Thirteen global and national barista champions will represent Urnex around the world to espouse the value of keeping coffee and espresso equipment clean.
BY CHRIS RYAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Cover photo courtesy of Urnex
Last week, Urnex—manufacturer of specialty cleaning products for coffee and espresso equipment—unveiled the 13 members of its 2019 Urnex Ambassador Program, featuring an impressive roster of global and national barista champions from all over the globe (the full list is below).
The Ambassador Program, which Urnex has operated since 2015, “aims to improve the quality of coffee around the world by educating coffee professionals on the importance of clean coffee and espresso equipment,” reads a press release from Urnex. The Ambassadors’ roles include holding cleaning demos at coffee events and online, partnering with coffee equipment distributors in their home nations, and providing valuable feedback to Urnex during new product development.
Isaac Cohen, Urnex’s vice president of marketing, says the Ambassador Program is meant to highlight the value that Urnex places on coffee competitions and competitors. “In keeping with this ideal, we only consider national champions in WCE-sponsored competitions,” he says. “Ultimately we aim to arrive at a team of Ambassadors that are representative of the diversity of the specialty-coffee industry, the competitor community, as well as Urnex’s global footprint.”
Isaac says that since the program started in 2015, Urnex has worked with a broad range of coffee competitors with an impressive level of talent. “With our Ambassadors, you are able to really see the specialty-coffee community at its best,” he says, “whether it’s the passion, dedication, and skill needed to compete and win at the highest level, or the exploration of ideas and techniques through their competition routines themselves.”
The Ambassador Program also has created many strong bonds between Ambassadors, who share a sense of commitment to the barista craft that Isaac admires. “The level of camaraderie, community, and selflessness also amazes and inspires me,” he says. “Seeing someone like Agnieszka Rojewska, the 2018 World Barista Champion, volunteer on stage during the 2019 WBC, was an incredible example of humility and servitude that we can all aspire to.”
For Mathieu Theis, a two-time World Barista Championship finalist and three-time Urnex Ambassador, the Ambassador Program is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. “I’m very proud to be an Urnex Ambassador,” he says in the press release. “Urnex has supported me since 2016. For me as a barista, it’s been great support. Of course, Urnex is famous for cleaning products. I use them every day in my shop to clean the portafilters or the kettles. However, what I really appreciate about Urnex is that they also support people. I really feel part of an amazing community.”
Here’s the full list of 2019 Urnex Ambassadors; keep an eye out for them the next time you attend a coffee event!
2019 Urnex Ambassadors:
Jooyeon Joon, South Korea, winner of the 2019 World Barista Championship. She has been working in coffee for 13 years, all with MOMOS Coffee in Busan.
Mathieu Theis, Switzerland, who in addition to his barista competition accolades, is the co-owner of the MAME café and roastery in Zurich.
Sam Spillman, United States, the 2019 U.S. barista champion and a coffee educator at Dillanos Coffee Roasters in Sumner, Wash.
Wojtek Bialczak, Germany, the 2019 barista champion of Germany and 2019 WBC finalist. Wojtek is the head roaster and roastery manager at the renowned Five Elephant Coffee Roastery in Berlin.
Matt Winton, Sweden, a WBC semifinalist the past two years and a barista at MAME in Zurich with Mathieu Theis.
Goda Pangonyte, Lithuania, the youngest member of the Ambassador Program. Goda is the 2019 barista champion of Lithuania, which was her first-ever coffee competition.
Hillary Mugasitsi, Kenya, began his coffee career in October 2018, and won his first coffee competition, the Kenya Barista Championship, just one month later.
Nisan Agca, Turkey, a three-time barista champion of Turkey and three-time Urnex Ambassador.
Nicole Battefeld, Germany, the 2018 German barista champion and the country’s 2019 Coffee In Good Spirits champion. She is a head barista, roaster and trainer at Röststätte in Berlin and the founder of the Female Barista Society.
Ben Put, Canada, a four-time barista champion of Canada, three-time World Barista Championship finalist, and an Urnex Ambassador every year since the program was created in 2015. Ben is a co-owner of Monogram Coffee in Calgary.
Alejandro Escobar, Mexico, is a national barista champion, Brewers Cup champion, and most recently, a barista competition coach. He is the head barista trainer for Café Etrusca in Mexico.
Charlotte Malaval, Australia, a two-time barista champion of France and two-time WBC finalist. She currently works in Melbourne as a green coffee buyer for Toby’s Estate.
Merijn Gijsbers, Netherlands, the winner of the 2017 Dutch Barista Championship and the 2018 Dubai International Coffee Championship. He is the owner of Het Koffiegenootschap (The Coffee Society), a coffee consultancy and barista training center.
