IT’S JUST COFFEE!

We are debriefing after our chat with Reza from Slick Coffee in Oman, exploring the longstanding history of coffee in the Middle East and the rise of specialty culture in Dubai, Saudi, and beyond. We discuss high-end home setups, wild flavour preferences, and Slick’s clever packaging that introduces specialty coffee to new drinkers…plus plenty of coffee gear drama, World of Coffee Dubai plans, and...

Reza Kosar is the co-founder of Slick Coffee in Muscat, Oman. He’s a certified Q grader and instructor, a Cup of Excellence judge, and a self-described ‘full sensory nerd’. In today’s episode, we discuss the unique challenges and opportunities that come with working in specialty coffee in the Middle East. Reza shares his approach to sourcing, roasting, and sharing - touching on the significance of...

We break down the concept of the ‘three-year career crisis’ (discussing career paths for baristas beyond the machine), and explain why a clean workflow might just be your biggest competitive advantage as a cafe owner. We also dive into the low-risk ways to start a café (pop-ups, shared spaces, equity deals), and the real costs of running a business that nobody tells you about, eek!  Coffee Break i...

How did one man go from never having worked in coffee to winning the World Latte Art Championship only two years later?! Caleb Cha has had an incredible journey from Seoul, South Korea to Melbourne. His dedication to latte art has earned him global recognition, pushing the limitations of latte art with colour and design. In 2023 he opened his own venue, Tone Coffee Roasters, and now has two locati...

Coffee pros Ben Bicknell and Rohan Cooke spill the tea on how to have the best start to the year in coffee…From cooking tips, dining experiences, and advice for cafe owners. Plus, a call-out to the roasters, now's the time to reflect on your supplier relationships and align your purchasing choices with your values. There’s a little something for everyone this Coffee Break! Coffee Break is your wee...

What will the coffee industry look like in 2026?  Join us as we speculate on the year ahead, and look back on the one just passed. We predict market trends, (some guesses are more educated than others..), coffee innovations, and supply chain changes. And how did those predictions we made at the start of 2025 turn out?  Was there a wave of cafe closures? Did matcha popularity increase? What’s the c...

We’re wrapping a big year of coffee. From Jack Simpson’s World Barista Championship win, to Nemo at the Aeropress Championships, big changes in green coffee pricing, signature drink trends, and so much more. Plus, we share some personal reflections, babies, Dad-life, and Ben’s experience joining the podcast. Also tune in for a very exciting announcement in which we need your help! Coffee Break is...

Whether it’s tips for brewing on the road, at the beach, or with the in-laws, we’ve got you covered. Christmas recipes, a gifting guide, and advice for café owners on surviving the Christmas rush. Join us for a bit of holiday cheer, and who knows, maybe even a visit from the man of the hour. Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season! Find our seasonal recipes here:  Holiday Crema de Café:...

We continue to break down the fundamentals of coffee cupping - we just went deep on our 101 ep this week, so what did we think? From how many cups, passes, and rounds are actually involved, to why identifying defects matters just as much as chasing flavour. Along the way, we connect cupping to everyday brewing, unpacking sensory memory, common faults like channeling and over-extraction, and how te...

Coffee Cupping 101 - Basics, Benefits & Equipment! We break down the fundamentals of coffee cupping - why it exists, how it’s done, and what you actually need to get started. From setting up a cupping session and understanding ratios, to identifying defects and building sensory skills, this episode walks through the industry’s shared tasting language and why it matters. Guiding us through the proc...

Hydro-honey, thermal shock… unique processing methods are coming out of Colombia right now, and we need to talk about it! We reflect on our chat with Juan, and discuss the broader coffee industry, including Nestle's potential sale of Blue Bottle Coffee, Fair Trade's overhaul of global standards, and a new initiative in Ethiopia called Best of Ethiopia. Plus, coffee grounds make concrete stronger?!...

Juan Pablo Campos is the founder of Lohas Beans, a company committed to sourcing Colombia’s finest coffee. He’s built relationships with some of Colombia’s most innovative coffee producers, many of whom are engineering value through unique processing methods. Juan joins us today to talk about Lohas Beans’ journey; discussing fermentation, producer-trader relationships, and the future of Colombian...

This Coffee Break is all about unpacking the big ideas from Peter Roberts episode. We get into why coffee pricing feels so broken, what the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide is actually fixing, and how transparency could reshape the entire value chain. Plus: the wild world of flavoured vs infused vs co-fermented coffees (where is the line?), why young drinkers are obsessed with syrups, and Austra...

If you’ve ever wondered why your green coffee costs what it does - or how the whole system could work better - this episode will completely change how you see the industry. Peter Roberts is a Professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and the Academic Director of the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide (@sctguide) and Grounds for Empowerment. Focusing on making markets fairer and more...

Carlos Escobar is back - but this time with us for Coffee Break! We get into Colombia’s free-coffee culture, why it’s holding the industry back, and how roasting at origin is changing everything. Plus - Who actually drinks the most coffee per capita? Why are competitors waving water? And Carlos sees into the future, calling the shot, Brewers Cup Champ is Simon from Apax Lab! Coffee Break is your w...

Carlos Escobar is the founder of DIFFERENTE Coffee in Colombia, an educator and community builder who has spent his career bridging the gap between producing countries and consuming markets. Carlos grew up on a Colombian coffee farm that his family lost - a moment that shaped his entire family's relationship with coffee. Years later, after moving to Australia and discovering a completely different...

We start with Aussie burgers and pineapple-on-pizza, then dive into why Colin Harmon from 3fe is one of the most influential operators in modern coffee, and end up talking about café toilet logs in his first book. The boys break down Colin’s journey from finance to four-time Irish Barista Champion, the philosophy, and what we know about his new book dropping this December. We also get into some NE...

Colin Harmon is a four time Irish Barista Champion, founder of 3fe in Dublin, and author of ‘What I Know About Running Coffee Shops.’ Starting his coffee journey by serving coffee out of nightclub, he entered his very first barista competition… and he won. And he didn’t stop winning. 15 decorated years later, Colin has built cafés, a roastery, and a legendary coffee brand, and has just finished hi...

In today’s Coffee Break We discuss the rising coffee prices in the US, with a particular upswing in the value of cold brew. We also explore the potential of anaerobic fermentation to improve unripe coffee cherries, and mull over the impact of short-form content in the coffee industry; how do we continue to have deep conversations online when content is becoming more and more bit-sized? Plus, Oli f...

Ever wondered if social media plays a role in the success of a coffee business? Does every cafe need an online presence? How do you connect with audiences as a small business? Rohan Cooke, (host and social media expert) answers all of this and more, diving into the nuances of social media in the coffee industry, and speaking from his personal experience as the face of Golden Brown Coffee.  If you'...

The team is back together! Fresh off the plane from Milan adventures, the team reflects on a huge week at the World Barista Championship and what it really takes to keep learning, innovating, and competing at the highest level. From anaerobic fermentation turning unripe cherries into gold, to Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood’s water filtration system that’s changing how we think about quality at home. Ben...

Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood has authored multiple books on coffee, as well as many academic papers. He’s the founder of Colonna Coffee in the UK, and works across a number of coffee development and research projects.  In today’s episode we focus on the evolving landscape of learning and innovation in coffee. We ask the big questions: When should coffee businesses chase new trends, and when is it best...

Sustainability Isn’t a Badge ... It’s a Verb! This week on Coffee Break, Ben and Producer Liam unpack their chat with Ninna from Reground and Dion from Single O, diving deep into what real sustainability looks like in the coffee industry. From composting your grinds to having tougher conversations with suppliers, how do you move beyond certifications and start taking action ? ... being “green” isn...

What happens when coffee’s biggest waste problem becomes its biggest opportunity? Across cafés, roasteries, and homes, millions of coffee pucks hit landfill every day - but two Australian pioneers are proving that sustainability doesn’t have to be boring, expensive, or impossible through collaboration. In this episode, Ben sits down with Dion Cohen (Single O) and Ninna Larsen (Reground) to unpack...

This week Ben stands in Milan with the newly crowned 2025 World Barista Champion Jack Simpson from Axil Coffee Roasters. After eight years of training the final three almost coming to a breaking point - Jack reflects on the people, emotions, and responsibility that shaped his world-title win. From early mornings at Axil to visiting producers like Jonathan Gascara in Colombia, Jack shares how one m...