Barista Magazine is your home for the worldwide community of coffee and the people who make it.
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/131903
to train with esteemed consultant Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior, at Tracy's lab. Tracy was no stranger to Taf; he had been consulting for the company for several years. After grueling 12-hour days training with Tracy, Stefanos headed for El Salvador to spend time with Aida Batlle, the producer who— through her coffee program Aida Batlle Selection—had put Stefanos in touch with the coffee he would fall in love with: an orange Bourbon from Finca Plan de la Batea in the country's famous Santa Ana region. In the spring of 2012, Stefanos headed back to Greece. He dedicated almost every waking moment to practicing for the WBC, and in total ran through his 15-minute competition performance 215 times. "We were videotaping every single run-through," he recalls. "We did that every day at least six times a day. I was also working at the café for four hours each day for a change of scenery, and in addition, tasting espressos and roasting." Now, with the 2013 World Barista Championship upon us, and in his first year not competing in his country's barista championship, Stefanos reflects on the past year, which he has split between Athens; New York City, where he has been consulting for a successful café, Stix; and Kaliningrad, Russia, where he trained Turkish Brewers Cup winner Asli Yaman of Soyuz Coffee Roasting. "Barista competition for me is something that I love very much," he says. "I have won and I have competed in many different championships. I admit that this year I miss it deeply. You never know what tomorrow brings. One 54 barista magazine Stefanos has gone from competitor to coach this year, training Asli Yaman (above) of Soyuz Coffee Roasting for the Turkish Brewers Cup, which she won in April. In the weeks leading up to the World Brewers Cup, Stefanos and Asli worked around the clock to prepare her for the international stage. thing is sure about me, I never say never." Before he embarks on what is sure to be another busy year of working for Taf, consulting, training champions, and maybe even competing again himself, Stefanos sat down to talk with us about his history and future in specialty coffee. Sarah Allen: What was your childhood like, and when did you frst discover barista work? Stefanos Domatiotis: My childhood was tough. I lost my father very early and I had to work after school from the age of 11. My first job was as a helper in a metal shop. I had to wipe and clean everything every day. On the weekends I was washing glasses in a small coffee shop, until one day the barista did not show for work. I was 13, and I offered to make the coffees for that day. The owner of the café was amazed that I knew the whole menu, but I told him I was watching them for two years! Later on I was accepted at the University of Athens to study economics and operational management, but it was too late. I was sure what I wanted to do with my life: I wanted to be a barista. SA: What are your earliest memories of cofee?