MANILA, Philippines — In 2019, Michael Conlin represented the Philippines at the prestigious World Barista Championship, finishing in 15th place during the semifinal round.
Six years later, Conlin is set for a comeback as the championship takes place in Milan — but this time around, he has a new mindset fuelling his competitiveness.
Conlin hosted several media representatives last July 2, including Philstar.com to the Mandaluyong branch of his The Giving Cafe, which used to be his grandfather’s home built during the 1950s.
After a delicious lunch of The Giving Cafe favorites like Lengua con Champignon, Sweet and Sour Pork and Pancit, Conlin shared his new objectives when he competes later this October.
He began by pointing out the goals of baristas like himself are to meet people and communicate the journey of coffee from the soil to the cup.
Conlin got into coffee when he was 19 years old through his family’s abaca industry, a time when only a few Starbucks branches were in the Philippines, but didn’t start barista training until a year before his first competition held in Boston, United States.
The barista initially thought he had nothing else to give to the coffee world and shifted focus to other hobbies, but the months after the pandemic changes Conlin’s mind.
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“One of the things I really love about coffee — aside from the culture, the flavors, the aroma — is the people in coffee. What I realized about specialty coffee is, it’s always been about people working together,” Conlin said. “The greatest coffees, the ones that truly can move us, are born from connection.”
Conlin compared the theme of connection to his grandfather’s house, which was empty for two years after his death before it opened its doors again a new The Giving Cafe branch.
“The mission here for this place is to connect people again, for friends that haven’t seen each other for years, to get together and share a meal, share a cup of coffee, and then talk about old times,” he explained.
The barista recounted a recent conversation he had with olds friends who were pivotal in getting him into coffee and how years later the industry has boomed from pop-up shops to wedding stalls.
For Conlin, that was the connection that coffee built — conversations people have around it, sharing a cup and talk about anything in life, “I felt that that topic had to be tackled in the world stage.”
He acknowledged that Filipinos lately are calling for more support for farmers, but Conlin said equal focus should also go to the producers, the roasters, the baristas, the cafe owners and most especially those drinking the coffee.
“That story is part of building that connection between the end user and the farmer and everyone else in between,” Conlin continued. “So that’s one of our missions for this competition in Milan.That’s what we’re preparing for.”
Specifically, how can not only the international community but all Filipinos know the Philippines has quality coffee.
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“It’s also a way to kind of wake up our community, our leaders in government, people who don’t value coffee, the ones that don’t pay enough for the value chain to survive,” he went on.
“It’s a wake up call for them that if we don’t do something about coffee, if we don’t communicate how difficult coffee is and how much work goes into it, it’s going to disappear from us.”
Conlin pointed out that the Philippines is one of the biggest consumers of coffee in Southeast Asia yet it doesn’t grow enough coffee beans, reiterating the hard work involved.
“In order for people to work more or give more to the coffee industry, we need to build value. And that value is given through connection, through storytelling, through sharing of knowledge and experience,” Conlin shared.
For the upcoming world championship, Conlin said the competition is looking for an ambassador for specialty coffee.
Preparation for it is difficult because the beverages to be presented have to stand out and baristas need to communicate it well to judges and consumers.
Another part of the competition is the experience itself — eating as much to expand one’s palette, finding the right descriptions and comparisons, and building one’s muscle memory.
“From supporting coffee farmers and elevating its taste, [it’s] time to bring Philippine coffee to the world stage AND win an award for it,” Conlin ended.
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