Bean There Bike Ride in Jo-burg

I met Sarah Robinson, who co-owns Bean There Coffee Roasting in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her brother, Jonathan, earlier this year in Rwanda. We were both in Kigali to attend the East African Fine Coffee Association‘s annual conference, and we spent most of our time judging the first Rwandan Barista Championship, which was crazy and fun and interesting and great.

Waiting for the first competitor at the Rwanda Barista Championship. From left, Sarah of Bean There; Jacob, formerly of La Marzocco; Clare from the Ugandan Coffee Authority; and me.
Waiting for the first competitor at the Rwanda Barista Championship. From left, Sarah of Bean There; Jacob, formerly of La Marzocco; Clare from the Ugandan Coffee Authority; and me.

I actually knew of Sarah and her company through a non-coffee friend of mine who lives in Johannesburg, and so I was delighted to get a chance to hang out with her for the week. She and her brother are doing wonderful things for specialty coffee in Johannesburg ”they have high standards for their coffee and their baristas, and they devote countless hours into training and educating their staff. As a result, they’re playing a big part in changing the way the citzens of Jo-burg think about quality, specialty and sustainability when it comes to their coffee.

Jonathan and Sarah Robinson, brother and sister owners of Bean There Coffee Roasting in Johannesburg, South Africa
Jonathan and Sarah Robinson, brother and sister owners of Bean There Coffee Roasting in Johannesburg, South Africa

They’re also into doing a lot of fun events to promote Bean There through the local community, and when I received news of Sarah and Jonathan’s latest plans for a bike ride, I wanted to share it with our readers here. Though it’s not likely many of you will be in Johannesburg on October 31 to participate, I know you’ll appreciate hearing about their great work and activity in South Africa, and celebrate Bean There‘s efforts to promote high quality coffee and service in a lesser-known part of the coffee consuming world.

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About Sarah 929 Articles
Sarah Allen (she/her) is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.