The ‘Best of Honduras’ auction took place several days ago, with 20 coffees from small producers in Honduras going to a live auction and sold across the world. These coffees were selected by an International Jury made of up judges from around the world. We spoke to International Jury member, Theveshran Moodley about his experience in Honduras.

How long have you worked in coffee for?

Just over 3 years. I first started as a part time waiter, but when I needed more of a challenge from day-to-day, I looked for work where I was given the opportunity of being a barista. From then onwards my passion of working with coffee flourished and I was constantly wanting to learn. From a small quiet coffee shop making Mecca coffee, to the the Grounds of Alexandria pumping out coffee left right and centre, my partner and I were lead to Canberra to further my skills in coffee.

Where do you currently work?

My last role as barista a few months ago before my travel overseas was working at The Cupping Room in Canberra, Australia. It is one of the happiest places I’ve ever worked. The team is like a family and all get along swell. I try to do my best in the team to portray the quality of world class standards of coffee to our customers, so they can understand more about coffee. This in turn helps them appreciate it a lot better.

What drew you to coffee and working with it?

Well hospitality has always been an interesting part of my life, experimenting at home with foods and drinks has always been a calling. I love the challenge of constantly creating a drink that tastes good. I love developing my skills, knowledge and awareness of coffee so I can interact better and feed my wanting to learn.

What is your favourite part of the industry?

I think what I like the most about coffee is that it can bring different people together to share an amazing experience. The fact that you never know who is drinking the coffee you make until they say “Thank You”. It could be a producer, a film star or your average Joe. Coffee is ever-growing and there is always something to learn and experiment.

How did you get involved with Project Origin?

The Cupping Room cafe is directly linked to Project Origin who source the green beans directly from the farmers. I heard of an overseas trip to Honduras, where Yanina went with few baristas last year which seemed cool. I thought I might give it a go to expand my knowledge and solidify my understanding of exactly how coffee comes to our roasters. I have a feeling that there is more than meets the eye with this side of coffee.

Was the ‘Best of Honduras’ Auction your first origin trip?

Yes it was, and I was extremely excited to be surrounded overseas with a lot of coffee enthusiasts as it is a strong passion of mine.

Do you have a favourite coffee or coffee producing country?

One of my favourite coffees comes from Ethiopia. This is because you never know what your going to get sometimes. So as a barista its a challenge to play around with it in the morning to make it taste great.

Is there anything in particular you were looking to achieve in Honduras?

I was looking to expand my knowledge and coffee experience, as well as come away with a few things to think about on how to improve the coffee I make. I tried to engross myself in the culture of Hondurans and see things in the locals perspective.