Women in Coffee: Catarina Estevens

Therefore, it makes sense to take a closer look at this reality and to highlight the role, achievements and dreams of coffee women in Portugal and around the globe.

In this first edition we invited Catarina Estevens, owner, manager and head barista of Flavour Café in Tavira, Portugal, to tell us about her relationship with coffee.

What was your first coffee experience? 

I think just like most of us coffee lovers, coffee appears in our lives almost during childhood. On a professional level I had 16 years and I was doing my first summer job. It was then that I understood that coffee would be a permanent part of my life. Life, of course, took its turns, and after finishing university and having gained some work experience “in real life”, I decide to start my own business, a specialty coffee and tea place called “Flavour Café”. From the beginning on, my passion for coffee continued to grow and with the personal engagement a business requires, so did my thirst for knowledge. So I continued learning and acquiring the barista skills that would allow me to specialize, always with the goal of serving my customers a quality product that would make them happy, every visit anew.

What ideas motivate you to work with coffee?

Two things. The raw material, which I love. I love it not only because of the characteristics, the flavors, the aroma, the textures, but because it’s complex and extremely versatile, challenging our creativity. Like this, I can learn and evolve every day. And still there’s so much more I’m excited about learning!

Then, the persons. I love the persons and everything they give me: The opportunity to contact and share knowledge and make people happy, every day. Coffee is something that creates bonds, not only here in my coffee shop but also in the wider coffee world. We get to know people, places and share experiences that will accompany us for a lifetime. It’s what makes my heart full!

Yes! My dream come true would be if everyone appreciated a perfectly extracted coffee. That’s what motivates me to share my coffee knowledge and passion. I hope for a growing respect for coffee among baristas, growers and dealers. I’m looking forward to contributing to that goal, and to passing on my passion and skills to my employees here at Flavour Café and to other coffee lovers at events, workshops and trainings that I give

How do you imagine coffee in the future?

I think we’ll continue to be faithful to espresso coffee, because it’s a part of our latin culture. We will never let go of the habit of taking a coffee in a bar around the corner because it’s just so much more than just having a drink. It’s hearing “Bom Dia!” from behind the counter, it’s having coffee together with friends, it’s the beginning of a whole new day. However, just like we’ve been becoming more demanding with food and wine, we will demand more from coffee. We want to know more, experiment and educate our palate. I believe the filter extraction method will gain terrain both at home and in the Horeca sector.

Several! First, there’s Luigi Lupi, Latte Art pioneer, with whom I concluded my SCA Barista Professional qualification and whom I admire for the elegance of his work. Then, there’s Nuno Castanheira from the Academia Barista Nestlé who has been my support, motivating me every day to follow my dreams. Last but not least, I feel privileged to know Maurizio Valli from Bugan Coffee Lab in Bergamo, Italy, who is just a total  passionate coffee professional and a walking encyclopedia about coffee. It’s impossible not to be infected by his passion! And after all we’ve been going through with the Covid19-pandemic, his cheerfulness and resilience are so inspiring! I feel lucky to have crossed paths with these three coffee giants.

If you imagined you were a part of an espresso machine, which part were you, and why? 😉

Clearly a cool-touch steam wand of an Astrolab! Because I like to stay quietly in my corner – but I’m ready and full of energy when the moment comes to roll up my sleeves!

And last, but not least, what’s your favorite coffee drink on a monday morning?