The Road to the World Barista Championships: Benjamin Roque

Panama's Barista Champion and true coffee lover, Benjamin Roque, answers our questions for the World Barista Championship competitors. You can follow his journey on Instagram: @benjamin_saith17

The WBC competition will take place at the Amsterdam World of Coffee on 21st to 23rd June this year. 

When did you fall in love with coffee?

I fell in love with coffee in 2013.

What was your first coffee job?

My first job was as a barista in a coffee shop in the town where I was born.

If you didn’t work in coffee, what would you do?

If I did not work with coffee, I would be developing some work in my field of university study, which is industrial engineering.

What exceptional coffee will you be using in the WBCs in Amsterdam? Tell us about the coffee and what it tastes like.

I will use a natural geisha from Panama from Finca las Brujas; it has a fruity, complex profile.

Who would you most like to make coffee for and why?

I am eager to prepare coffee for the judges because of their comments I will expand my knowledge.

Who would play you in the story of your life?

In my story the protagonist would be a boy of little resources, where coffee changes his life completely.

If you opened a café today, what would be on your first day playlist?

I would include geisha from Panama and exotic coffee from different parts of the world with different types of preparation.

What’s your favourite way to make coffee?

My favourite way to make coffee is pour over.

What are you most excited about in coffee?

What excites me the most is the versatility of coffee and the different profiles we can obtain from a single coffee, and the contact I have with people from all over the world.