Project Description
Japan
Miki Suzuki
Maruyama Coffee
Please tell us a little bit about yourself:
I’ve been working at Maruyama Coffee since 2008. I’m so delighted to be a barista. The coffee industry has been life changing for me. I have forged many important relationships with coffee producer, trainers, my team mates, and my customers. These experiences made me grow as a professional barista and helps me to truly appreciate coffee.
What are you excited to do while you are in Seoul?:
I’m looking forward to meeting coffee people from all over the world at WBC. For me coffee is not only a drink but something that connects people.
Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:
2009 Japan Barista Championship – 9th Place
2010 Japan Barista Championship – 1st Place
2011 Japan Barista Championship – 1st Place
2016 Japan Barista Championship – 1st Place
2010 World Barista Championship – 5th Place
2011 World Barista Championship – 4th Place
Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the WBC?:
Firstly, I would like to thank Kentaro Maruyama, Hidenori Izaki, my team mates, my family and my friends, who help and encourage me. I deeply appreciate their effort and dedications.
How do you see the coffee industry changing in the future?:
I think the coffee industry has to focus on “coffee experience”. The machine technology has grown and is still growing up quickly. It has helped to make better coffee more easily. This is a great situation but we have to created the amazing coffee experience for customers. I would like to raise the value of coffee.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:
I hope I am serving wonderful coffee experiences to my customers.
What are your interests outside of coffee?:
I love to go to bars and talk with bartenders. They are very professional. I do not know much about alcohol, but they provide so much rich information for me. So that I can enjoy drinking and listening to it. The can explain technical matters in a very simple and easy way. They always give me a great pleasure.
