Best Barista: South Africa’s Unofficial Best 5 Barista’s

In the wake of what may be considered the biggest day in South Africa for coffee enthusiasts, connoisseurs and Barista’s alike, SCASA hosted 2015’s National Barista Championship and crowned the winner on Sunday, the 23rd November 2015. I’d like to say I can imagine the blood, sweat and tears that went into the gruelling skill show that the championship was – but I’ll stick to imagining the crema, the latte art and the brewing magic that went into this creative hotpot instead. While we all know not everyone can be a winner, it’s nice to know you are recognized for what you do. In this effort – we commend each and every Barista for their input, dedication to the industry that fuels our brains, bodies and hearts – and the amazing and underrated work they do. It’s nothing short of pure art. That being said, we had the task of selecting the best 5 Barista’s to feature – no easy feat – but we managed to whittle it down to the Top 5.
This is in no way official and ranked in no particular order.

Arno Els

(Photo Credit: Coffey & Cake)

Arno is the Head Barista Trainer at Origin Coffee, and part-time roaster. It’s quite remarkable that he can recall the exact date he fell in love with coffee; January 27^th, 2012. He fondly recalls that day, when he witnessed true passion for coffee and was drawn in straight away. Arno has held the title of National Latte Art Champion previously and placed 6^th at this year’s annual National Barista Championship. Not bad at all for a 27 year-old! Arno mentioned that his favourite coffee machine to use is the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia– in part due to the fact it was the first coffee machine he ever worked on and he’s a little sentimental. I guess ti couldn’t have hurt that the Nuova SimonellIi Aurelia was this year’s coffee machine of choice for the Barista Championships! When we asked Arno what his favourite coffee is – he couldn’t give us a straight up answer – which, to me, is the mark of a true Barista. Limiting yourself to one origin or blend can be dulling. He did however mention he loves his Kenyan and Colombian coffee’s – depending on what strikes his fancy at any given moment. Catch Arno in action and witness his mad skills – here.

Pro Tip from Arno: “Always buy beans and grind fresh. It has such an impact on the quality of each cup”.

Ishan Natalie

(Photo Credit: Pavel Zhdanov)

Ishan’s love for coffee began a decade and a half ago, when he joined TriBeCa Coffee Company as a part time waiter, working weekends whilst studying his BComm Accounting degree. This was his first exposure to speciality coffee, and the art of being a Barista; he subsequently set himself the goal of becoming the best Barista South Africa had to offer (well, Ishan, I think you’ve achieved your objective!) Ishan began competing when the first National Barista Championship competitions were hosted in South Africa. During his first two years, he fell just-short of title holder; but this didn’t put him off. He went on to win the 3rd and 4th championships he competed in consecutively (2009 & 2010). After that, the sky was the limit. Ishan had the honour of representing South Africa at the World Barista Championships that followed for those years (Atlanta 2009 and London 2010) where he ranked 36^th and 38^th – worldwide! He further represented South Africa at the All Africa Barista Competitions in Tanzania in 2010, which he went on to win as well. Instead of competing in 2012, Ishan focused more on the judging of competitions, whilst also getting more immersed and familiarised with farming practices and the sourcing of coffee. He returned to compete again in 2014 where he placed second – and won the title again in 2015, allowing him the opportunity to represent South Africa once again at the All African Championship in Nairobi earlier this year. Surprise – he won that title too! In April, Ishan competed at the World Barista Championship in Seattle; here, he achieved his career best at World level by finishing 18^th. Shifting his focus, Ishan has taken a break this year to focus on his and his wife’s first child. While he looks forward to competing again soon, he keeps focus on his life-long goal of winning the World Championship, which will undoubtedly open a whole new world of opportunities to this world-class Barista. Faced with the dreaded question of what his favourite coffee is – Ishan responded diplomatically, saying it could be likened to asking a parent who their favourite child was. In true Barista style – his final answer rested at “I love them all equally but differently due to their individual characters”. Do yourself a favour and catch this Barista in action – here.

Pro Tip from Ishan: “Ditch the instant coffee and spend a little more on a good grade, speciality coffee in bean form. Invest a little in brewing equipment and a small grinder, grinding beans fresh is key to optimum flavor, taste and tactile experience. There is an open world of resources on the Internet and by companies on how to brew coffee better and to give you an insight into the detailed and intriguing world of coffee from fruit/ seed to cup. When using a coffee, don’t let other influence you in roast, bean or flavor preference. Take the time to try different coffees at different roast degrees and choose the one/s as your preferred based on the taste experience and personal enjoyment. In the end, a wine sommelier can upsell a Merlot to you till they turn blue in the face, but if you enjoy the flavor, tactile and taste experience of a Sauvignon Blanc more, you will and should always buy the Sauvignon Blanc but learn from gain an understanding and appreciation for the knowledge the sommelier has given you in understand what makes a Merlot a better wine to them. As with wine, coffee if subjective; always let taste guide you.”

Bilbo Steyn

(Photo Credit: Justin Groep)

Bilbo took part in the National Barista Championship and formed part of the Top 6. She explains the beginning of her coffee journey, quite like a fairy tale: It started when she was a sales representative for an Italian importer back in 2006; she quickly realized that people were very dependent on their caffeine fix and so her client base grew quite rapidly.She soon noticed that by guiding people on how to make their coffee better, she was retaining her sales and so – very slowly – she started to teach herself. Playing a huge role in Bilbo’s Java Journey were Ishan Natalie – who taught her correct tamping methods and how to dial in a grinder; Charli Denison and Dylan Cummings who taught her about farming practices and implementation of routine steps to generate consistency; Joanne Berry taught her about tasting coffee – Bilbo’s competition preparation and routines are still based on these teachings. Everybody in the industry has played a role in some way, but it’s Bilbo’s philosophy to remember that we’re never done learning and experiencing. Often asked what her favourite coffee is, she finds it impossible to answer – but mentions she is partial to African and Bolivian origins in particular. Bilbo dreams of one day owning a Spirit by Kees van den Westen coffee machine – which she would ideally pair with a Nuova Simonelli Clima Pro Mythos. At home, she has an Aeropress at hand, alongside a Chemex and a V60! What a lucky lady!

Pro Tip from Bilbo: “Use prepared water and invest in a decent home grinder, scale and thermometer.”

Matthew Carter

(Photo Credit: Jacques Coetzer)

Matthew holds his very first memory of coffee as sitting with his uncle, in Pretoria, back when he was a toddler; his uncle made him a Moka Pot of coffee. He recalled the taste as strong and bitter – but he fell in love with the concept and idea of coffee right there.

Much later, Matthew embarked on a trip through Africa, which lasted about 8 months, a time during which he visited a few farms and began to believe that there was a way that he could use coffee to make a sustainable difference in people’s lives. Upon his return to South Africa, his career truly started when he delved into the speciality coffee industry on a full-time basis. Matthew regards his highest achievements as having competed at a national level and finishing in 4^th place at the National Barista Championships. He has also won the regional Aeropress championship. Having completed his Q Grader course in Ethiopia, Matt has further assisted farmers in creating quality coffee. Not only has Matthew trained numerous Baristas, but he was fortunate to be able to travel with his good friend Ishan to the World Barista Championships in Seattle as his coach. Holding close to sentiment, Matt mentions his favourite coffee machine (also being the first he worked on) as the La Marzocco GB5. His favourite coffee bean origin is Ethiopia; he says he could have a cup of coffee from there every day and never get bored!

Matthew was commissioned to develop a high-end blend for TriBeCa called the Impala blend, and having done so – holds his creation in high regard with loads of pride. Go check it out here.

Pro Tip from Matthew: “Get a good grinder, a good scale and great coffee and you will make awesome coffee at home constantly. “

Current Title Holder of National Barista Champion: Wayne Oberholzer

(Photo Credit: Erin Wulfsohn)

Wayne is the current National Barista Champion and holds the same title for 2012. Not only is he the Owner at The Portland Project, but he is part of the driving force behind possibly one of the most innovative “speciality hybrids” in South Africa. If you are in Cape Town I suggest you check this out as quick as you can. Wayne started his coffee journey as a way to pay for his Pilots License – training to become a commercial pilot. Whilst working 3 different jobs, he was approached to join a coffee company in Durban. About 6 months into it, I was asked to judge at the KZN regionals.; this was when his passion for coffee was truly ignited – his foresight allowed him to see where exactly coffee was going in South Africa. Seven years down the line, Wayne has honest bragging rights – having worked for some of the biggest names in the South African coffee industry. He has trained staff and customers alike worldwide and is the second most successful Barista – after the likes of Ishan Natalie. Along with the title of National Barista Champion for 2012 and 2016, Wayne also holds the title for 2014 National Cup Tasting Champion. Someone, get this man a Bell’s! Included in his favourite coffee gadgets are the Mythos ClimaPro, Black Eagle (by Victoria Ardwino; this machine is the 2016 Russian Barista Championship official Espresso Machine and the current World Barista Championship Official Machine) and the Nuova Simonelli II T3. Suffice to say – this man knows his coffee!

Pro Tip from Wayne: “Buy a quality grinder! Freshly ground coffee trumps anything else! No question. Sub to that would be, if you can’t talk to someone about the coffee you’re about to buy, walk out of the shopping isle and head to one of the 100 odd local roasters in South Africa.”

A hearty thank you to everyone who agreed to feature, all entrants and all contributors.