospitality philosophies and how new expensive gear is rarely on customers minds.


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Nicole Battefeld and Vladyslav Demonenko: Home AI Coffee Machines and Germanys #1 Coffee Shop24 Nov 202500:38:14

Nicole Battcefeld is Germany's most awarded barista with multiple national championships to her name. These days she works as a consultant to Nunc, an AI powered home espresso machine that could potentially reshape coffee brewing at home.


Vladyslav Demonenko is former Doctor from Ukraine who now resides in Berlin and owns Kolo Coffee, a coffee roaster that is gaining praise across europe for its quality and exceptional service at their flagship site in Berlin.


In this podcast we discuss the European coffee scene, why Vlad chose coffee over being a doctor and of course AI super robot home coffee machines!


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Matt Winton and Sierra Yeo: Specialty Coffees Power Couple!28 Nov 202500:31:20

Matt Winton a World Brewers Cup Champion now residing in Switzerland. Sierra Yeo is a National Brewers Cup Champion (previously representing the UK) and recently won the Swiss Brewers Cup, meaning she will compete again at the World Brewers Cup in Brussels.


Matt and Sierra are happily married and together run Rose Coffee Roasters, and internationally famed roastery that sells some of the highest quality and unique coffee the world has to offer.


At Host Milan, Kirk, Sierra and Matt all linked up to record a podcast and touched on the quality that competition has reached recently.


Plus, they all play an entertaining game of "he's a ten, she's a ten!"


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Washed Coffees Are Back Baby!!! With Alex Moore30 Nov 202501:19:53

Alex Moore is the runner up of the Australian Brewers Cup and staff member at Project Zero Coffee. Alex was trained by Kirk and overachieved in his first season as a competitor.


What was special about Alex routine is that he was the only competitor that used a washed coffee in the whole competition. In recent years, natural and experimental fermentations have dominated the Australian competition scene, this year Alex coffee was the highest scoring of the whole weekend despite coming second to the legendary Simon Gautherin!


In this podcast Alex breaks down his entire competition prep, how the coffee was sourced, roasted, brewed and every other little detail.


Plus, Project Zero Coffee is opening a second store soon and the concept is something that will be an amazing success, or a spectacular failure!


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Pre Made Espresso Revolution Coming? With Matt Perger and Jeremy Challender of Barista Hustle. 07 Dec 202501:13:09

Matt Perger and Jeremy Challender run Barista Hustle, an online coffee education provider that make comprehensive courses for people of any skill level in coffee to better their knowledge!


In this episode of The Coffee Show, Matt, Jeremy and Kirk have just concluded a blind tasting that compared milk coffee that was made using freshly made espresso and espresso that had been made a day prior. The results were quite fascinating and might surprise you!


Is the future of coffee pre made?


Also, the guys talk about the state of coffee education, whether or not coffee is better than it was 10 years prior and what you can do to immediately improve the quality of your batch brew!


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The Prince That Was Promised: Gabrel Tan is Australia's Newest Barista Champion!16 Dec 202500:57:31

The prophecy foretold that one day Gabrel Tan would become Australian Barista Champion, and alas! Here we are!! Gabrel Tan of Veneziano Coffee Roasters, who has finished second three times to eventual World Champions Anthony Douglas and Jack Simpson, was finally able to break through and earn his first national title! Gabrel overcame a challenge from the legendary Angus Mackie of Ona Coffee using coffee from Finca Janson in Panama and unique microlot from Indonesia! In this episode we discuss Gab's journey where he competed against the very best in Australia's top heavy barista competition and what it took for him to overcome the mental hurdles of defeat! Jack Allisey is the Head of Coffee for the Nomad Coffee Group which is roasts more than 100 tonnes of coffee a week supplying some of Australia's biggest coffee brands. Jack is also Gab's coach for competition and has worked with Gab throughout his competition journey! Like this podcast? Leave a review and please tell two of your friends!

Furure Of Taste: Toby Weedon Of Oatly22 Dec 202501:00:45

In our recent tour of Europe, we touched down in Berlin to attend the launch of Oatly's 'Look Book' they formulated to help cafes and home enthusiasts to make better drinks that are better for the planet!

Kirk sat down with Toby Weedon who is the Barista Development Director at Oatly who oversaw the creations in the Look Book.

Along with the launch of the look book Kirk and Toby discuss the 'Future of Taste' report that Oatly developed which looks into upcoming trends within the coffee industry, like:


- The Global Flavor Exchange

- Conscious Indulgence

- Fibre Has Entered the Chat

- Destination Drinks

- The Future State of Matcha


This is a great podcast to understand what trends could emerge in 2026 and what the future of coffee might look like!


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