306 : A Conversation w/ 2004 U.S. Barista Champion, Bronwen Serna!

Today we get to chat with 2004 U.S. Barista Champion and legend, Bronwen Serna! Bronwen has been a practicing Coffee Professional since 2000, a Professional Barista, Roaster, and Barista Trainer, a Certified Instructor and Assessor with the Specialty Coffee Association. Her love of coffee precedes her experience, where she manages to frequent many coffeehouses all over the world and became a Barista after having drunk many cups of coffee and inspired by a trip to Italy. What has driven her all these years has been her love coffee and people. Bronwen is currently working with Counter Culture Coffee in LA, as she continues to build excitement and knowledge for clients and coffee professionals in the Specialty Coffee scene. This is quite a special episode. I have known Bronwen since the early 2000s. Having both grown into our careers during the same era of specialty coffee and in the same professional barista community I have witnessed first hand Bronwen's dynamic and inspiring impact in the industry and it is a tru privilege to welcome her to the podcast to share her story and wisdom with the KTTS audience! In our conversation today we will be exploring Bronwen's early years in coffee, and by default the early years of the 3rd wave that she was helping to shape. We talk about training, education, hospitality, business models, and how all these things have developed and what she believes are the timeless truths that contribute to a thriving community and career in coffee. I hope you enjoy this episode and that it helps you mindfully pursue building a great future coffee history with what you presently set your hand to. We cover: Formative years in coffee and 3rd wave Being a life long learner Roasting as a career springboard Competition and expanding horizons Tailoring education Evolution of the industry Universal truths and practices of barista and coffee work How to best serve our customers Simplicity as a virtue Biggest needs in the industry Links: Bronwen on Instagram www.bronwenserna.com Counter Culture Coffee Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.prima-coffee.com/keys www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com