From May 12-14, we were present at the Bucharest Coffee Festival. This year was truly special for us for two reasons. Firstly, we participated as exhibitors, and prepared both brewed coffee and espresso, as well as milk coffees. Secondly, the entire team present at the festival participated in one of the two national competitions: Latte Art National Championship and Cup Tasters National Championship. Let’s take them one by one:
Exhibitors
During the 3-day festival, we selected 5 origins to delight the coffee community with.
For brew:
For espresso and milk:
Competitions
Being part of the specialty coffee industry offers many opportunities. Each barista who is passionate about this industry can constantly evolve. We are thrilled that this year, colleagues from many of our coffee shops dedicated their time, practiced regularly, and took the plunge to participate in the two national competitions.
Thus, for the National Cuptaster Championship, we had on stage for the first time:
Catalina from Meron Platinia (Cluj-Napoca), our colleague for 1 year and 4 months, level 3 barista;
Tia from Meron Central (Cluj-Napoca), our colleague for 1 year and 2 months, level 3 barista;
Li from Meron Roastery (Cluj-Napoca), our colleague for 1 and a half year, from the production team;
Robert from Meron Iulius (Cluj-Napoca), our colleague for 9 months, level 2 barista;
Cristi, trainer (Cluj-Napoca), our colleague for 5 years.
For the Latte Art National Championship, we had on stage:
Ema, our colleague for 1 year and 2 months, level 3 barista;
Bogdan, our colleague for 10 months, level 2 barista;
Cristi, last year’s National Champion at the National Latte Art Championship.
Two competitions, one winner
Both competitions were won by our colleague, Cristi Oltean. He has demonstrated the power of self-confidence, effort, hard work, and practice, but more importantly, the power that passion holds when it comes to perseverance and the final result.
By winning these two titles, Cristi will participate in the World Cup Tasters Championship in Athens this June and at World Latte Art Championship in Taipei in November.
We are very grateful for this year’s @bucharestcoffeefestival.
Next stop: WOC Athens. Until then, we will keep roasting light & staying bold.
PS: Here you can watch some captured moments from the festival!
If we had to choose just one reason why we love what we do and the industry we work in, it would be very difficult. Farm trips, finding excellent origins, cupping sessions, competitions, we do them all with great passion. However, coffee festivals have a special place in our hearts. Milan, Paris, London and now Amsterdam.
We came back from the Amsterdam Coffee Festival, which was held from March 30th to April 1st, grateful and energized for the next projects and festivals. Since we loved it so much, we couldn’t not share our experience at The Roasters Village at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival.
We were delighted to meet people who understand, appreciate and respect the passion for coffee. All the visitors who came to our booth were curious, excited and showed a real interest in tasting our carefully selected origins. Moreover, they were interested in us telling them all about the farms and farmers from which the coffees come from.
We brewed side by side with renowned roasters, with whom we discussed the culture of specialty coffee. We really felt what it means to have a community that shares your values, philosophy and passion. It was a wonderful opportunity to feel the pulse of the industry and connect with industry experts.
Cătălina, Alex and Cristi did an incredible job showing off their brewing skills on pour-over and espresso. Our amazing origins were definitely handled with care and appreciated by every visitor at our stand:
Colombia Aroma Nativo Geisha – lactic fermentation with honeysuckle, tropical fruits, peach, honey;
Brazil Vinhal Cafes – triple fermentation and tasting notes of violets, fanta, red grapes, starfruit;
Yemen Bani Al Areef – carbonic maceration with rose wine, raspberry, apricots, dates and floral tasting notes;
Colombia Granja Paraiso 92 – thermal shock processing and tasting notes of lemongrass, lavender, tea-rose, mango, tangerine;
Panama Abu Coffee Estate – anaerobic natural processing and tasting notes of cherry, hibiscus, nectarine, rose wine;
Colombia Delagua – anaerobic natural processing and tasting notes of black cherry, rum, toffee, hazelnuts;
Colombia La Abuela – washed coffee with blossom, roses, raspberry, hibiscus, tropical fruits.
Ethiopia Kebele – natural anaerobic with jasmine, banana, mango, apricot, cocoa butter.
The absolute stars of the festival were Yemen, Colombia Paraiso and Colombia La Abuela, coffees that sold out in the first hours of the festival.
Within each festival, it is an honor for us to represent the Romanian specialty coffee industry. Until the next festival (which is very close), we will keep roasting light & staying bold.
Here you can watch some captured moments from the festival!
This workshop gives us the opportunity to learn how to make a balanced and appealing coffee at home, like the one in the coffee shops.
The workshop includes a theoretical part in which we will learn:
– introductory knowledge about milk and cream milk;
– introductory knowledge about texture and temperature;
– introductory knowledge about tools and pouring techniques.
A practical part in which we will learn:
– texturing the milk into the milk pitcher, free pour and basic patterns.
At the end there will be a Q&A section.
The workshop is held by Cristi Oltean, trainer at Meron.
Cristi entered the world of specialty coffee 7 years ago and since then he has participated in numerous national and international competitions, such us:
He currentl has the title of National Latte Art Champion.
Workshop duration: 4 hours
Maximum number of workshop participants: 5
Participation fee: 100 euro/person.
The fee includes:
– presence in the workshop;
– all necessary equipment and accessories
– a gift box (metal milk pitcher and a coffee).
If you are curious about a unique experience, we are waiting your email!
This workshop includes an illustrated story part (a journey from the coffee farm to the specialty coffee shop or the consumer’s cup) and a practical part – a guided cupping protocol through which 4-5 coffee origins are analyzed, pleasing us with a sensory experience.
The workshop includes a theoretical part, in which we will learn:
– introductory knowledge about coffee: countries of origin, trips to coffee farms, coffee varieties;
– the difference between specialty coffee and commodity coffee;
– analyzing and scoring a coffee, protocol and basic rules;
– the preparation of a cupping and the analysis of a coffee, guided.
A practical part where we will learn:
– guided cupping protocol.
A part about making coffee at home:
– the label of the coffee bag;
– the correct way to prepare coffee at home depending on the available equipment.
At the end there will be a Q&A section.
The workshop is held by Crina Ciocian, co-founder and business development manager Meron.
Crina entered the world of specialty coffee 7 years ago with the opening of the first Meron coffee shop. Her passion for specialty coffee came while visiting the coffee farms in the countries of origin where she learned everything related to the cultivation and processing of coffee, while participating in profile events outside the country and especially while practicing at the Meron Roastery.
Except when she travels, she starts her mornings in the laboratory inside Meron Roastery where she tests, analyzes or tastes coffee origins from all over the world.
Workshop duration: 3 hours
Maximum number of workshop participants: 5
Participation fee: 90 euros/person.
The fee includes:
– presence in the workshop;
– all necessary equipment and accessories;
– a coffee box (3 bags with 3 different coffee origins).
If you are curious about a unique sensory experience, we are waiting your email!
We express diversity in every possible way, from the chosen origins, with their tasting notes, body and acidity, the baristas we work with, the partners we collaborate with, to the areas where we open new locations. For us, diversity translates into uniqueness. We want each coffee, each interaction, each experience in Meron to be unique to the consumer.
This is what we had in mind when we started the collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Vans Romania: the unique experience offered by an electric car. Moreover, during deliveries, our team has identified 4 qualities of the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vehicle that we want to share with you.
1.High payload capacity
We wish to bring the specialty coffee experience as close as possible to each and every community. For this reason, we are opening locations in the key points of Cluj, but also in the rest of the country. Opening a coffee shop requires considerable work: professional coffee equipment, furniture, design elements and details. All must be transported with care. The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter has a high payload capacity, making it ideal for delivery.
2. Efficiency
It is highly important for us to be efficient in our daily activities. We deliver freshly roasted coffee to all Meron locations weekly. Thanks to the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, deliveries are made in one trip. Thus, the operational department managed to streamline the delivery aspects and save valuable time.
3. Modern design
Besides the specialty coffee that brings and keeps customers in Meron coffee shops, another element they appreciate is the ambience. Our personal touch is given by all of our people who stay behind the bar and brew our origins to perfection, the music we play and the design of the coffee shops. We place a high value on the visual appearance of our homes of coffee. In the same way, we value the design of our vehicles. The eSprinter won us over by combining efficiency and elegance, integrating a modern concept.
4. Sustainability
Everyday is about choices. Even if we don’t choose, we make a choice. From the sea of choices we make as a roastery and coffee shop, we do our best to make the right choices: for us, for the farmers, for the community, for nature. Everyday we choose to own our brand philosophy, to collaborate with traders who appreciate farmers correctly, to get involved in social activities, to selectively recycle. Choosing an electric vehicle is part of this circuit.
Our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Vans Romania is beyond using the eSprinter, it is about sharing the same values and needs for efficiency, safety, durability and sustainability.
Thanks to our partnership with Mercedes-Benz Vans Romania, we always arrive on time in a powerful, practical and sustainable way. For these reasons, we confidently recommend the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter for any business that needs to move quickly and sustainably in a hectic city.
It was an absolute joy to be the Official Coffee Partners for Heartbeats Festival in Cluj-Napoca!
On the 15th and 16th of July, we attended Heartbeats, a one-of-a-kind musical experience that surrounded us with love, uncovering a deeper sense of belonging and everlasting sheer joy.
We had the pleasure to listen to various national and international music artists: Jeremy Camp (SUA), Planet Shakers (Australia), Austin French (SUA), 4UBAND (Ucraina), Tabăra 477 (România), Sanctus Pro Deo (România) and so on. It’s wonderful to see how music can bring together such communities where everybody is having a nice time together, all of this while listening to their favourite music.
Apart from attending music concerts, the people behind Heartbeats also hosted a special moment with John Maxwell, where we listened to his speech full of wisdom. His approach has inspired millions of people all over the globe, and his books have revolutionized the way managers understand how to lead their teams and achieve their maximum growth potential. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to support one of the most respected guest speakers and authors on this specific topic of personal development and leadership.
We indeed were surrounded by love and we met a lot of young souls full of energy.
Heartbeats, thank you for having us!
#PeopleOfMeron – not just a hashtag, but a whole mood. We are looking for new people adjust the mood in our crew:
Barista (Cluj-Napoca, Bucuresti, Oradea, Zalau, Târgu Mureș)
Chef (Cluj-Napoca, Bucuresti, Oradea, Brasov)
Apply for one of the positions by sending your CV along with the position you want via email to hr@meron.coffee.
Workshop ul vizeaza toti baristii Meron care vor sa-si perfectioneze tehnicile de preparare si turnare a cremei de lapte dar mai ales colegii care se afla la inceput de drum. Vrem sa evitam pe cat posibil livrarea pe sala a produselor care nu arata asa cum ne dorim noi.
Key points:
– caracteristicile si componentele laptelui
– cum trebuie sa fie laptele inainte de prepararea cremei, temperatura, miros, prospetime, identificarea laptelui neconform (spre ex. acru)
– tehnici de prepararea a cremei, pasi urmariti, pozitia steamerului, greseli comune, rezultatul final si cum trebuie sa arate crema ideala
– separarea cremei pentru mai multe produse, tehnici de separare, eficienta in miscari, temperatura finala
– turnare patternuri de baza ( inima, tulip, lebada ), greseli frecvente si corectarea lor, turnari corecte si curate, pozitia latierei, diferentele dintre latierele mici si cele mari, cantitatea de crema inainte turnarii
– turnarea patternurilor mai complexe, competitii de profil, tips and tricks
Trainer: Cristi Oltean
#PeopleOfMeron – not just a hashtag, but a whole mood. We are looking for new people to adjust the mood in our crew:
Apply here:
Vezi această postare pe Instagram
You can also send us an email to carmen@meron.coffee.
#PeopleOfMeron – not just a hashtag, but a whole mood. We are looking for new people to adjust the mood in our crew.
Apply here:
Vezi această postare pe Instagram
You can also send us an email to carmen@meron.coffee.
This campaign has ended aaaand we have a winner. Alissia Hîrlea is the one to enjoy her trip in Salzburg and we cannot wait for her to share the experience with us. We hope you will explore all the streets, all the beautiful buildings in the city and most of all, the coffee scene. Congrats!
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Travelling is in our DNA so you better believe that after one year and a half of staying in, we are ready to experience the diversity of new places again. This time, we are thinking about a city with impressive baroque architecture, a delicate harmony between culture and nature, and some amazing specialty coffee points. Salzburg, here we come. Here are some of the main reasons to choose Salzburg for your weekend getaway and the best coffee shops to visit in Salzburg if you are a specialty coffee lover.
Salzburg, which was used as the backdrop for the famous film “The Sound of Music”, is a little gem in the heart of Europe, a picturesque town on the northern border of the Alps, close to crystal clear lakes with drinking water and the majestic mountain world for ski lovers.
In the evening you can enjoy a dinner in the oldest restaurant in Central Europe, where to the sound of the most beautiful Mozart’s works you will enjoy dishes prepared according to original recipes from the time of the great composer himself.
There is no secret that wherever we go, we look for the best coffee experiences we could get and Salzburg does not make an exception to the rule. So here are our top picks for all the coffee enthusiasts out there who are spending some time in the city.
First, there is the all-time favorite Kaffee-Alchemie, a small coffee house where you can find single origins from Central America and Africa roasted by Wild Kaffe Rösterei and Gardelli Speciality Coffees and find any kind of coffee machines and coffee tools for home. It’s the perfect place to have an espresso on a chilly day and the company of John, the owner of Kaffee-Alchemie just completes the mood perfectly. He is a coffee enthusiast from Norway, with more than 15 years within Speciality Coffee, International Cup of Excellence Judge, and an experienced barista trainer. Follow his journey with specialty coffee here
Our second stop would be at 220GRAD, a family business with three locations. Their goal is to create an atmosphere on-site that affects their guests and customers positively so that they can take the good vibes in their everyday lives after leaving the shop. The warmth of the staff and the great variety of single-origin coffee will definitely make you fall in love with the place. Here you can find some great latte art and aesthetic coffee snapshots.
Last but not least, while wandering around the city’s aesthetic small streets, if you pass by Rostzimmer15, a small but hipsterish coffee place, don’t hesitate to walk in. They have their own small roastery inside so just follow the smell of freshly roasted coffee and you won’t miss it. Röstzimmer 15 does not only offer amazing coffee and fresh pastries but it is easy to get lost in selecting between the different products offered on the shelves as well. For example, you can buy different teas, special chocolates, honey, poppy seed oil, coffee spice, coffee to-go cups, and many others. Check out their journey here.
If you are planning a trip to Salzburg, don’t forget to save this post for later and enjoy a coffee trip while in the city of Mozart.
Also, don’t forget that you can sign up to win a trip for 2 in Salzburg. Here is what you have to do to enter the campaign:
The campaign is available until the 5th of August so don’t forget to visit us by then. You can read more info here or keep up with the latest news on our Instagram.
You know you’re a coffee lover when you read the message on the t-shirt and the first thought that comes to mind is espresso, a single origin one. Meron meets Tombabe with a t-shirt that brings together the urban vibes of Tombabe and our passion for specialty coffee, thinking as one. The ‘Single Origin’ t-shirt is the result of a collab between two romanian brands, Meron & Tombabe, designed for the two communities around them.
Meron Faces is a custom made silver brooch that serves as a tribute to the women in coffee, created by Chic Bijoux, a transylvanian manufacturer. This project is designed from scratch by our team, and brought to life by Sorin and Ioana’s studio. The design is inspired by the South American women involved in growing and processing specialty coffee at the farms from where we select our coffee origins.
This brooch is an extension of the project Meron Faces that celebrates diversity from our coffees to our #peopleofmeron. Created in a limited number, there are only 10 brooches available, crafted by laser cutting and engraving.
Premium crafted backpack, created for coffee lovers & #PeopleOfMeron community, using high-quality metal accessories and coated cotton trims. Available in two colors: black & sand.
Check our LIMITED EDITION MERCHANDISE available on our shop.
Meet Cristian from Meron Cișmigiu, he’s the one behind the seahorse latte arts you keep seeing in our photos. Today he is answering our Espress(o) Questions, this express interview with our People of Meron behind the bar, that you can read just as fast as it takes to extract an espresso. Enjoy!
1. Age:23
2. How long have you been in the specialty coffee industry? 2 years and 1 month.
3. 3 attributes that describe you as a human being:
empathic, sociable, determined
4. 3 attributes that describe you as a barista: disciplined, kind, careful down to the smallest detail
5. Top 3 favorite verbs that talk about you: to help, to learn, to implement
6. I am very good at: besides brewing coffee, I am very good at breaking cups, wiping windows, and managing unexpected situations.
7. The natural talent you are gifted with is: I make people smile.
8. I would love to learn to: fly planes
9. What is the nicest compliment you have received as a barista?
„I also like the coffee.” ?
10. Espresso or Pour Over: No need to choose just one, I like them both.
11. What is non-negotiable when it comes to brewing coffee?
Don’t ask for espresso with cold milk, long espresso or strong coffee.
12. Funniest request from a guest was…
„A cappuccino with milk, please!”?
13. When you’re not a barista, you are…
Just a man, who goes through time, making mistakes every day and learning.
14. What would you like people to understand better about what it means to be a barista?
We’re not coffee machines. We’re passionate people learning about coffee every day in order to offer the best experience to our coffee lovers guests.
15. When and where are you the happiest?
Anywhere and anytime, it’s all about the mindset.
Meet Vlad from Meron Platinia, or Dutzu as friends call him. He is our today’s guest answering Espress(o) Questions. An express interview with our People of Meron behind the bar, that you can read just as fast as it takes to extract an espresso. Enjoy!
1. Age:27
2. How long have you been in the specialty coffee industry? For 3 years.
3. 3 attributes that describe you as a human being:
extroverted, sociable & very optimistic
4. 3 attributes that describe you as a barista: organized, careful down to the smallest details & adaptable
5. Top 3 favorite verbs that talk about you: to be (sincere), to communicate, to feel
6. I am very good at: being myself, what you see is what you get
7. The natural talent you are gifted with is: sharing happiness and good vibes.
8. I would love to learn to:
To accept and control my emotions…
9. What is the nicest compliment you have received as a barista?
I love when you brew my coffee.
10. Espresso or Pour Over: Espresso
11. What is non-negotiable when it comes to brewing coffee?
The desire to extract the best from coffee.
12. Funniest request from a guest was…
There are so many that it’s hard for me to choose one?
13. When you’re not a barista, you are…
When I am not at work I allow myself to be more dreamier, while I keep my feet on the ground.
14. What would you like people to understand better about what it means to be a barista?
When you’re behind the bar you want to offer the guests a complete experience from the coffee you brew to the way you make them feel.
15. When and where are you the happiest?
I think happiness has no place or date… Try to see the good in everything, and you will always be happy
Beyond being a product or offering a service, we are a business that understands the importance of well-being and support for the community. We are grateful to say that over the years we have grown a beautiful community around our specialty coffee. Being part of this engaging community gave us a sense of belonging. It enabled us to support perpetual growth of our people and our environment.
Coffee is our passion, while the community inspires us. With this thought in mind, we developed a a recurring series of projects under the name of Coffee For the Community. This is our way to get involved in causes we believe.
Here are the causes we are supporting:
MagicHELP is an initiative that aims to offer support to the parents caring for children with cancer. Through a mobile application, the families are matched with the businesses that can provide them help through services and products. In our case, specialty coffee. As partners of MagicHelp we give parents a moment of relaxation when they can enjoy a coffee-based drink in our coffee shops Meron Napoca and Meron Central.
Coffee for a Good Cause is our own way to give back to the community through a recurring fundraising in one of our locations. Concretely, all the money raised in one day from coffee-based drinks are donated to a cause supported by us.
We started this project back in December 2019. Our first cause was Magda Săvuică’s project Dragoste desculță that aims to offer food, clothing and basic products for children from Negresti village, Vaslui county.
The pilot edition was so successful among the people in our community, that we decided to repeat this experience to support an initiative of Rotaract Cluj. In March this year, we’ve organized another edition of Coffee for a Good Cause and all the money were used to buy Nellcor Sp02 sensor cables for the Neonatology department of Dominic Stanca Clinic, Cluj-Napoca.
For the 3rd edition, that took place on May 17th we supported Terapie prin artă by Create.Act.Enjoy. They initiate art therapy projects with hospital patients: outdoor concerts, arranging green spaces, comedy shows, creative workshops for therapeutic purposes, psychologist-assisted socialization for single patients.
Their purpose during this period? To raise 30% of the total project budget from individual donors who want to support art therapy in hospitals.
Blood donation is important. Volunteer blood donors are connecting lives and sharing life through it. To encourage blood donation we partnered up with BlooDoChallenge, an app that promotes blood donation by offering points, from 30 to 50, when you donate blood. For every 30 points in this app, you are offered 15% discount in our coffee shops in Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Alba Iulia, Satu-Mare and Zalău.
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Businesses are made by people, with people and for the people. So, beyond being a product or offering a service, we are a business that understands the importance of well-being, caregiving and support offered to the community. We get involved in causes we believe in and we say yes to projects that make this world a little better.
Tudor Vladimirescu Street, No 1
Mon — Fri, 07:30 – 20:00
Sat — Sun, 09:00 – 19:00
Meet the amazing People of Meron, the ones that fill our cups with both coffee and good vibes through Espress(o) Questions. An express interview with our People of Meron behind the bar, that you can read just as fast as it takes to extract an espresso.
Dorin is just one of these passionate guys that could talk about coffee all day long. You can find him at Meron Cismigiu.
This month we celebrate and honor the #womenofmeron, the ones that help us share the passion for specialty coffee in the communities we belong to. Today’s guest is Livia, the manager of #MeronZalau.
She’s here to answer our Espress(o) Questions, an express interview about the life behind the bar, that you can read just as fast as it takes to extract an espresso.
Enjoy!
1. Age: 37
2. How long have you been in the specialty coffee industry? For about 6 years now, but I have learned much more in the past year since working with Meron.
3. 3 attributes that describe you as a human being: Honest, friendly, reliable.
4. 3 attributes that describe you as a barista: Passionate, enthusiastic, well mannered.
5. Top 3 favorite verbs that talk about you: to be present, to share, to discover.
6. The natural talent you are gifted with is: Attention to detail.
7. I would love to learn to…Speak perfectly French.
8. What is the nicest compliment you have received as a barista? ‘I love to see a smiling face every morning, makes my day’.
9. Espresso or Pour Over? Espresso.
10. What is non-negotiable when it comes to brewing coffee? Serve the coffee straight away, I can not drink a coffee that sat longer than 5 min after being prepared.
11. Funniest request from a guest was…Draw their faces in a cup.
12. When you’re not a barista, you are…. An auntie, a friend, and a traveler.
13. What would you like people to understand better about what it means to be a barista? All the work and knowledge that is being put behind a cup of coffee.
14. When and where are you the happiest? When I hit the road.
A healthy work environment is composed of people who put their passion, resources and skills together in order to achieve a performant and reliable business. We have always been an inclusive business. We promote diversity and gender equality in the workplace. We attract and support both female and male colleagues for our departments in order to reach full potential.
Since 2015, we developed our teams keeping in mind one thing: competence. Today, we have an equitable distribution of gender roles in our teams. We are a gender-balanced workplace. The benefits of having this kind of balance in the company allows us to appreciate people in their diversity and their unique skills.
“When we open a position in our team, we never have in mind that ‘this role would be perfect for a woman or a man’. We hire for competence, character and potential to grow. Skills are more easily acquirable. Of course, when working with women you can fairly appreciate their collaborative approach, their capacity to organize teams or their attention to details. Also, I’ve noticed that they are very persevering and resilient. On the other hand, men are grounded, good negotiators, focused, yet less organized.”
Bogdan Ciocian, CEO Meron
Baristas, managers and people in our offices, the national business representation is 48% women, 52% men.
Gender-Balanced Workplace: Equal OpportunitiesThe World Barista Championship the championship has been happening for 19 years. The World Barista Championship was dominated in its early years by Scandinavian baristas. The Championship was held in Europe or the United States from its inception until 2007, when it was hosted in Tokyo, Japan. In 2018 Agnieszka Rojewska became the first woman to win the World Barista Championship, followed by Jooyeon Jeon from South Korea in 2019. The nerd inside whispers: 10.5% female winners of WBC.
The dynamics of our team are different. Before the pandemic had put the national and international competitions on hold, 2019 was the year when 14 of our barista colleagues, 6 women and 8 men have participated in National Coffee Competitions: Barista Championship, Brewer’s Cup, Latte Art Championship and Aeropress Championship.
2019 is also the year when our Head Roaster & Head Barista, Delia, became the 2019 Romanian Barista Champion and successfully represented Romania at World Barista Championship in Boston. We were so proud of her accomplishment, as a result of hard work and constant development as a professional in the coffee industry.
The pandemic made us nostalgic about the time when our colleagues would hit the stages of National and International Competitions. That is why in 2020 we decided to organize an internal competition, Meron Coffee Masters. The proportion of competitors was half women and half men and the podium was occupied by a woman and two men.
We attend or organize events dedicated to all the communities we have around us. Here are some of our last years’ initiatives to empower and support the people around us:
Meet our team through this Espress(o) Questions. Read this express interview with our People of Meron behind the bar, which you can read, just as fast as it takes to pull a perfect shot of espresso. Enjoy!
Today’s guest: Mishu from Meron Vivo.
1. Age: 33.
2. How long have you been in the specialty coffee industry?: 2 and a half years.
3. 3 attributes that describe you as a human being: calm, wise, disciplined.
4. 3 attributes that describe you as a barista: skillful, quality over quantity, methodical.
5. Top 3 favorite verbs that talk about you: to know, to do, to be.
6. I’m very good at: many things, it depends on the circumstances. Do you have enough time? *laughts*.
7. I would love to learn to…to write in Chinese.
8. What is the nicest compliment you have received as a barista? I take it as a compliment every time when the people around me appreciate the way I brew coffee and the way I prepare the non-coffee drinks.
9. Espresso or Pour Over? Both.
10. What is non-negotiable when it comes to brewing coffee? Never deliver a bad product.
11. Funniest request from a guest was……coffee with breast milk.
12. When you’re not a barista, you are…… I’m still the same person, the same Mişu.
13. What would you like people to understand better about what it means to be a barista? A barista is not a vending machine, but a person who has knowledge about the coffee industry and about what he offers you in the cup.