Congratulations to our amazing colleagues at Project Origin, Yanina Ferreyra and Cielo Betancur, for competing in the recent Australian Central Region Brewers Cup competition. Cielo competed for the first time in this competition and came away with a wealth of knowledge and confidence, while reigning Australian Brewers Cup champion Yanina achieved another fantastic result with second place (not to mention the fact that the top three competitors all used coffees sourced by Project Origin!).

Both Yanina and Cielo spent hours preparing for this competition, cupping a range of coffees to find a style best suited to them (Yanina sought juicy, fruity naturals while Cielo wanted the defined clarity of a washed). They both selected coffees from our friend and producer Jamison Savage in Panama and began practicing their routines, writing speeches, considering brew methods and relentlessly tasting their coffees.

“Coffee producers are actually very curious about how coffees are showcased on the end side of the coffee chain. Some are brewers themselves and ask so many questions with regards to roast and extraction; many others still think the brew needs few spoons of sugar but the ceremony of brewing together helps bring our worlds closer.”

Yanina Ferreyra

They both view competition as a way to engage with brewers and roasters, as well as allowing them to represent the relationships we have with coffee producers. Jamison is a great example of this; through our joint venture with him, we work very closely to produce exceptional coffee. We didn’t just “find” this coffee; we worked with it from the moment the cherry grew on the tree, all the way through to harvesting and processing, particularly with our investment in Carbonic Maceration (CM). This partnership enabled Yanina and Cielo to intimately know the coffee and, most importantly, to recognise the incredible amount of work producers put into growing and processing the coffee we drink every day.

Yanina chose to use a CM Natural Geisha from Finca Deborah that she nicknamed “Opal” for its colourfulness and sparkling acidity, combined with complex flavours of berries, stonefruits, tropical fruits and citrus. Cielo also chose a Geisha from Jamison, but this one came from his Morgan Estate in the form of a CM Washed coffee, giving her the clarity, sparkle and distinct citric profile she wanted from this lot we’ve called “Fusion”.

“I was pretty much born with a cup of filter coffee in my hand. Being originally from Colombia, coffee was a big part of my everyday life. In Colombia kids drink coffee from a young age and I grew up seeing my dad brewing cups of coffee before dinner.”

Cielo Betancur

Having two passionate staff members from our little company competing can be challenging, but our founder Sasa Sestic and General Manager Habib Maarbani are competitors themselves, so we understand the drive and passion to compete. Participating in events like this also help us stay connected with the industry and keep investing in our relationships with producers, while also improving the profile and quality of coffee we offer to roasters. There are few better ways to be humbled by the extraordinary effort and dedication of coffee farmers all around the world, and we’re proud to work with these producers and to have our business represented by both Yanina and Cielo.

To find out more about our producers or contact Yanina and Cielo, click on the button below.

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