The Cupping Table - By M-Cultivo

Ian Kissick | Balancing Competition and the Coffee Business

Description: Ian Kissick is a titan in the specialty coffee world—holding the titles of 2023 UK Barista Champion and consecutive 2024 and 2025 Irish Barista Champion, alongside placing 6th in the world. But after 9 years at the peak of competitive coffee brewing, he is walking away.  In this episode of the Cupping Table podcast, M Cultivo co-founder David Paparelli sits down with Ian to unpack the exact realities of elite coffee culture. They explore the astronomical cash investments required to win the World Barista Championship (where companies routinely spend up to £100,000 on a single run), the high-stakes logistics of sourcing legendary Geisha lots in Panama during supply down-years, and why Formative Coffee openly refuses to offer pre-ground coffee to its customers. We also dive deep into the fascinating post-COVID shift where home coffee setups are skyrocketing into tens of thousands of pounds, and how a modern coffee brand scales a cafe showroom into an independent, multi-channel roastery institution. Check out Formative Coffee: https://formative.coffee

Kenny Vidurrizaga | Why This 4th-Gen Coffee Producer Refused to Declare Bankruptcy

What do you do when a century-old family legacy is on the absolute brink of collapse? That was the exact crossroads facing 4th-generation coffee producer Kenny Vidurrizaga and his brother Alex.In a single season, a devastating wave of leaf rust ("La Roya") ruthlessly wiped out 50% of his family’s coffee crops at Finca Santa Estella. With global market prices hitting historic lows and the farm drowning under mounting debt, their own accountant gave them a blunt piece of advice: declare bankruptcy, shut down the operations, and walk away.Instead of throwing in the towel, Kenny executed a dramatic "reverse migration" leaving his stable city life to return to the rugged mountains of Villa Rica, Peru, to save his family's livelihood.In this deep-dive episode of The Cupping Table, host David Paparelli sits down with Kenny to uncover the incredible underdog story of how Finca Santa Estella defied the odds. Kenny reveals how he convinced his traditional family to pivot to the high-stakes world of specialty coffee, the "aha!" moment they put a spectacular, jasmine-floral Geisha lot on the cupping table, and the massive operational hurdles of building an entire global supply chain from scratch.This conversation goes far beyond a typical origin story. It serves as a practical blueprint for coffee roasters, green buyers, and producers alike. Kenny and David candidly break down:• The Reality of Roaster Relationships: Why vague sales pitches fail and how roasters evaluate coffees based on strict, pre-existing portfolio "buckets" (from house blends to elite nano-lots).• Overcoming Origin Stigma: How Peruvian producers are actively fighting the perception of being the "little brother" to neighboring origins like Colombia and Brazil.• The True Cost of Vertical Integration: Navigating the hidden financial risks of warehousing, importing, and moving spot offerings to the US completely at risk.• The Three Pillars of Longevity: Why long-term sourcing relies entirely on replication and the consistent control of quality, delivery volume, and price year after year.Kenny and a tight-knit community of passionate, next-gen producers are working tirelessly to transform Villa Rica into the "Napa Valley" or "Bordeaux" of coffee. Hit play to find out how they are turning that ambitious dream into an everyday reality.SUPPORT THE PRODUCERAre you a roaster or specialty coffee enthusiast looking to source or taste exceptional Peruvian estate coffees? Kenny's coffees are currently available as spot offerings in both the US and Japan. Connect with Kenny and the team at Finca Santa Estella via the links below:Website: https://fincasantaestela.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fincasantaestela/

Diego Baraona | From Barcelona to the Volcano: Saving a Family Coffee Legacy

In 2020, Diego Baraona faced an impossible choice: stay in Barcelona to start a new life or return to El Salvador to save a 5th-generation coffee legacy on the brink of collapse. When his father (known as the "King of Pacamara") passed away during the height of COVID-19, Diego inherited more than just a farm; he inherited a mountain of bank debt and a failing agricultural system dependent on expensive chemicals.In this episode, David Paparelli sits down with Diego to discuss how he transformed Los Pirineos from a struggling operation into a global model for sustainable specialty coffee. You’ll hear how a 25-year-old with no coffee background stood up to skeptical banks, cut farm input costs by nearly 90%, and partnered with industry icons like Tim Wendelboe to pioneer a regenerative future for El Salvadorian coffee.We dive into:- The inheritance crisis: Diego’s gut-wrenching decision to leave Spain and take over the family business. - The "Bank CV" Story: Why local banks refused to believe a 25-year-old could manage multi-million dollar contracts. - The 90% Cost Cut: How "going cold turkey" on chemicals saved the farm’s profitability and improved soil health. - The Pacamara Legacy: The history of the variety that put El Salvador on the map and how Los Pirineos was the original testing ground. - The Future of Coffee Tourism: Diego’s vision for sports-oriented "coffee camps" and mountain biking at the volcano. Connect with the Guest:Diego Baraona: Los Pirineos Coffee, El Salvador Roasters mentioned: Tim Wendelboe, The Barn, Sepota Coffee, Silver Crystal Espresso. Subscribe for more deep dives into the business and science of specialty coffee.

Frederick Bejo | The Future of Luxury Coffee: Sourcing, Competition, and AI

In this episode of The Cupping Table podcast, host David Paparelli sits down with Frederick Bejo, a visionary leader in the UAE coffee scene and co-founder of Archers and Benchmark Coffee. Fred, the 2023 UAE National Brewers Cup Champion, shares his fascinating journey from arriving in Dubai in 2012, back when the region had only one specialty roastery, to building a global reputation for sourcing elite auction lots and luxury nano-lots. He explains how Archers was born from a desire to solve systemic issues in the UAE market, specifically the lack of high-level education, inconsistent pricing, and poor access to premium raw materials. The conversation explores his unique "brain scoring" approach to buying coffees, the importance of long-term producer relationships in origins like Panama and Ethiopia, and why he believes the future of the industry lies in absolute "control" over every variable from fermentation to storage. Fred also provides a forward-thinking look at how Archers is integrating AI and automation to enhance efficiency while maintaining a community-first, "open book" philosophy that aims to elevate the global specialty coffee movement.

Abdulrahman Alosaimi | Is Dubai the New Capital of Specialty Coffee?

In this episode of the Cupping Table Podcast, David Paparelli, co-founder of M-Cultivo, sits down with Abdulrahman (Abdul) Alosaimi, the former airline pilot turned founder of Toga. Abdulrahman reveals his specialty coffee story, which began with a life-changing drip coffee in Sydney back in 2014. We explore how he translated aviation's high-stakes culture into a coffee shop built from the ground up, featuring a bar designed as a "touchdown zone" and a pantry that mimics a flight deck window. The conversation takes a candid turn as we discuss the "bare-knuckle" competition of the UAE market, where a staggering 80% of new coffee outlets reportedly close within just three months. Abdulrahman explains why he is doubling down on transparency and the science of processing, from launching his own roastery with a Loring machine to educating customers on the crucial differences between co-fermented and infused beans. The interview offers a unique look at how to navigate market volatility and successfully take off in the world of specialty coffee.Learn more about M-Cultivo: https://mcultivo.com/Visit Toga Coffee: https://togacoffee.com/