Caffeinated Journeys: The Coffee Adventures of Panagiotis

Seeds of Passion

Panagiotis' involvement with coffee began in the late 80s during his college studies as a Computer Engineer. Although computers were a promising future profession, he was fascinated by the human interaction that the coffee sector offered.

His thirst for knowledge led him to get to know all the posts of the cafeteria and after his military service he made his first business venture, a canteen on a beach in the suburbs of Attica. Every difficulty and every new action led him to become better and aim higher. At the age of twenty-one, he took over the operation of his first coffee shop of 500 square meters.

Although the project was too big even for the fearless enthusiasm that prevails in his character, after two years he took over a cafe of the same size.

At the turn of the millennium, he realized that things in coffee were changing and would continue to change all the time. He started looking for more information about coffee and attending seminars. His valuable experience in the management of the two large cafes and from the catering business management and personnel management seminars led him to the creation of a business consulting company. For several years he undertook the improvement of existing businesses or the creation of new ones. He soon realized that staff training is the key to the successful operation of catering businesses and created the Barista Academy.

The success of the Barista Academy made him known throughout the coffee market and he began to be invited to lecture at Exhibitions and Festivals. At the same time, he wrote articles in various magazines of the sector. The lecture entitled " Home Barista" in September 2018 was the reason for writing his first book of the same title.

Worldly Aromas

His restless nature and the need to learn the real history of coffee led him to the homeland of coffee, Ethiopia.

"This trip can be a life-changing experience," tour organizer David Veal said on the first day of the trip. And he was right!

A new world opened before his eyes. The unique and moving experiences of that trip to Ethiopia were so powerful that he had to share them with those who do not have the opportunity to make that trip.

While writing his book about his travel experiences in Ethiopia, he traveled to Costa Rica to further deepen their knowledge of coffee growing and processing.

In 2020 "On a Coffee Trip to Ethiopia" was released. A bilingual edition in Greek and English that takes you on a unique journey to the uniqueness of Ethiopia.

A year later he managed to release 'On a Coffee Trip to Costa Rica', which describes this tropical paradise from a different perspective.

He has been awarded three times for his publishing achievements and has been invited several times as a head judge in the Barista Competition in Ethiopia. He holds the Coffee Diploma from Specialty Coffee Association and he is an Authorized trainer at Barista and Brewing Modules of SCA.

His worldwide recognition became greater and in 2022 he was invited to Brazil to write his third "Journey for Coffee". A year later his 370-page masterpiece was published. His unique writing style weaves Celtic myths, exotic destinations and rare gems into a coffee-scented journey.

Brewing Tomorrow

Although he considers barista training important for the catering sector, he believes that the change towards the consumption of high-quality coffee will come from the needs of consumers.

At the same time, he believes that climate change along with the labor shortage will make coffee a luxury item. Therefore, coffee consumption will be limited to home consumption.

This reason together with his need to share with the whole world the history of coffee and the correct way of making it led him to write his new book which will be released soon.

The new book "Enjoy Coffee at Home" besides the historical path of coffee and its brewing methods includes coffee cocktail recipes, coffee confection recipes and a section with techniques to enjoy coffee outdoors.

We are sure that he will not stop researching, travelling and sharing with us his valuable experiences and knowledge.

Can't wait for his new project!