The final of the 1ST CRACK COFFEE CHALLENGE (1CCC), a roasting competition aimed at discovering and nurturing young roasters under the age of 35, was held at Tokyo Culture Culture on Friday, September 13, 2024, and Keita Tatsuno of THE ROASTERS in Wakayama City won the championship.
In the second part of the final stage report, we bring you an interview with the four judges and Fukuzawa, the representative of Giessen Japan, right after the competition ended. We asked them about their impressions of the six finalists, including the winner Tatsuno, and their thoughts on the competition.
Toshikazu Muromoto (Editor-in-Chief of STANDART JAPAN)
"There was an evaluation item (welcome drink) where the coffee was judged, but since it wasn't a cupping session, we were able to see what the participants have now, what they have done, and what they want to do in the future.
I was surprised to see that some of the participants did not yet have their own shops, and some had just started roasting, but their presentations gave me a glimpse of where they are headed. I hope they will lead the way towards that future," he said, expressing his hopes for the future of the coffee industry.
Shin Shiozaki (Executive Director, Fairtrade Label Japan)
"Each contestant had strengths in different areas, so the judging was really difficult. I think that in the end, the audience could sense how confident each contestant was in the logic and reasoning behind what they were saying, and everyone was fantastic.
What was great about the talk was that it covered a wide range of topics, including fair trade, and also the ideas and issues surrounding sustainability."
Yuya Kosakada (Co-CEO/Head Roaster, Raw Sugar Roast )
“When it comes to the coffee we deal with, what’s important is the weight of each cup. The more thought is put into it, the more the ‘mass’ increases, and the more the individual’s taste emerges. Although the liquid known as coffee is completed simply by roasting it in a roaster and pouring hot water over it, when you drink it you can understand how the person thought about making it.
All we baristas/roasters do is put that into the coffee, but I think that's an absolutely important part of being a craftsman, so I'm sure that (this year's finalists) will become fantastic roasters."
Yoshiteru Hamana (Ajinomoto AGF/Q Grader)
"Listening to everyone's presentations, I realized the importance of steadily doing what I can do, rather than doing something that stands out, like visiting farms overseas and reporting on them.
I was reminded once again of the most important thing, especially for the champion (Tatsuno-san), who naturally goes to those around him to ask for guidance."
Giessen Japan's Fukuzawa: "We want to continue working on new things together."
Finally, we asked Fukuzawa from Giessen Japan to look back on the tournament.
"(About the winner, Tatsuno) It was a presentation that made me want to see him do his best. It's a strength to have people want to support you, and it's essential for your future development (as a roaster). I think it's good that these points were recognized.
I've heard that the "1CCC" competition is becoming quite popular among young people, and I'm glad to see more and more people participating every year. If the participants could be more conscious of the final presentations from the preliminary qualifying stage onwards, I think the level of the competition would rise even further and those who attend would be able to enjoy it even more. I'd like to try this as a competition to see how it can be used in the future."
One of the attractions of "1CCC" is that it not only unearths new young talent, but also expands the circle of friends among the young roasters who participate. As CROWD ROASTER , we will continue to keep an eye on the roasters who graduated from "1CCC" to see how they will be active not only in Japan but also around the world in the future.
Champion Tatsuno appears at "SCAJ2024"!
Tatsuno, the winner of this year's competition, is also scheduled to appear at the Giessen Japan booth at SCAJ2024, Japan's largest specialty coffee exhibition, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from Wednesday, October 9th to Friday, October 11th.
We are also planning to hold a collaboration event at CROWD ROASTER booth.
More details will be released later, so please check it out.
1CCC 2024
"1CCC 2024" special feature
・1CCC 2024 Final Stage Report <Part 1> Interview with Champion Keita Tatsuno (THE ROASTERS)
・1CCC 2024 Final Stage Report <Part 2> Interview with Judge & Giessen Japan's Fukuzawa
・1CCC 2024 Final Stage Report <Part 2> Interview with Judge & Giessen Japan's Fukuzawa
