Meet Stevo Kühn. To look at him, you make certain assumptions. He wears a lot of black, has masterpieces of tattoos, he's rather tall.
To meet him, you make certain assumptions. He is soft-spoken. An immediately intent listener. A gentle smile.
And then you get to know him a little. He is a husband and father of two. He has a steely determination. He is incredibly kind. He plays a mean bass guitar. And he is hungry. Hungry to learn. Hungry to educate people. Hungry for a big win.
His chance may come during the World of Coffee event, in June 2023, where the World Barista Championships is being held in Athens, Greece. The owner of Urban Brew Barista Academy based in Bloemfontein and award-winning barista trainer, Stevo recently became the South African National Barista Champion. His expression on winning can only be described as one of great relief. He poured all of that hunger into getting to this point.
This won't be the first time he is on the coffee world stage. He had an opportunity to take a spot in 2021 in Milan, when Winston Thomas the SA Barista Champion at the time deferred his place to the following year. It was all very last minute and he had almost no time to prep, so the result wasn't very good, but the opportunity was one he couldn't pass up. The experience was invaluable. The magnitude of being on the world tends to change one's perspective. Two of the big differences between local barista competitions and the big stage are; the quality of the coffee and the composition of a cohesive set, which largely comes down to the signature beverage. Stevo's international experience led to an exploration of sustainability in the form of a course that Stevo says "changed his life."
Like any good teacher, the continuation of your own education plays an important role in how well you can instruct others.
This story is from the Issue 43, Autumn 2023 edition of Coffee Magazine.
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This story is from the Issue 43, Autumn 2023 edition of Coffee Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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