Inside The Barista League: Steve Maloney on Accessible Coffee Competition and the South African competition

Cape Coffee Beans founder Phaedon interviews Steve Moloney, founder of The Barista League, ahead of the 2026 Johannesburg event after attending the first Johannesburg competition in 2025. Steve describes The Barista League as a low-barrier, festival-like barista competition that judges a broader range of skills across drinks, concept, and service, aiming to be more accessible and more engaging to watch than traditional formats. He shares his background in music festival production, how he entered coffee in Sweden, and how the The Barista League began as a way to create an affordable, inclusive competition experience for baristas. They discuss why Johannesburg was chosen, the format’s suitability for Africa, the new judging structure with live feedback, future plans, and how to attend or apply via thebaristaleague.com, with free tickets for working South African baristas.

Where to find The Barista League

• The Barista League website
• The Barista League on Instagram (@thebaristaleague)

Time stamps & chapters

00:00 Podcast Intro
00:45 Episode Intro
02:19 What is the Barista League?
03:14 The Vibe & Atmosphere
06:03 Steve's Backstory & Scandinavian Coffee
08:30 Origins of the Barista League
09:32 Events, Music & the DIY Ethos
13:29 Why South Africa?
16:35 Accessibility & the African Context
21:49 The New Competition Format
27:10 Selecting Competitors & Who Can Apply
28:54 Why Attend & The Future
35:20 Outro

Phaedon, founder of Cape Coffee Beans, interviews Andre Blignaut, winner of South Africa’s inaugural Origami Cup. Andre shares his unconventional path into coffee, including training as a licensed aircraft engineer, spending three years as a missionary, and gaining early specialty coffee exposure in Cape Town through Cedar Coffee Roasters and later Harvest Cafe. He recounts winning the 2024 National Cup Tasters Championship and his work as a trainer and consultant, discussing the importance of practical barista experience alongside formal education and training standards. Andre also details his Origami Cup-winning approach.

How to support Andre

Here are three ways you can support Andre and help him get to the World Origami Cup:

• Attend the Origami Masterclass (2026-09-05) or a future event with Andre
• Shop at Cape Coffee Beans using Andre's affiliate link
• Sponsor Andre through his Back a Buddy campaign

Resources & links

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the video:

• Blog: Managing Astringency in Coffee Brewing by Scott Rao
• Video: Think Your Coffee Is Bitter? It Might Be Astringent (Here’s the Fix) by Lance Hedrick
• Video: The Ultimate Infused/Funky Coffee Recipe by Jay Kim
• Instagram: Chris Lee of HIFLUX Coffee (filter paper science)

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, I interview Henlo van der Westhuizen about his South African espresso-machine manufacturing startup. We talk about how Henlo got started and his unique approach to designing coffee equipment.

You can learn more about Henlo's espresso machines on our website.

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we interview Jason Zeeman, the co-founder of the South African Specialty Coffee Expo. We talk about Jason's background in the music industry and how his love of coffee was born. We also learn how he came up with the idea for a Specialty Coffee Expo and how he organised the first event.

Jason and Phaedon also discuss how the Specialty Coffee Expo has evolved, and what it is about the expo that has won over the industry and so many coffee lovers. Whether you've attended one of these events or not, you will definitely enjoy learning a bit more about this special entrepreneurial venture in the South African coffee space.

You can find out more about the Specialty Coffee Expo, including upcoming event dates at https://www.specialtycoffeeexpo.co.za/

If you are listening in the run-up to the 2024 Cape Town Specialty Coffee Expo, you can get 20% off your ticket by using this link (Ts & Cs apply).

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we chat to Kyle Sinclair, one of the founders of Mylo Coffee Company, the designers of Mylo Speciality Grinders. Tune in to hear Kyle's story, from passionate coffee drinker to equipment supplier.

We discuss what goes into a great coffee grinder, and how Mylo went about designing its hand-grinders. We dive deep on questions like burr geometry, the impact of grind consistency on flavour, and the other factors that influence the flavour of the coffee in your cup.

You can find Mylo's amazing hand grinders on the Cape Coffee Beans website and also purchase them in-person at our store.

In this episode, we are not only joined by our first coffee-farming guest, but also someone who is growing specialty coffee in South Africa! Des Wichmann is busting all kinds of preconceptions about coffee farming, successfully growing specialty lots at sea level in KZN on Mpenjati estate.

While there is a lot to learn about coffee farming in this episode, there may be even more lessons about entrepreneurship. Des has taught himself how to grow, pick, process, and even roast coffee, without a big community of coffee farmers around him. Listening to him talk about how he has experimented, rolled up his sleeves and just learned through experience is quite inspiring.

You may be able to find Mpenjati coffees to try at Cape Coffee Beans, at certain times. You can also learn more about Mpenjati on the company's website. You can even visit if you're in the area.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find the article written by Dylan Cummings that was mentioned in the episode.

Here is a link to the documentary about growing coffee in LA that was mentioned from Vice (Munchies).

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we are joined by Winston Thomas, South African Barista Champion and previous podcast guest. We are also joined by Leigh Wentzel, Winston's co-founder at Cedar Coffee Roasters. In this episode, we get to know both founders a little better and dive into the story of how Cedar got started.

Winston & Leigh explain their ambitions for Cedar, as well as how they plan to grow a slightly different, second-generation South African specialty coffee business. We touch on everything from their approach to coffee to their go-to-market strategy. It's a fascinating conversation both from an industry perspective and from the perspective of the consumer.

If you'd like to support Cedar by buying some of their coffee beans, you can find their full range available at Cape Coffee Beans.

You may also enjoy listening to the previous episode with Winston Thomas.

In this episode, Joel Singer, founder & owner of Origin Coffee Roasting is back to talk to us about a very special coffee from Ethiopia. Grown by Gemeda Elias Dube, this coffee won 19th place at the first annual Ethiopian Cup of Excellence competition. This episode isn't just about that coffee though; you'll learn about what the Cup of Excellence competition is, how coffees are selected, and why the CoE award is so important. We also talk quite a bit about what makes Ethiopian coffee so special.

If you'd like to try this coffee, and you're reading this or listening to the episode not longer after recording (in February 2021), you should go to the Origin Coffee Roasting HQ on Hudson Street in Cape Town, or buy a bag at Cape Coffee Beans.

You can also read more about the Cup of Excellence competition on their website, including specific information on this lot. You may also enjoy reading about the first Ethiopian CoE competition which took place during the COVID-19 lockdown at Barista Magazine Online!