Barista Spotlight’
p u e k o w y o j Love to smell the coffee Q: Tell us about your life in Zimbabwe and why you chose to immigrate to South Africa?
A: I was born in a small town in Zimbabwe called Bankert and grew up in rural Zimbabwe. When I was a kid I wanted to become a soldier because I thought it was a cool job. I decided to come to South Africa in 2008 when the situation in Zimbabwe was not going well and I had to seek greener pastures. The economy took a downward spiral and it was a turning point for me to migrate. A graduate from Speciss College in Harare, Zimbabwe, I spent three years working in the hospitality industry for the Cresta group of hotels. I started at Origin Coffee Roasting in June 2009 and have come a long way from being a sculler runner to becoming a
Seeking greener pastures in South Africa after the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe became untenable, Lovejoy Chirambusukwa discovered his love for coffee. Today he is the roastery manager at Craft Coffee in Newtown, Johannesburg and is also involved in the research and development of its products and the roaster. He has received a number of accolades, including being the 2013 South Africa and All Africa Barista Champion. Chirambusukwa sat down with Full Service over an aromatic cup of coffee to tell us about his road to becoming a barista and why he believes training could contribute to youth development in South Africa.
professional barista and café manager. I went on to become the National Barista Champion for South Africa and subsequently, the All Africa Barista Champ in 2013. I then had the pleasure of representing SA at the World Barista Championships in Melbourne.
Q: How and why did you eventually become a barista? A: To be honest I was not planning on being a barista as I was just looking for a job to put food on the table. I am an accidental barista, if I may say that. I was given an opportunity to train as a barista by Origin Coffee Roasting in Cape Town, when I first came to South Africa, and that’s when I discovered my passion for coffee.
Q: Please tell us a bit more about your training? A: I did my first Barista training at Origin Coffee Roasting under the mentorship of Jake Easton in June 2009. It was a two and a half day training course but it led to everything that I have achieved.
Q: Why did you decide to start competing as a barista? A: I decided to compete as a barista to grow myself in the industry and put what I had learnt during my training to the test. This was also a way to be able to put myself out there and show people that I am more that just a coffee maker. I’m passionate about what I do on a daily basis. Competitions are a springboard for coffee professionals to grow and move on to bigger opportunities in the industry because you become an ambassador for the industry.
Q: What was or is your biggest professional challenge and how are you overcoming it? A: The biggest challenge for me has been to find other people that are passionate
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November 2018 | Full Serv ce
about the trade so we can groom them to take the industry to the next level. At Craft Coffee we are working hard to train the next generation of baristas who will be able to appreciate coffee and keep our consumers educated and well informed.
Q: What was your greatest professional achievement? A: Winning the National competition and the All Africa competition. These are the highest achievements a barista can dream of as it can open up many avenues. This also allows you to have an opinion that counts among other professionals in the industry. Being given the opportunity to lead one of the best roasteries in the country is also a huge milestone in my career.
Q: Why do you believe barista training can lead to great opportunity, especially for the youth? A: Barista training is a great starting point if you want to make a career out of coffee and it will put you amongst the best. For a lot of youth in the country who are finding it hard to get employment, there is great potential for them in this industry once they get this skill. It will also open up opportunities to travel and see the world as almost every country needs skilled coffee people.
