Agnieszka Rojewska Interview

My name is Agnieszka Rojewska. I’m from Poland. Currently I work for Carimali as Head of coffee quality – I check our machines and together with RD team try to improve the performance of new products.

It was around 2009 when I started to understand that coffee is more than just a bucket of milk with caramel syrup and it can taste great without additional stuff.

Not really sure exactly but I think it was natural Ethiopia or Kenya – both of them were a big thing to me.

That I will drink my 500ml of coffee – and I keep all the gems in freezer in the office.

I like clever dripper because I don’t really need to focus of making it – so it is great for my mornings. The other thing I like is flat bed brewer like kalita 185 or April brewer – I enjoy how they influence the body of the cup.

Hard to say – I hope it is still in front of me. For now, of course my WBC Ethiopian coffee the other one that I keep in my mind is Eugenoidis espresso from Wojtek Białczak during WBC 2019 in Boston.

I think Ethiopia and Colombia. They just always satisfy my need of complex coffee.

I would say Standout Coffee.

That there is nothing sure in this business – everything is constantly changing.

Mine work didn’t change a lot – as I mostly test machines. I just see that manufacturers of coffee machines have really hard time now, and coffee shops as well. Governments are not helping a lot, especially in Poland. And business owners are left for themselves.

I think it will be much more automated and we will see a lot of new species and varietals in coffee shops.

Hopefully in a peaceful place, with a dog, making coffee from time to time.

Coffee is not an easy career, but it really worth the effort.

Cover Pic @lucarinaldi

Agnieszka Rojewska’s influence extends far beyond competition results. As the first woman to win the World Barista Championship, she challenged long-standing perceptions within the coffee industry and demonstrated that excellence is driven by knowledge, preparation and passion rather than convention. Her success encouraged greater diversity in coffee competitions and inspired countless professionals to pursue careers in specialty coffee.

Over the years, Agnieszka has become recognised not only as a champion but also as an educator, mentor and advocate for continuous learning. Through international judging, consulting, training and public speaking, she has contributed to raising professional standards across the global coffee community. Her work emphasises technical precision, sensory awareness and a deep respect for every stage of the coffee value chain—from producers and green coffee sourcing to brewing and customer experience.

Today, her influence can be seen in the growing number of baristas and coffee professionals who approach competitions, education and everyday service with the same commitment to quality and curiosity. Her career continues to demonstrate that specialty coffee is built on collaboration, knowledge sharing and an ongoing pursuit of excellence.