ROBERTO PABLO CALDAS PORTUGAL
BARISTA CHAMPION OF PERU
Barista Mag: Before coffee, did you work in a different job or industry, or what did you study in school?
Roberto: I wanted to be a movie star.
BMag: How did you get started in coffee?
Roberto: By preparing it at home with a Moka Pot.
BMag: What was your first amazing experience with coffee?
Roberto: Attending the Let’s Talk Coffee World Barista Forum in Tarapoto, Peru in 2010.
BMag: Who has been your greatest influence in coffee? Why?
Roberto: My friend and teacher David Torres Bisetti.
BMag: What would you like to see change about the coffee industry/community?
Roberto: I would like for there to be improvements in how producers are trained, and they should be given better tools.
BMag: Name a coffee luminary (famous person) you would like to meet, and why:
Roberto: Kees Van Der Westen because I admire his work.
BMag: Name a barista you admire, and why:
Roberto: Michael Phillips because I think he is one of the most complex baristas in the world and it would be very interesting to talk to him.
BMag: Do you have a favorite customer? If so, tell us about him or her.
Roberto: Any customer who would like to learn more about the coffee.
BMag: Besides your own cafe, what cafe do you think everyone should visit?
Roberto: Handsome Coffee in California.
BMag: Which coffee producing country you would like to visit, and why?
Roberto: Obviously Ethiopia because it is the birthplace of coffee.
BMag: What are your interests outside of coffee?
Roberto: Music and anthropology.
BMag: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Roberto: Working on a biodynamic farm doing agricultural research with coffee.
BMag: Is there anyone you would like to thank or who helped you prepare for the WBC?
Roberto: My wife, my kids, my family, and my friends.
