Episode 01: "It's a YES!!"

“It’s a YES!!” traces the history and evolution of the World Cup Tasters Championship through stories about rule-breakers, phone calls home mid-competition, and backstage ballet. Co-hosted by Gloria Pedroza, this episode features interviews with Alf Kramer, Kim Staalman, José Joaquín Ordoñez, and Chloe King.

Learn more about this episode of the WCC Podcast, made possible with the support of Victoria Arduino and DaVinci Gourmet, including a full transcript and credits at sca.coffee/sca-news/listen/wcc-podcast/01-its-a-yes

Show Notes

This week, we’re excited to launch the first episode of the World Coffee Championships Podcast. 

“It’s a YES!!” traces the history and evolution of the World Cup Tasters Championship through stories about rule-breakers, phone calls home mid-competition, and backstage ballet. Co-hosted by Gloria Pedroza, 2006 World Cup Tasters Champion and long-time WCE Judge and competition organizer, this episode features interviews with Alf Kramer, Kim Staalman, José Joaquín Ordoñez, and Chloe King. 

Find a full transcript of this episode on SCA News: sca.coffee/sca-news/listen/wcc-podcast/01-its-a-yes

Special Thanks to Our Series Sponsor, Victoria Arduino
This series of the WCC Podcast is brought to you by Victoria Arduino. Born in the early twentieth century amid social and cultural transformation, Victoria Arduino broke with tradition and focused on progress, a mission it carries forward today. Victoria Arduino advances coffee knowledge and innovates across design, technology, and performance to produce machines that nurture coffee professionals' passion for espresso excellence. For more information, visit victoriaarduino.com. Victoria Arduino: Inspired by your passion.

Special Thanks to Our Episode Sponsor, DaVinci
This episode of the WCC Podcast is made possible with support from DaVinci. With its heritage in specialty coffee and expertise in trends and menu innovation, DaVinci is the beverage brand of choice for the foodservice professional. Their product range is designed to provide end-to-end solutions and support specialty coffee professionals in their mission to create inspirational beverages. Follow us at DaVinci Europe, DaVinci North America, or using #WeAreDaVinciGourmet. 

We’d like to thank Gloria Pedroza, our co-host for this episode, and our interviewees for their time in sharing their stories about the World Cup Tasters Championship, in order of appearance: Alf Kramer, Kim Staalman, José Joaquín Ordoñez, and Chloe King. Thanks, too, to those Berlin park-goers who participated in our listening game!

For a full list of those who helped across the entire series, a year-long effort, click here. Series 01 of the World Coffee Championships Podcast was produced by James Harper of Filter Productions for the Specialty Coffee Association. 

What is World Coffee Championships Podcast?

Where did the World Coffee Championships come from? How did things go wrong? How were they fixed? Across six episodes, we'll hear from people who come together every year to celebrate specialty coffee and push the industry forward, exploring the role competitions play in different communities and recognizing the large network of volunteers who make these annual events possible.

While we're disappointed that the competitions aren't happening this year, we hope this podcast will help us feel more connected. And, if this is the first time you've ever heard of the World Coffee Championships, this series will give you an entertaining window into this world and why so many of us love it so much.