Page 39 - #54 English

For Tetsu, the recently concluded 2016 World Brewers
Cup was one of the most challenging and the biggest opportunity
in his experience. “It gave me the confidence! However, it wouldn’t
be possible without the support from everyone. I am grateful for
the constant support and it’ll forever be in my memory,” Tetsu
expressed his thank. The winning coffee beans Tetsu used was
Ninety Plus Natural Perocessed Panama Geisha which has senses
of peach, black cherry, strawberry, and pineapple. “It has a very
complex flavour and has a sense of cocoa once it cools down. I also
love its cleanliness. It is my favourite coffee experience and I think
it will be hard to find cleaner ones.”

Although erveryone wants to try the winning beans,
Tetsu openly admitted that he barely has the beans in stock and
it’s mostly used for special occasions. If you really want to try it,
you could email Tetsu and try your luck. He would be happy to
sell you some given that he has enough in stock.
After winning the World Brewers Cup, Tetsu next plan is to rest
and recharge before the next challenge. “My family, the team, and
I, all need a good rest, but we surely return to the competition
again,” said Tetsu. Besides competing in championships, he also
plans to be a barista instructor and help out cafés that wants to
send their baristas to competitions, and he hopes to see another
Japanese champion in the world stage.

To wrap things up, Tetsu has some advices for those who
are interested in joining the industry. “Competitions help drive
you to be a better barista. If you plan to become a barista and
want to be in a competition, the first thing you need to do is to
recognize the hard work of coffee growers and everyone around
you. To be a good barista, you need to be a good person first. If
you overlook these things, you are just a coffee machine!”
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