The story of this coffee begins, as all great experiences do, at origin. High in Alto Jaramillo, Boquete, at around 1,600 metres above sea level, Andreina Castillo grows this Geisha at Castelara Farm. The conditions here are ideal — cool nights, slow cherry development, volcanic soils — but it’s the human attention that defines the outcome. Geisha is an unforgiving variety. It rewards patience, restraint and deep familiarity with place. In the hands of a producer who understands both the land and the plant, it becomes something quietly extraordinary.

From there, the coffee moves into the care of Lost Origin, whose work in Panama continues to challenge conventional ideas of coffee processing. Operating more like a laboratory than a traditional mill, Lost Origin bring techniques from fermentation science into coffee with precision and intent. For this lot, cherries were processed as a natural, undergoing a carefully controlled fermentation using Pichia kluyveri and Lactobacillus plantarum. Over just more than four days, at a steady 15.4°C, flavour was shaped gently rather than pushed — allowing complexity to build without masking the elegance that defines Geisha.

As roasters, our role is to recognise when a coffee asks for less, not more. This is a coffee where the work has already been done — by the producer in the field, and by the processor in the fermentation room. Our responsibility is to roast with clarity and restraint, preserving fragrance, structure and balance rather than imposing a signature. We approach coffees like this as stewards, trusting the material and allowing its character to remain intact.

This release is also shaped by an artist’s hand. The cover artwork, created by Renee Broders, draws on themes of memory, material and transformation — ideas that resonate deeply with specialty coffee. Just as reclaimed elements are reassembled into something new, this coffee is the result of many individual acts of craft brought together into a single experience.

In the cup, the coffee is layered and expressive. Jasmine and lime lift from the aroma, followed by notes of lychee and yellow tropical fruits. There’s a softness to the sweetness, a clarity that holds as the cup cools, and a sense of balance that reflects the care taken at every stage. Nothing dominates. Everything feels considered. The texture is phenomenal, with structure and body, a velvety mouthfeel that only compares to the finest of brews.

We see this coffee as a celebration — not just of rarity or flavour but of collaboration. Producer, processor, roaster and artist, each practicing their craft with intention, curiosity and respect for the material. Together, they’ve created something that we are overwhelmingly proud to share – our most memorable coffee to date.

So, when it’s time to brew, we recommend a filter method that allows the coffee’s aromatics and structure to shine. A pour-over works beautifully.

The Recipe: Start with 12.5g of coffee to 200g of water at 90–92°C, using a medium-fine grind and a 3 pour method.  Bloom with 40g of water for 30seconds, then pour in a spiral like motion to reach 120g, finishing the pour up to 200 by 1:30. Aim for a total brew time of about 2:30.

Only a small group of lucky people will share in this experience with us – if you like to mark the occasion. We’d love to see your brewing moments, please share and celebrate this incredible cup with @craig_simon @lostorigincoffee @reneebroders

From all the Criteria Coffee team, we thank you for sharing in this release with us.

The post Luxe Release – Panama | Lost Origin | Castelara – Natural. appeared first on Criteria Coffee.

This year, we’re excited to celebrate the exceptional work of three producers we deeply admire. These remarkable individuals embody the culmination of skill and experience, serving as inspiration for us, the roasters, to continually strive for coffee perfection. If you were fortunate enough to secure a set, we extend our heartfelt thanks for joining in the excitement.

Panama. Lost Origin x Chevas Estate – Geisha. Fermented with Lanchea Thermotolerans (Pulped).

In March 2023, during our visit to Panama City, we had the pleasure of meeting the Lost Origin team. This meeting marked the beginning of a fantastic connection. Cupping their first prodcution lots was a pivotal moment, resulting in Criteria’s inaugural 001_001 release. To put it simply, it was our most popular coffee of the year, marking a turning point in our appreciation for Panamanian coffee and the start of an exciting future of coffee releases.

Lost Origin, led by Franz, Andy, and Johnathan, is known for their brewing prowess at Casa Brewja, a craft brewhouse located in Panama City. Leveraging their beer-brewing expertise, Franz guides the fermentation process, fusing centuries-old brewing traditions with the finest cherries from local Panamanian producers.

We couldn’t resist this exquisite Geisha from Chevas Estate (Boquete). It underwent a meticulous fermentation process under the watchful eye of the Lost Origin team. Lanchea Thermotolerans starter culture was added to the cherries, which were monitored for 2 days at 20°C. Subsequently, they underwent humidity-controlled drying for 26 days, resulting in a relative humidity of 11.2%. The outcome is a coffee with amplified flavors and a clarity that can only be achieved when both growing and processing conditions are of the highest standard.

The cup will delight with flavor notes of jasmine flower, apricot, white peach, and tart cherry.

 

Bolivia. Finca Los Rodriguez, Caranavi – Geisha. Washed Experimental.

The reputation of Bolivian coffee production is synonymous with the dedication of the Los Rodriguez family. Since 1986, Pedro Rodriguez has tirelessly worked to elevate Bolivia’s coffee industry. Under the banner of ‘Fincas Los Rodríguez’ and the Sol de la Mañana program, Pedro and his children Pedro Jnr and Daniela own 12 farms and represent over 200 smallholder producers, uniting the country’s coffee community.

This coffee is a prized Panamanian Geisha processed as a micro-lot, grown at the beautiful Las Alasitas farm in Bolinda, Caranavi. Each cherry is selectively hand-picked and processed on the same day. Similar to winemaking techniques, cherries are first sorted by weight, cleaned, de-pulped, and stored in custom-built stainless-steel fermentation tanks for 75 hours. Parchment is then dried on African beds and turned every 2 weeks to reach a humidity of 11.5%. For the final milling step, the coffee is mechanically hulled and manually sorted under UV light. This meticulous process has undoubtedly elevated the final product.

What we adore about this coffee are the delicate flavors of tea rose, jasmine, and peach. As a filter brew, it is both clean and sweet with a soft roundness to the texture.

Ethiopia. Tamirate Dereje and Girma Bekele – 74112. CM Natural.

Over the past 5 years, our partnership with green bean importers Condesa has deepened. They introduced us to Getu Bekele back in 2019, a highly accomplished agronomist, researcher, trainer, and writer. Getu founded the export business G-Board, which supports single producers in distributing their coffees, enhancing farm productivity, and promoting sustainable and traceable production.

Ethiopian coffee holds a special place in our hearts and forms a highlight of our seasonal offerings. While we often select 4 or 5 options, it was this single lot of exceptional quality that stole the show during our cupping sessions, earning a place in our gift set.

Single lot processing is relatively uncommon in Ethiopia, as most coffee is homogenized at cooperative washing stations. Thanks to G-Broad and Condesa, we were able to procure a small volume of this sensational coffee produced by Girma Bekele. Inheriting his family’s farm in the Biloya village of Kochere, Bekele’s passion for coffee extends from permaculture practices on his land to the scientific processing methods he employs. This single lot of 74112 cherries has undergone carbonic maceration, where un-pulped red cherries ferment in an airtight container for 96 hours under shade before transferring to raised African beds for sun drying over 10-12 days.  During the drying phase the coffee is turned manually 6 times per day to maintain a uniform drying result, on the 15th day when the bean attains a moisture level between 9.5-10.5% the coffee is removed and sent for milling.

This coffee when brewed for filter is rich in flavours of red ripe cherries, red plum and fresh raspberry with sweet brown sugar aftertaste.

The Roast and Brew

These coffees are likely to be its most expressive after resting for 7-10 days.

Each coffee has been roasted for a filter profile

As this is a small portion of coffee that you may want to enjoy over a period of time, we’ve prepared 3 brewing recipes recommended for pour-over, based on different brew sizes.

20g coffee, 300g water, 92 degrees – 5 pours 60g Bloom @ 00:30 seconds in another 60g @ 01:00 60g center pour @ 01:30 60g center pour @ 02:00 60g pour in circles second total brew time 2:50

16g Coffee, 240g water – 4 pours 60g pours every 40 seconds total brew time 2:45ish

12.5g coffee, 192g water – 4 pours 48g pours every 40 seconds total brew time 2:30 +

The post Festive Brews. The Rare Release Set appeared first on Criteria Coffee.

2023 marked a special year for Criteria Coffee, after a long hiatus on international travel, we were finally able to return to origin in March to visit our producing partners and make some new friends. To visit origin is a privilege, it’s also a very important part of our sourcing ethos. Traveling allows us to learn, revealing how coffee grows, how it is farmed, and how it is picked and processed. It’s a thoroughly rewarding experience, bringing gravitas to our efforts at the roastery inspiring us to do our best at the roaster.  Connecting to origin also enables us to take our taste explorations one step further, solidifying a time and place with a specific taste memory. There are no more powerful coffee tastings than those with the producers who grow, pick, and process the beans. Hearing the stories of the farm’s history, often spanning many generations of family connection, the challenges and successes they’ve experienced, and finally tasting together and getting to associate all those stories with the end product – it’s truly a moving and memorable experience.  I get immense satisfaction from contributing my part in this intricate network of connections, at the roaster where I can share my skills, layered upon those of the producer before me and the brewer that follows.

This brings me to the coffee you have in your hands from Lost Origin. The first stop on our Central American trip was Panama. After a quick overnight in LA, we landed at Tocumen International Airport. A few days before leaving, Wilford Lamastus introduced us over WhatsApp to Andy, one part of the Lost Origin team along with Franz and Jonathan. Andy graciously agreed to pick us up from the airport and take us to our hotel. That is one of the things about visiting origin that I never get over, the generous hospitality of people who often I have only shared a few text messages with, offering their time to make you feel welcome, show you around, and obviously host cuppings of their coffees.

Not having heard of Lost Origin, I was curious to meet the team and taste what this new venture had to offer. Andy guided us through the doors of Casa Bruja, a boutique beer brewery in an industrial part of Panama City. Navigating the narrow corridors and stairwells, we entered the barrel-filled aging cellar; not the standard cupping experience, this intriguing reveal led us to some of the most magical cross-pollination that I’ve ever experienced.

Andy explains.

Our story can be traced back to 2019. In a constant search for inspiration and new flavors, we heard of Dark Matter Coffee out of Chicago, a brewery using beer ingredients (yeast hops) to process Salvadorian coffee. This shifted the team’s mindset to the possibility of having our very own coffee processing facility. To put our theory on trial, we first reached out to a couple farms and ended up working with Santos Cafe for their 2020-2021 harvest. We shared with them our yeast cultures, enzymes, nutrients, hops, and created a couple processing protocols for them. Simultaneously, we contacted Elida and we asked to analyze some of the juices/musto or by-product from their fermentation; our findings made them reach out to us for a collaboration with Ben Put at Monogram. This type of validation from the industry secured a path to further explore Panamanian coffees and the potential of a controlled environment to exploit its unique qualities. Having a vast brewing background, we understand the importance of being able to measure, control, and clean the environment in which microorganisms interact. Our Lab is focused on exploring the impact and relationship of microorganisms on the coffee fruit. Documenting the flavor profiles and notes created by each trial allows us to understand and further exploit certain characteristics of each varietal.

Over 2 years, the team constructed their laboratory with the aid of a government grant, with custom-designed temperature-controlled fermentation tanks (inspired by their brewing equipment) and a temperature & humidity control drying room for optimised processing. Each coffee goes through 2 phases of processing, first fermentation under pressure and agitation parameters, followed by a 3-stage drying process. The result? This is some of the best coffee that I’ve tasted in many years, coffees that are complex yet clean and elegant. It was so refreshing to find these classic flavors, where extended fermentation and infusion can dominate the cupping table.

For me, a classic washed geisha profile is truly a thing of joy, amazing from the first sip, rewarding as they evolve, they take you on a tasting journey all the way until the last sip.

The First Release

The lot is called 001_001 for a reason. This coffee was Lost Origin’s first official production release, the first time working with this particular producer, and we (Criteria) were their first potential buyer, and as the outcome shows, their first official sale!

The Producer & Processing

This coffee comes from Jaramillo in the Boquete region at an altitude of 1600 masl. Growing coffee under the shade of native trees and in harmony with the natural environment, Finca Jaramillo harvesters are families (men and women) from the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous community who come to the farm from the Comarca in San Félix and Bocas del Toro. Exporting since 1989, decades of knowledge have been retained with their farming practices, and since 2020, it has been certified as 100% owned by women. Looking to express a clear and clean traditional washed Geisha profile, the coffee was depulped without the use of water in order to keep most of the sugars within the pulp. It was then placed inside the proprietary fermentation vessels and pitched under controlled conditions. With a short fermentation at 25°C for 24 hours and then crashed to a temperature of 10°C for an additional 24 hours. Next, the coffee beans were transferred to individual trays within the 3-stage drying room, under clean air conditions, humidity, and temperature control, where they would slowly dry for 24 days at an average temperature of 20°C. Kviek voss and Lactobacillus Plantarum offer a very neutral fermentation profile with subtle fruity and citric notes.

“From the beginning, it was a very human approach and not just a commercial transaction. Lost Origin was interested in visiting the farm, getting to know it, getting to know us, walking through the coffee plantations, and experiencing a little bit of who we are and how we work.” – Finca Jaramillo

The Roast and Brew

So, now it is your turn to taste this amazing coffee. This coffee is likely to be its most expressive after resting for 7 days.

It has been roasted for a filter profile.

As this is a small portion of coffee that you may want to enjoy over a period of time, we’ve prepared 3 brewing recipes recommended for pour-over, based on different brew sizes.

20g coffee, 300g water, 92 degrees – 5 pours 60g Bloom @ 00:30 seconds in another 60g @ 01:00 60g center pour @ 01:30 60g center pour @ 02:00 60g pour in circles second total brew time 2:50

16g Coffee, 240g water – 4 pours 60g pours every 40 seconds total brew time 2:45ish

12.5g coffee, 192g water – 4 pours 48g pours every 40 seconds total brew time 2:30 +

*Special thanks to our good friend Frederick Kjaerulff-Schmidt for developing these recipes with us

The final outcome.

Sourcing, roasting, and preparing this coffee for the market has been a collaborative effort. We feel incredibly humbled to have had the opportunity to meet the Lost Origin team, witnessing their excitement as the project evolved and holding the final realization—a coffee that upholds decades of knowledge and years of curiosity. We sincerely hope that you find genuine joy while exploring this coffee, from the moment you open the letter-pressed packaging to savoring the final sip.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude for joining us on this remarkable experience.

Craig.

@lostorigincoffee @criteriacoffee.bycraig @craig_simon @andreasimoncreative @hungryworkshop

The post 001_001 The Beginning… appeared first on Criteria Coffee.

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For over 16 years Eddie has worked within the hospitality industry as a Barista, business owner and more recently roaster. You can usually catch Eddie, Bobby (his dog) and his business partner, Ash, at local Melbourne events with their company Roadshow Coffee, offering pop-up coffee carts as well as a full-service mobile café for the bigger gigs. You can also catch the team at the eye-catching Casita Coffee, here Eddie’s love of food, his Chilean roots and the coffee he roasts alongside us at Criteria come together under one roof.

We sat down with Eddie to get to get to know him a little bit better and ask him how co-roasting has assisted him with running multiple businesses and to hear about his newest offering…a one-stop-shop for beer, wine, assorted spices, sauces and snacks, and of course, bags of Casita Coffee.

Firstly, Eddie, how long have you been in coffee?

Approximately 16 years as a barista, owning coffee shops on and off for about 9 years. Roasting for about 2 years.

..and before coffee?

There was elite rowing, studies in sport science and a personal training business I gave up to open a cafe. 

You sell your coffee under the brands?….

Casita Coffee is our brand of coffee. We also have a coffee shop by the same name at the Springvale Homemaker centre. We also have an online shop called Bueno Bonito, where you can buy Casita coffee + Chilean/Argentinian wine www.buenobonito.com.au. Casita Coffee supplies Roadshow Coffee, which is our event/mobile coffee business.   @casita.coffee @roadshowcoffee @bueno.bonito.bodega

When seeking events to attend/work at what do you look for?

Access to power and projected turn out (usually half of what the event organizer says) and we’re always looking for great people. Great people usually put on great events.

In 10 words can you summarise the style of coffee you make?

Approachable, Every day, Delicious, Latin American, Fun and friendly, Specialty coffee. 

If you could travel to any destination for coffee where would it be and why?

I can’t wait to go to South Korea for coffee. I find their cafes adorable yet super cool. 

Your favourite coffee that you are drinking right now is?

A double espresso, a half latte or a magic. Sometimes all three at the same time.

Why do you choose to roast your own and not opt for a supply model?

A few reasons. We roast our own because we love coffee and we want to learn more about coffee. Coffee is one of those things that is always evolving and so roasting your own, especially at a place like Criteria, allows you to continue to develop as a coffee professional. Roasting your own also allows you to create your own brand of coffee which in turn helps to build your own audience and generate new revenue streams. 

As a business owner, roasting your own coffee helps you how?

It helps me grow my businesses and it also helps me save $$$. Roasting your own takes care of your bottom line. 

If you were giving someone an insight into how the Criteria co-roastery works, how would you describe it?

I would describe criteria as a place where quality focused coffee businesses can hire a roastery for however long they need whilst getting amazing advice on how to select, buy and roast your coffee to suit your business’s needs. 

COVID was tough, have you taken away any golden life/business lessons that you’d like to share?…

Sure was! Especially for an events business. I was lucky that I had another business (cafe + coffee bean sales) to keep me afloat and of course that government help. However, we did have to hustle, push the boundaries of what we as a business were capable of. It was very much a sink or swim situation and we swam! It sucked but we kept on keeping on. 

 Covid golden rule – As Bruce Lee says – “Be formless, be shapeless, be water my friend”

Adaptability as a business is the most important thing. I saw a lot of businesses remain unchanged in the hope that the pandemic would just blow over. The businesses I saw survive and thrive were the ones that improvised, changed things up and that got creative with finding ways to do business. 

Getting back to roasting, has Criteria made it a smooth transition for you and Ash?

Oh so smooth. No hiccups, professional, informative and very friendly. I’ve loved that about the process. We enjoy the Criteria model. The atmosphere in the roastery is professional yet very welcoming. We love it here at Criteria!

What’s the long term goal for you/Ash?…

Ash and I joke about going international haha. We just want a healthy events business and perhaps open a few shops around town too. We’re about to open a cafe/convenience store in the next few months so our focus is on perfecting the modern day milk bar/convenience store. We think of it as a “fun 7/11” where you can get your everyday items like your bread, milk, coffee, pantry items, alcohol, tobacco, newspapers and magazines. Kind of like what bodegas are in New York and what convenience stores are in Japan. We just think the convenience store game in Australia needs a bit of work.

The post Roadshow Co-Roasting Spotlight appeared first on Criteria Coffee.

Music was my gig well before coffee.  I grew up with it,  always on, always listening and trying to emulate what I heard on the drums and guitar, I started playing the drums at the age of 5 and continued to learn and play all through school and later at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.  

My listening initially was limited to playing things that caught my ear from my Dad’s collection. By limited, what I actually had at my fingertips was quite an impressive collection.  Dad was a mad Jazz fan, he had a lot of the iconic albums from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, peppered with some great Funk and Soul albums. He skirted around Rock Music, that wasn’t his gig.

“…there are only 2 types of music. Good and not so good.”

It’s safe to say though as a youngster I gravitated more to the Funk and Soul. It was easier to understand for my young ears. Music is a language, and the language you understand is the music you enjoy the most. However, as you continue to deep-dive further your understanding of harmony, note choice, rhythm and complexity develops.  Your listening journey rewards you with an appreciation and joy for more and more music. I used to like specific styles, or musicians. I had a narrow focus. Now I’d like to think there are only 2 types of music. Good and not so good. Style and genre etc influence my decision less and less, it’s about the enjoyment of the artistry, less about familiarity or stylistic preference. In fact. now I really enjoy hearing new music/songs that I’ve never heard before, it rekindles the child like joy of the unknown and surprise.

Music was a huge part of my adolescence. It was the thing that connected me to people, when ordinarily I would shy away from conversation. I trained hard by practising upwards of 7 hours a day. I sought skills from the best Drummers, traveling across the globe to find mentors and bands to gig with. I was fortunate to have played with some of the great Jazz artists and watch magic being performed by friends and idols. But don’t be fooled the life of a touring Musician wasn’t easy.  The reward of hanging out with creative minds and the music that ensued well outweighed any pay check.  

It feels like a really good time, whilst the world is upside down to revisit some of the positive memories music has given to me.

“….for me it’s a time capsule of great memories.”

So, here it is…. a list of my top 10 albums. Picking 10 was really hard (I’ve got a library of over 500 CD’s) and if you asked me for a list next week I’d probably give you a different collation (although some on this list will always remain). Some of these albums I listened to so many times I’ve lost count. These albums where my “teachers” as I studied. This music moved me and deeply influenced my vocabulary as a performing artist. They are in no particular order. Each of them are equally important to the previous or next.

It might not be your vibe. But for me it’s a time capsule of great memories. I hope you enjoy the listen. If not, that’s cool too. Find your own journey through music. 

Craig. 

HAVE A LISTEN HERE.

Some albums you will have to seek out on other channels from the links below.

Branford Marsalis – Crazy People Music

Wynton Marsalis – Live at Blues Alley 

Pink Floyd – Delicate Sound of Thunder

Larry Graham Graham Central Station – Ain’t no Bout a Doubt It

Miles Davis – Four and More

Tower of Power – In The Slot

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood

Wayne Krantz – 2 drink Minimum

Maceo Parker – Life on Planet Groove

Cross Fire – Live at Montreaux (worth listening here)

*Barney McAll – Widening Circles (worth finding here) 

*Sting – Bring on the Night 

*bonus albums, turns out I needed more than 10

The post Play it Loud. Keep on going. appeared first on Criteria Coffee.

Gabrel – Tukk & Co Manager and Roasting Member at Criteria Coffee

“….don’t be afraid to roast your own coffee. I really enjoy the process, I get to know my coffee more and more…”

At Tukk & Co in the Melbourne Docklands, Gabrel and his team are making their way through a constant wave of customers, welcomed by the familiar aroma of espresso coffee, made to go – or linger at the bar. 

Gabrel, Manager of Tukk & Co takes great care in his approach to his (and his teams) coffee service. Quality is at the forefront, followed by consistency.  His relationship with coffee was solidified when he moved to Melbourne 3 years ago from Malaysia, he quickly built a solid foundation of coffee skills as a Barista, immersing himself in the  community of Melbourne coffee events and cafes. 

In his search for a deeper understanding of his coffee service, he presented to Tukk & Co the concept of roasting their own coffee. Gabrel recalls, with some little persuasion and a convincing P&L financial statement, the idea was accepted and with it an exciting new chapter in their coffee service. 

Gabrel

“I’ve always wanted to run my own coffee shop, I get this same enjoyable feeling when I’m serving my customers in Tukk & Co”

Tukk & Co’s roasting experience started with a house blend aptly named “Blue Tail” consisting of Columbia and Guatelmala. Transitioning their supply through their espresso opened up a new conversation. Gabrel’s approach was to invite customers to give feedback on their new experience, during this exchange he’d share the story of his roast, the coffee varietal and how he was working towards the best interpretation of each origin.

In recent months, since joining Criteria Coffee as a roasting member, Tukk & Co’s roasting technique has taken on a new approach. The “Blue Tail” blend has continued to develop in flavour with a helping hand from Craig (Founder of Criteria Coffee), there is a new found sweetness and clean finish.

A new addition to Tukk & Co’s very own roasted selection is an assortment of ‘Single Origin’ coffees for retail sale. Gabriel has a clear vision for the styles of coffee he wants to produce. Taking the time to source his own green beans, sample roasted and cupped for the final selection. So far, sitting proudly on their product shelf are offerings from Kenya , El Salvador and Guatemala.

– Craig Simon.

“Sharing the experience of discovering a new coffee and finding it’s best expression in the cup, is something that we savour at Criteria”

In Craigs opinion, “roasting isn’t an exact science, like many artisanal crafts, the maker relies on his tools and intuition to guide the process. There isn’t a text book or video tutorial that can give you the kenetic experience of listening and reacting in real-time to the roaster. Working to assist Gabrel and Tukk & Co is a reminder; practise makes perfect”. It is very clear that Gabrel is pushing his product in new directions, striving for perfection and making great progress with the taste of his coffee.

Tukk & Co.

720 Bourke Street, Docklands. Melbourne. VIC

www.tukk.com.au

@tukknco

The post Tukk & Co appeared first on Criteria Coffee.

Navigating the rollercoaster that is the WBC circuit can be a test of ones endurance. As the coffee elite gather this week to celebrate the product and skills that they have spent months, even years putting into a 15 minute routine, Craig Simon, Founder of Criteria Coffee and veteran WBC competitor shares a few of his tips and tricks for getting the most out of the completion ride. 

Tip 1:    Learn how to pack your bag in 15 minutes. Like a professional game of tetris, earn your pack master rating by being ruthlessly efficient, only take it if you need it. Pack anything breakable so it can’t move, if it can move it can break. Leave space for your trophy 😉

Tip 2:    Always carry your coffee with you. Tape your valves as coffee dislikes altitude. Never send your coffee ahead. No coffee, no comp. If possible, organise to roast in country, this means your coffee doesn’t have to fly. I’ll say it again, coffee hates being sky high. 

Tip 3:    Insert your own ideas. Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.  

Tip 4:    Conserve your energy. Competition effects everyone differently, however like most physical races you’ll perform better when the tank is full. So try not to hit the wine bars until after the events come to an end. Get rest and eat well.

Tip 5:    Not everyone can afford to bring an entourage, but having a mate can be handy. Even if it’s just for some moral support.

Tip 6:    Don’t compare yourself to others. Just get out there and enjoy the experience. You have earned the worlds attention. You’ve worked hard to get to this point. It will be over in an instant, so put the nerves aside and try to enjoy the moment. 

Tip 7:    Back stage, elbows out. Secure your space. Its a jungle out there.

Tip 8:    You’ll learn more from your mistakes and losses.  If doesn’t matter if it is your first or last rodeo, there is always room for professional growth….  remember if you travel home sans a trophy you can easily fill that space at duty free. 

Tip 9:    If you don’t win. Put on a smile. Only politicians get ahead by trash talking their opposition.  

Tip 10:   Call time. 

The post 10 Top Tips; How To Navigate The WBC Circuit. appeared first on Criteria Coffee.