Project Description

The Netherlands
Lex Wenneker
Friedhats Coffee / ESW

Please tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m 32 years old and I live in Amsterdam. This will be my third WBC, and I think it’s pretty awesome that I can compete this year in my own city. I’ve been working in coffee for about 10 years as a barista, roaster, trainer and I run my own roastery in Amsterdam called Friedhats Coffee. I’ve been competing for the last couple of years with a close group of friends because we like the search for the best coffees in the world and the creative process around the competition.

What are you excited to do while you are in Amsterdam?:

I live in Amsterdam, so I’m there pretty much everyday. Most excited that I can just cycle to the WBC this year (:

Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:

2012 Vienna World Cup Tasters Championship
2015 Seattle World Barista Championship – 15th Place
2016 Dublin World Barista Championship 2016 – 6th Place

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the WBC?:

My closest team members: Dylan Sedgwick, Jonatan Scheeper, Stijn Braas, Luuk de Klijn, Keng Pereira, and Yakup Aydin. My girlfriend for putting up with me during another year of barista competition. Henk Langkemper (Espresso Service West) for the never ending support. Willem Huisman (Brita) for teaching us about water. All of our sponsors for supporting us: ESW/Brita/Nuova Ricambi/SCA Netherlands/EDO.

How do you see the coffee industry changing in the future?:

Hopefully specialty coffee will become the new standard, and WBC coffee will become the new specialty. I see more and more people that have a coffee for the taste of it, rather than something that will wake them up. That will automatically change the coffee industry. In a good way (:

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:

Outside in the sun, in front of my new cafe, drinking a nice coffee that was roasted by one of us. Looking in through the window and seeing happy people also drinking a nice coffee and looking at the tamper on the counter that says “WBC Finalist 2018” (: (: Just kidding… About the sun, it always rains in The Netherlands.

What are your interests outside of coffee?:

Climbing, my second favourite sport after barista competition, and my girlfriend, who is just awesome. Those two I like consistently. And then there’s a million other things I like to do that are usually related to food, sports or building things.

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