Phaedon, founder of Cape Coffee Beans, interviews Andre Blignaut, winner of South Africa’s inaugural Origami Cup. Andre shares his unconventional path into coffee, including training as a licensed aircraft engineer, spending three years as a missionary, and gaining early specialty coffee exposure in Cape Town through Cedar Coffee Roasters and later Harvest Cafe. He recounts winning the 2024 National Cup Tasters Championship and his work as a trainer and consultant, discussing the importance of practical barista experience alongside formal education and training standards. Andre also details his Origami Cup-winning approach.

How to support Andre

Here are three ways you can support Andre and help him get to the World Origami Cup:

• Attend the Origami Masterclass (2026-09-05) or a future event with Andre
• Shop at Cape Coffee Beans using Andre's affiliate link
• Sponsor Andre through his Back a Buddy campaign

Resources & links

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the video:

• Blog: Managing Astringency in Coffee Brewing by Scott Rao
• Video: Think Your Coffee Is Bitter? It Might Be Astringent (Here’s the Fix) by Lance Hedrick
• Video: The Ultimate Infused/Funky Coffee Recipe by Jay Kim
• Instagram: Chris Lee of HIFLUX Coffee (filter paper science)