Kim’s love for coffee originated in 2014 as she started her journey as a barista in the commercial coffee industry. She was an outlier and knew her love for coffee would take her on a journey from the Philippines to Dubai. She took every opportunity available at hand to learn and grow in spite the challenges.

She is a Junior Roaster at Grandmother Coffee Roastery and is always striving for perfection to brew the perfect cup of coffee. I was inspired to write a blog post wherein I list a few pointers that I saw in her if you are ever planning to compete. Coffee or no coffee, it probably applies to all industries, so give it a read here.

This started when I was invited to watch her presentation early November as she was competing at the UAE National Barista Championship. I had to give feedback on her performance. Let me tell you this, I was at awe of her dedication to perfect her routine to the minutest level.

From the inception of the idea to the creation of the drinks. I didn’t see it coming, since I haven’t really paid attention to any of the previous performances at the World Barista Championship.

It shows how passionate she is of her art and her connection with the industry at such a deep level. Her perspective is one-of-a-kind and that’s what probably separates the “true” artists from the rest of us.

I think that’s enough from me, keep reading to see what she has to say. But I leave with a warning, our conversation got a little emotional.

Hi Kim, tell me a bit about yourself and your coffee journey.

Okay, I think I'll start when I was in college. During this time, I was trying to earn money to support my education and get a degree. I stumbled upon a coffee shop and they were in search of a model for a photo shoot. I wanted to try and check if they were hiring for the kitchen or a server. I did the photo shoot anyway and had a chance to talk to the owner. They ended up liking me and soon after I was hired as a server.

Eventually, I moved to the back of the bar as a barista. Not like the baristas we have here, this was more of a milk tea shop and occasionally we served coffee. And that’s how it began. I worked there for more than two years and another opportunity came knocking on my door to manage a branch, I became a manager. That was a really good job and I was very close with the owners. I called them mom and dad.

I gathered as much experience as I could and moved to Manila after I graduated. I applied for a job in Starbucks. It is popular in the Philippines and people are fond of it. From some stroke of luck, I got through. My parents, however, were against this idea of working in a big city and being far away from home.

I lasted about three months. It was tough, long hours and stringent measures were put in place to keep standards high. But the knowledge and experience I gained was priceless. The customers here were very rude. They were mad at us all the time. The work culture was very hostile. When it all come to an end, it was good riddance for sure.

I took this time to rediscover and realign my priorities. I didnt have a plan, but fate did. A best friend messaged, he was going away to Dubai. This triggered a spark inside of me and I wanted to go. To new beginnings, perhaps. I found out what the requirements were I told my Lola (grandmother). She was my financial support.

The thing about grandmothers is, I think they're secretly millionaires.

I went to Dubai without a plan. It was a leap of faith. So, in June 2017, I arrived to Dubai with a one month visit visa. I was hired as a barista in an American diner serving commercial coffee. I got interested in specialty coffee from my trainer, Tendai, who was also a barista. He spoke about recipes, brew techniques, and coffee that tasted out of this world.

The knowledge that was unattainable to me at that time was probably the reason why specialty coffee was calling out to me. Dubai International Coffee and Tea Festival was the answer, he said.

When I attended the event, I was flabbergasted. I experienced the sensory bottles there for the first time. People making and tasting coffee. A coffee competition was going on. My head was spinning.

I met Lyndon here. I saw him compete, presenting his knowledge in coffee confidently in front of all those people. This was the time I thought to myself that I want to be like him. I wanted to be an expert in coffee.

I wrote down on a piece of paper: “I want to be on that stage, I want to have the same impact to someone that had on me when I first saw this competition. He even pushed me to compete. That made me question my abilities if I could actually do it. His influence was inspirational in a way I cannot describe.

I was eagerly applying at all the specialty cafes I knew. Nostalgia, Emirati Coffee Co, Goldbox, you name it. I was discouraged because I didn’t get any response. I continued with my current employer and worked two years. During that time, I was a sponge. I soaked up information on specialty coffee and completed few barista courses in RAW Coffee Company.

It was back to the drawing board, it was time to look for a job. Meanwhile, I went back home to get married. Ciomai Eson, the Third Barista Champion from the UAE and Operations Manager at The Espresso Lab, posted about a part time barista opening for a wedding. This was my chance to be with her, to gain experience from the elites. What I didn’t realize is, it turned out to be the Crown Prince’s wedding.

I got selected. Before the main event, we had a dry run. We were a team of 16 baristas, only females as per the wedding requirement. Ibrahim, founder of The Espresso Lab, was briefing us about certain protocols and hygiene measures that were to be followed. During the wedding day, I was based at the first station with Ciomai and Ibrahim.

After the event, I was asked to come for an interview at the cafe. It was a very quick interview and I got the offer. That's how I kickstarted my career at one of the best specialty cafes in Dubai. I met Fred during my first month. It felt like I knew him for ages. I was sent to the Grandmother Coffee Roastery to learn about coffee from the roaster’s perspective.

The next time I heard from him was during the lowest point in my life. I was well into my second year. There were problems I couldn’t fix. That was the day I was about to resign. I got a call from an unknown number, it was Fred. It was perfect timing and he was calling me to offer a position to work with him.

The Espresso Lab was a stepping stone for me. Four years ago, when I saw the coffee competition taking place, I etched two goals in my head: to compete, and to be a roaster. Even when I had zero knowledge about what roasting is. I am now a roaster, it doesn’t matter if I’m an assistant, it’s something I cherish. One of my dreams come true.

No journey is easy. To achieve something great, you have to go through a lot of hardship.

Yeah, I have been very eager to compete but I was never given that chance. I knew this would pass. As long as I can see the light, I will be there on stage. I would tell myself that everyday.

Fred heard me many times reciting the spill of the 2018 World Barista Champion I had memorized. The Barista competition was declared and I took part.

You have the perfect platform and the perfect team. The support that you needed was here.

I felt really low after the competition. I wasn’t satisfied. I felt really disappointed. It felt as if I didn’t give my best. I then understood that it's normal to feel like that. It's okay to not feel okay. I had to go through those emotions to understand that I need to put in more work.

I’m not competing to win. I’m competing to have an impact. I want people to feel the same way when I felt inspired the first time i.e. when I saw someone compete.

It was something else entirely watching you prepare your presentation. Because of you I got inspired to make that blog post - What it takes to win the Barista Championship.

I think along the way I've lost my purpose. I wanted to be on the stage to have an impact. People tend to go for the gold, but to have a meaningful impact is the gold for me.

I may have had unfortunate technical issues on the stage and couldn’t make it to the finals, but that’s all good. I am not afraid of making mistakes because I know I can grow and learn from them.

One thing I am sure of, the journey is more important than the result itself. I’m using that to move forward. And that was my greatest time!

I'm more excited for your personal project. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

I started a month before the competition because I didn’t know there would be one. I have been painting since 2016, it’s a hobby and I love working with the canvas, brush, oil and acrylic paint. I started Inukit.studio. These are polymer clay earrings, handcrafted.

Inukit is a Tagalog word which means to engrave something out of wood or clay. The journey to engrave something on each piece allows me to explore endless ideas, shapes, patterns, textures and colour combinations.

For the past few years, I've been making several attempts to create ceramic pots and clay. But to my dismay, it never happened. Trying again and pushing myself, I started my very own business, albeit on a macro scale.

I am quite fond of the caucasian skin tone. This is a colour close to beige, a shade between brown and white, and pale. Incorporating this color to several handcrafted pieces gives it a feeling of slight imperfection, making it unique and special.

Why earrings? Since you mentioned about your paintings.

This is actually connected to my paintings. I'm really fascinated with faces. Not everyone buys paintings. These earrings are like miniature paintings that you can wear.

Any final words of advice to those who want to compete?

I believe you have to be really sure if that’s what you want to do. Know that, it’s not going to be easy for you or for the people around you. The people who support you will trust you to give your very best.

So, there’s a lot resting on your shoulders. The bottom line is, you have to be scared of yourself. You are competing with yourself. It’s your willpower at the end that will keep the fire burning within you and drive you forward. Use that momentum to propel yourself to heights others cannot reach.

We are looking forward to seeing you compete next year again.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

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