SCA Poland Interviews Agnieszka Rojewska - SCA Community Spotlight

The coronavirus pandemic has put a stop to most international events, including the World Coffee Championships, but some SCA Chapters and Competition Bodies are innovating to help their local competitors come together— safely— for a chance at becoming national champions.

MARCIN RZOŃCA, Marketing Coordinator for the SCA Poland Chapter, sat down with Agnieszka Rojewska after she picked up two more titles—Polish Coffee in Good Spirits Champion and Cezve/Ibrik Champion at the 2021 National Championships. This article is part of our #SCACommunity Spotlight series featuring the work of coffee communities around the world. Follow SCA Poland on Facebook and Instagram.

Marcin Rzońca: First of all, once again, congratulations on your double championship! Is there any national competition format you haven’t won yet? 

Agnieszka Rojewska: Thank you! It wasn't easy, as the competitors are getting better and better in Poland. Yes, of course, there are few that I haven’t won, I'm not a machine! In Poland, I think there are still two I haven't competed in, for example, Cup Tasting and Roasters Championships. I might keep it that way for now. My job doesn’t involve those activities and skills on a daily basis, so it would be impossible for me to compete, let alone talk about something more. 

MR: How has the pandemic influenced your preparations for the championships?

AR: Everything was absolutely different. First of all, we weren't sure as competitors, how the judges would be tasting the cups, so I needed to take into consideration a protocol that might influence their perception of flavor and aroma while describing and preparing the drinks. Moreover, safety rules required some adjustments while you work and prepare—even small things, like gloves or face masks, slightly change the way you perform so you need to practice with them. We also didn’t invite people for training, and instead did a lot of training online via Zoom.

MR: What does it mean to you, individually, to be a part of the SCA Poland community?

AR: Primarily, when I started, being part of the SCA was a big deal for me. I was just a simple barista making coffee, and at that time I felt like being part of such a big community was something special for a regular coffee maker. Soon I realized how big of an impact this "relationship" had on my coffee life. The SCA gave me the possibility to reach sources of knowledge across the world, and also gave direct connections to many businesses in Poland and abroad. You have created a great platform to exchange experiences, share ideas, and act together! This has sped up the career of many coffee professionals, like mine. So I am excited and glad that I'm a part of that network, and now, together, we can make Poland an important market on the world map. 

MR: Do you think that the Polish SCA Chapter has had a positive impact on the coffee community over the last few years?

AR: Definitely! Over the last years, I’ve seen SCA Poland not only making all of the competitions happen every year but also create this great initiative called #TeamPoland, which supports polish coffee champions in their preparations for the world stage. Apart from that, they have supported many Polish events that promote specialty coffee; like local coffee festivals, local competitions; and created a database where anybody can find local ASTs, and local companies involved with the SCA. SCA Poland has done a great job increasing awareness of specialty coffee in consumers.

MR: In your opinion, which aspects should SCA Chapters focus on in the future, especially if we are talking about professionals. 

AR: I think we’re living in difficult times, especially in the past year (and probably this year as well) so local SCA Chapters should put a lot of focus on helping local places survive. A great example is the #PijeLokalne initiative by SCA Poland (a campaign created to encourage customers to buy coffee locally, from Polish roasteries).  For me, the promotion and education of customers is very important. If people know, like, and understand the values of specialty coffee, they will look for it, and as more people look for it the market will grow. For professionals, I think an approachable platform to share knowledge and learn from each other, where we can exchange ideas, experiences and teach one another could make us better professionals.

MR: You’re in the game for a long time and you don’t look tired or like you’re short of new ideas. So, what and who inspires you the most? Where are you looking for inspiration? 

AR: I don’t need to look far for inspiration. Simply, it’s the core of this business—coffee. It is a constantly changing product, a market that evolves so fast that it is hard to keep up. I'm just trying to keep up and by doing that, I'm just catching so many things that I want to explore and share. That is enough for many more competitions!

MR: You spent dozens of hours on training, preparation, and on stage, but it would not be possible without your team. Tell me more about your backstage preparation, and the people who help you the most. Why is it so important to have the best people backstage? 

AR: Well, it is a team sport even although on stage you are alone. For many years now I have worked with Paula Adamska. I guess it started in 2016 at the Polish Latte Art Championship and from that moment on she was with me for all the competitions. Probably without her, my trolley on-stage would be half empty! It is great to have a person like that on your team, who remembers your habits and doesn’t ask about unnecessary things but is able to do a huge amount of stuff without asking because she just knows the competitions so well. It allows you to focus on other fields and tasks—repeat your speech, calm down, even go cry in a corner. It is a huge relief if you know you have that support in your team! In 2018 I also worked with Kamila Adamiec—she was, let’s say, Paula’s assistant, and they both went very well together. I think it was the least serious team ever! And for a few years now I also have a shadow person who helps me with the important choices of coffee, drink recipes, and makes sure I don’t lose stupid points.

MR: If someone would like to compete in the future, at a national or international championship, what advice would you have for them? 

AR: I would say if you’re thinking about it, just do it. I know it sounds simple, but doing it for the first time is just a first step. Of course, a lot of people say “I will do it when I'm ready”. I can tell you—you are never ready, you will never be 100% prepared, you will never get that perfect coffee... Even with simple preparation, your first time will tell you if you even enjoy it or not, how can you prepare better, or do it again. If you are going to compete for the first time, keep in mind that you probably won’t win, and you need to ask yourself if you are okay with that.

MR: If you were not a professional barista, what would you would be?

AR: Hopefully a football or tennis player... but most probably a boring person working for a big accounting corporate company.

MR: Thank you for the interview!

MARCIN RZOŃCA is Marketing Coordinator for the SCA Poland Chapter. This article is part of our #SCACommunity Spotlight series featuring the work of coffee communities around the world. Follow SCA Poland on Facebook and Instagram.