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Ultra-light roasting might have pushed coffee forward, but has it now become more about flexing than flavour?
Benjamin Brassart has just been crowned the 2026 World Coffee Roasting Champion, becoming the first Belgian to win the title, on home soil and in his first appearance at the World Championships.
In this episode, Benjamin takes us behind the scenes of one of coffee’s least understood competitions. We unpack how competitors assess unfamiliar green coffees, build a three-coffee blend, create a roast plan and predict what judges will taste in the final cup.
We also explore what everyday roasters can take from competition, including how to identify vegetal, woody and baked flavours, why cupping is a roaster’s most important skill, and how different machines shape the final result.
Plus, Benjamin shares how he launched Boo Coffee Roasters, what it’s really like working on a fluid-bed roaster and why the perfect profile means nothing if you cannot taste what needs to change.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Roasting Championships 01:47 Meet Benjamin Brassart 05:14 Starting Boo Coffee 07:41 Fluid-Bed Roasting 10:50 How the Competition Works 14:17 APAX LAB 15:10 Skills Every Roaster Needs 19:35 Fixing Problem Coffees 20:44 Roasting Defects 24:20 Lessons from Competition 29:00 Are Ultra-Light Roasts Dead? 31:05 Building a Winning Blend 35:40 Advice for New Roasters 38:05 Roasting Automation 41:05 Riverina Fresh 41:45 Benjamin’s Hot Take 43:05 The Person Behind the Win
Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, hot takes or guest suggestions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
