Judges profile: Connor Tigwell
With the ‘Best of Honduras: Late Harvest’ auction program for 2017 underway, we took some time to speak to one of the shadow judges of the event: Connor Tigwell.
How long have you worked in coffee for?
6 years now. It started when I was 13, my brother got me a weekend job on a tiny coffee cart at the local farmer’s market. That was a super fun job. After a while on the till I started getting trained up as a barista and it became something I was fascinated in. I really wanted to develop and get good at it, it became something I wanted to fully wrap my head around. From that point I pulled weekend shifts across a number of Canberra cafes as I finished my schooling. After graduating, I settled in at The Cupping Room [Australia] under a team I’m really stoked to say I was a part of. I’ve now recently moved to the United Arab Emirates to take up some exciting opportunities with a company called Gold Box.
What do you do at Gold Box?
I mainly focus on quality control and training, in the roastery and amongst our accounts. We supply cafes and restaurants across the Middle East, I’m there to make sure our accounts have what they need and are producing awesome coffees. The entire industry here is still in its infancy, it’s an exciting time for specialty coffee in the GCC. There’s so many fresh, passionate baristas chomping at the bit to learn and grow as its becoming a more popular, mainstream concept here. Besides QC, I organize public trainings and events. It was something that I thought was lacking a little bit here when I arrived. There’s a big community on social media but not enough events bringing them all under the one roof.
What drew you to coffee and working with it?
Initially I was drawn to the social aspect of barista work. I’ve always been one to try make people laugh and enjoy their time with me, so it was just natural. I was really inspired by a lot of the ONA Coffee team, before I even worked for them. I remember my first training session with [trainer] Gus when I was at another cafe, that was what really kick started everything for me. He had a seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of coffee that boggled my mind. It was awesome to see a group of people so genuinely excited and passionate about what they do. Once I got my feet wet, I just never really stopped.
What is your favourite part of the industry?
The global community that’s been built around coffee is beautiful. Whilst you might be in a room full of your competition, there’s still an underlying camaraderie that’s built upon our shared goals. A rising tide lifts all boats and that definitely rings true in the rapid improvement in overall barista skill and exciting product innovation being seen currently. A lot of this would grind to a halt if it wasn’t for the sharing culture that we have bred. There’s so many great, free resources out there that give anyone new to the profession a leg up, as well as giving veterans a point of reference or second opinion. If we all acted like separate little enclaves spread across the world, I don’t think we would have nearly as much delicious coffee in nearly as many places.
How did you get involved with Project Origin?
ONA Coffee and Project Origin are intrinsically linked, operating right next door to each other. So when I worked with ONA, I was always in and out of the warehouse for various things. All of the coffees we served in our cafes were sourced by them as well. Yanina, one of the Project Origin team, was actually my head barista at The Cupping Room before she made the move over. She taught me a ridiculous amount in her short time with me…she also happens to be an overall legend. I’ve always liked the philosophy behind the Best of Auctions, its such an accessible competition, allowing smaller producers to gain the recognition they deserve. So when the opportunity came to get involved in the auctions, I knew I had to get on board.
Will the Best of Honduras Auction be your first origin trip?
Yes!! Going to origin has always been a dream of mine and I’m stoked to be finally be able to. I’ve never been in a position to travel to any coffee-growing nations previously and I’m pretty happy that my first trip is for such an awesome program.
Do you have a favourite coffee or coffee producing country?
Honduras and El Salvador have got to be my favourite. They’re just super juicy coffees and I really like the flavour profile that Central Americans have. Last year I competed with a, now two-time, Best of El Salvador winner, Finca Milady. Getting to know that coffee was really good fun, it was the bomb. It had all of the qualities that I personally enjoy in my coffee; big body, long finish and approachable flavours.
Is there anything in particular you will be looking for/to achieve in Honduras?
As my first judging experience, I’m looking forward to soaking up as much as possible from the more experienced people around me. Without these auctions I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to connect with a lot of the other people there – be it the producers themselves or the international judges. So I’m looking forward to making a lot of friends and meeting people I wouldn’t normally get the chance to in the industry. Putting a face to the coffees I’ve enjoyed a lot in the past is also going to be a something really special for me. Coffee aside, I haven’t really done all that much research about Honduras. I like to take things as they come when I travel, I’m just hoping I can find some good local cuisine and poke around the cities at night.
The ‘Best of Honduras: Late Harvest’ 2017 auction goes live at 0800 CST on July 29, via Cropster.
Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
