Cape Coffee Beans Podcast

Inside The Barista League: Steve Maloney on Accessible Coffee Competition and the South African competition
Cape Coffee Beans founder Phaedon interviews Steve Moloney, founder of The Barista League, ahead of the 2026 Johannesburg event after attending the first Johannesburg competition in 2025. Steve describes The Barista League as a low-barrier, festival-like barista competition that judges a broader range of skills across drinks, concept, and service, aiming to be more accessible and more engaging to watch than traditional formats. He shares his background in music festival production, how he entered coffee in Sweden, and how the The Barista League began as a way to create an affordable, inclusive competition experience for baristas. They discuss why Johannesburg was chosen, the format’s suitability for Africa, the new judging structure with live feedback, future plans, and how to attend or apply via thebaristaleague.com, with free tickets for working South African baristas.
Where to find The Barista League
The Barista League website
The Barista League on Instagram (@thebaristaleague)
Time stamps & chapters
00:00 Podcast Intro
00:45 Episode Intro
02:19 What is the Barista League?
03:14 The Vibe & Atmosphere
06:03 Steve's Backstory & Scandinavian Coffee
08:30 Origins of the Barista League
09:32 Events, Music & the DIY Ethos
13:29 Why South Africa?
16:35 Accessibility & the African Context
21:49 The New Competition Format
27:10 Selecting Competitors & Who Can Apply
28:54 Why Attend & The Future
35:20 Outro

Phaedon, founder of Cape Coffee Beans, interviews Andre Blignaut, winner of South Africa’s inaugural Origami Cup. Andre shares his unconventional path into coffee, including training as a licensed aircraft engineer, spending three years as a missionary, and gaining early specialty coffee exposure in Cape Town through Cedar Coffee Roasters and later Harvest Cafe. He recounts winning the 2024 National Cup Tasters Championship and his work as a trainer and consultant, discussing the importance of practical barista experience alongside formal education and training standards. Andre also details his Origami Cup-winning approach.
How to support Andre
Here are three ways you can support Andre and help him get to the World Origami Cup:
Attend the Origami Masterclass (2026-09-05) or a future event with Andre
Shop at Cape Coffee Beans using Andre's affiliate link
Sponsor Andre through his Back a Buddy campaign
Resources & links
Here are some of the resources mentioned in the video:
Blog: Managing Astringency in Coffee Brewing by Scott Rao
Video: Think Your Coffee Is Bitter? It Might Be Astringent (Here’s the Fix) by Lance Hedrick
Video: The Ultimate Infused/Funky Coffee Recipe by Jay Kim
Instagram: Chris Lee of HIFLUX Coffee (filter paper science)

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, I interview Henlo van der Westhuizen about his South African espresso-machine manufacturing startup. We talk about how Henlo got started and his unique approach to designing coffee equipment.
You can learn more about Henlo's espresso machines on our website.

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we interview Jason Zeeman, the co-founder of the South African Specialty Coffee Expo. We talk about Jason's background in the music industry and how his love of coffee was born. We also learn how he came up with the idea for a Specialty Coffee Expo and how he organised the first event.

Jason and Phaedon also discuss how the Specialty Coffee Expo has evolved, and what it is about the expo that has won over the industry and so many coffee lovers. Whether you've attended one of these events or not, you will definitely enjoy learning a bit more about this special entrepreneurial venture in the South African coffee space.

You can find out more about the Specialty Coffee Expo, including upcoming event dates at https://www.specialtycoffeeexpo.co.za/

If you are listening in the run-up to the 2024 Cape Town Specialty Coffee Expo, you can get 20% off your ticket by using this link (Ts & Cs apply).

In this episode of the Cape Coffee Beans Podcast, we chat to Kyle Sinclair, one of the founders of Mylo Coffee Company, the designers of Mylo Speciality Grinders. Tune in to hear Kyle's story, from passionate coffee drinker to equipment supplier.

We discuss what goes into a great coffee grinder, and how Mylo went about designing its hand-grinders. We dive deep on questions like burr geometry, the impact of grind consistency on flavour, and the other factors that influence the flavour of the coffee in your cup.

You can find Mylo's amazing hand grinders on the Cape Coffee Beans website and also purchase them in-person at our store.