In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we interview Jason Zeeman, the co-founder of the South African Specialty Coffee Expo. We talk about Jason's background in the music industry and how his love of coffee was born. We also learn how he came up with the idea for a Specialty Coffee Expo and how he organised the first event.

Jason and Phaedon also discuss how the Specialty Coffee Expo has evolved, and what it is about the expo that has won over the industry and so many coffee lovers. Whether you've attended one of these events or not, you will definitely enjoy learning a bit more about this special entrepreneurial venture in the South African coffee space.

You can find out more about the Specialty Coffee Expo, including upcoming event dates at https://www.specialtycoffeeexpo.co.za/

If you are listening in the run-up to the 2024 Cape Town Specialty Coffee Expo, you can get 20% off your ticket by using this link (Ts & Cs apply).

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we chat to Kyle Sinclair, one of the founders of Mylo Coffee Company, the designers of Mylo Speciality Grinders. Tune in to hear Kyle's story, from passionate coffee drinker to equipment supplier.

We discuss what goes into a great coffee grinder, and how Mylo went about designing its hand-grinders. We dive deep on questions like burr geometry, the impact of grind consistency on flavour, and the other factors that influence the flavour of the coffee in your cup.

You can find Mylo's amazing hand grinders on the Cape Coffee Beans website and also purchase them in-person at our store.

In this episode, we are not only joined by our first coffee-farming guest, but also someone who is growing specialty coffee in South Africa! Des Wichmann is busting all kinds of preconceptions about coffee farming, successfully growing specialty lots at sea level in KZN on Mpenjati estate.

While there is a lot to learn about coffee farming in this episode, there may be even more lessons about entrepreneurship. Des has taught himself how to grow, pick, process, and even roast coffee, without a big community of coffee farmers around him. Listening to him talk about how he has experimented, rolled up his sleeves and just learned through experience is quite inspiring.

You may be able to find Mpenjati coffees to try at Cape Coffee Beans, at certain times. You can also learn more about Mpenjati on the company's website. You can even visit if you're in the area.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find the article written by Dylan Cummings that was mentioned in the episode.

Here is a link to the documentary about growing coffee in LA that was mentioned from Vice (Munchies).

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we are joined by Winston Thomas, South African Barista Champion and previous podcast guest. We are also joined by Leigh Wentzel, Winston's co-founder at Cedar Coffee Roasters. In this episode, we get to know both founders a little better and dive into the story of how Cedar got started.

Winston & Leigh explain their ambitions for Cedar, as well as how they plan to grow a slightly different, second-generation South African specialty coffee business. We touch on everything from their approach to coffee to their go-to-market strategy. It's a fascinating conversation both from an industry perspective and from the perspective of the consumer.

If you'd like to support Cedar by buying some of their coffee beans, you can find their full range available at Cape Coffee Beans.

You may also enjoy listening to the previous episode with Winston Thomas.

In this episode, Joel Singer, founder & owner of Origin Coffee Roasting is back to talk to us about a very special coffee from Ethiopia. Grown by Gemeda Elias Dube, this coffee won 19th place at the first annual Ethiopian Cup of Excellence competition. This episode isn't just about that coffee though; you'll learn about what the Cup of Excellence competition is, how coffees are selected, and why the CoE award is so important. We also talk quite a bit about what makes Ethiopian coffee so special.

If you'd like to try this coffee, and you're reading this or listening to the episode not longer after recording (in February 2021), you should go to the Origin Coffee Roasting HQ on Hudson Street in Cape Town, or buy a bag at Cape Coffee Beans.

You can also read more about the Cup of Excellence competition on their website, including specific information on this lot. You may also enjoy reading about the first Ethiopian CoE competition which took place during the COVID-19 lockdown at Barista Magazine Online!

This episode is all about a very special coffee, from a very special estate, of a very special variety. For their 10th anniversary, Rosetta Roastery is celebrating with a Rosetta Reserve coffee release: a Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Natural. This is an incredibly unique coffee and an extremely rare tasting opportunity, not only from a South African perspective, but also on a global scale.

In this episode, Rob educates us about the Hacienda La Esmeralda estate, the Geisha variety and how they chose the particular lot that they brought in. Rob describes some of the history of this celebrated coffee, and what makes it so special. Whether you get to try this coffee or not, this is a good opportunity to learn more about some of the best coffee in the world.

You can buy a bag of this coffee here, but it will only be available for a limited time following the release of this episode.

Find out what coffee makers, grinders, accessories & roasters are most popular with South African coffee lovers. In this episode I go through the CCB Coffee Awards 2020 and talk about why some of the winners are so popular with our customers. I also talk about some of the runners up and products that didn't quite make it but are well worth a look.

You can listen to this episode on its own to find out what items were most popular at Cape Coffee Beans in 2020, but you may also enjoy reading the accompanying blog post. If you want to learn more about any of the specific products, you'll find links to all of them included in the post.

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, I speak with Winston Thomas, 3 time South African Barista Champion (at the time of recording) and arguably the best known barista in the South African specialty coffee scene.

Winston has an amazing story to tell. He went from knowing little about specialty coffee to being crowned best barista in the country three times in just a few years, through incredible hard work, passion and dedication. He shares his story, as well as some interesting perspectives and tips for both home brewers and professional baristas. He also shares his thoughts on where the industry is going.

You can find Winston on Instagram. You can also support him by using his affiliate link when shopping at Cape Coffee Beans.