Ole's coffee journey - from the kitchen counter to the World Championship

This is the first post in our new blog series about Coffee People, where we'll highlight some of the most exciting individuals in the Norwegian coffee world. First up is the freshly crowned Norwegian champion in manual brewing, Ole Kristian Bøen. As an avid home brewer, he went on to win the entire championship. He currently combines his passion for coffee and cycling by delivering coffee from his local coffee shop, Jovialen in Drammen, in his spare time to help them through the ongoing coronavirus crisis. That deserves just as much respect. Here is the story of his coffee journey:

 Buy Ole's winning brewer here!

I don't remember exactly when and where my interest in coffee started, but with a background as a cyclist, the coffee stop was a natural part of any long ride. We cycled, we stopped, and we drank more or less good coffee.

In some places, the coffee was heavenly, while in others, it was so-so. I remember being fascinated by those who could explain why the espresso tasted the way it did, and I became more curious. 

Thanks in large part to Oslo's many coffee shops and the availability of information through the internet and social media, my interest has grown stronger and stronger over the years.

Coffee is something "everyone" drinks, and most people have a relationship with it, whether at the breakfast table in the morning, at the coffee machine at work, or while out on a trip.

Wine connoisseurs might disagree with me, but I believe there is no other beverage in the world that has a wider range and is more versatile than coffee.

It's important to train with an audience!

My first competition 

I started brewing manual coffee at home with a classic Hario V60 and found it fun to work on perfecting recipes and seeing what I could get out of different beans from different roasteries. A couple of years ago, I saw that a regional championship in coffee art was appearing. I knew absolutely nothing about rules and competition routines, but I signed up. 

But even though I was an amateur, I was incredibly well received. I especially remember Odd-Steinar Tøllefsen from Supreme Roastworks, who won the World Manual Brewing Championship in 2015. After he had been on stage and competed, he asked if I wanted to taste the coffee he had brought, and brewed an extra batch. In addition, he shared a lot of tips and advice.

It was incredibly cool. There were no sharp elbows here, as you often see in sports. 

After the competition, there was a party at the old Henrik Ibsen. I thought I didn't want to hear the judges' feedback as I was afraid of being slammed, but Lene Klovning insisted that we go through all the forms together.

Of course, I had many areas for improvement, but I learned more in ten minutes with Lene and the judges that evening than I had done so far in my coffee life. A good tip for anyone considering competing is therefore to value the judges' feedback for what it's worth!

You must read the rules!

A year passed. I was still brewing at home on the kitchen counter, but I was eager to compete again. This time, I did a little more preparation, talked to roasters, and found a coffee I thought was super delicious. I also practiced my presentation a bit more than the year before.

After the competition, it was once again time for the awards ceremony and party. This time at Stockfleths Vestbanen. I was actually happy with the competition, but didn't have high hopes for advancing to the Nationals.

This year, Lene was again a judge, along with Tom Kuyken, who won the Nationals the previous year. This time, I was absolutely determined to talk to the judges afterwards. The feedback from the judges was very good. The coffee tasted as it should, and I was told that I had given a good presentation.

But even though I had practiced more and found a good coffee, there was one thing I hadn't prepared well enough for. The rules!

When competing in coffee, there are a number of rules you must follow to get a good score from the judges. Unfortunately, it doesn't help if the coffee is super delicious and the presentation is nice if you mess up the rules.

What I messed up was that I didn't pour enough coffee into the judges' cups, even though I had brewed more than enough. Some might think it's a silly rule, but that's how it is in competition.

Afterwards, many in the coffee community have heard the story of Lene, who, somewhat exasperated, hit me on the head with the judge's book and said, "YOU HAVE TO READ THE RULES!!"

You really do, if you want to do well in a coffee competition.  

Preparations for this year's NM

I still brew at home on the kitchen counter for my wife, friends, and acquaintances, but before this year's competition, I had the opportunity to participate in a mentorship program organized by Barista School here in Oslo.

Throughout the autumn and winter, we have been gathered at the premises where Espressospesialisten is also located. Under the leadership of Benedicte Gyllesten and Julian Helseth Stolanowski, we have received guidance and advice from, among others, Lise Rømo, Rory Lee Rosenberg, and Tom Kuyken.

Lene Klovning has also visited and talked about the aforementioned rules again. As an SCA judge, she is not allowed to coach, but it is still useful to look at the rules from a judge's perspective.

And not least, we have become a great community. As a home barista, it has been incredibly inspiring to learn from the talented people who have participated in the program.

In addition to participating in the mentorship program, I did one thing differently than before. I decided to memorize what I wanted to say during my presentation and used my commute to work to go through it a couple of times each day. This made me completely confident in what I was going to say and do when I went on stage.

The competition exceeded all expectations, and it was a great achievement for someone who has never worked in a coffee shop to be able to take home the trophy, but I will tell you more about that in the next post. 

Then I will write more about the competition setup, the recipe, considerations regarding equipment and coffee, as well as thoughts on a delayed World Championship in Melbourne.

If you are considering participating in a coffee competition, my clear advice is:
Do it! You definitely won't regret it. 

Ole