is represented Romania at the World Brewers Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she placed 25th overall. As the owner of Sloane Coffee in Bucharest Teodora brought her personal and professional experience to one of the most prestigious competitions in the specialty coffee world. We spoke with her about competing in Asia, the intense preparation, and the lessons learned from standing on the world stage for the first time.

What was it like to compete in Indonesia, a country so passionate about coffee?

It was really fun. The audience was amazing — so engaged and genuinely excited. You could feel how much people care about coffee there. Competing in Asia felt special because we don’t usually get to interact with that market. That made being on stage in Jakarta even more meaningful.

We had access to a really good training center. They provided everything we needed: equipment, compulsory coffee, and a space to prepare. Some of the people working there had competed at the national level themselves, so they were very familiar with competition standards and were incredibly helpful — even joining in to train with us and give feedback. It made a huge difference to be able to train in a proper space, instead of just in a hotel room.

Who did you travel with?

I was there with my sparring partner, Manos Mamakis. He helped me a lot with tasting and refining the routine. He’s actually very experienced in CIGS and helped some of our other competitors as well.

Even though I mostly trained on my own, I needed someone to give honest feedback and challenge me, especially toward the end of the prep. It was just the two of us — and honestly, that was helpful. Jakarta is a busy, complex city, and getting around is not always easy. So logistically, it was better to keep things simple.

What word would you use to describe your Jakarta experience?

Inspiring.

Seeing the level of professionalism, the dedication, and the creativity from competitors around the world was eye-opening. Even if you feel prepared at home, once you’re there and see what others are doing, it pushes you to think differently and look for new ways to improve. It really made me reflect on how much more there is to learn.

How was it with the other competitors backstage?

I already knew some of them from previous events and travels, so we had some connections. You do become friends backstage — you share that adrenaline, the stress, the laughs.

In Jakarta, we didn’t have much time outside of the venue to hang out — the city is huge, and travel takes a while — but some of us trained at the same location, which helped build a bit of community. Of course, we didn’t necessarily help each other directly — it’s still a competition — but there was a lot of mutual respect.

When did you arrive in Jakarta, and how did you plan your prep?

I arrived about eight days before the competition. That gave us enough time to adjust to the time zone and climate, while also staying within the right window for coffee degassing.

We decided to bring roasted coffee rather than green beans. There had been a change in regulations in April — they limited travelers to 500 grams of green coffee per person. That made us nervous, so we played it safe and roasted before the trip. By the time I competed, the coffee had rested for ten days, which was exactly where I wanted it to be.

How did you feel right before going on stage?

Surprisingly, I wasn’t that nervous. I thought I would be, but instead I felt excited. I had reached a point where I knew: this is the most I can do. Of course, if I had more time, I could have improved more, but at that moment, I was ready. I just wanted to go and do it.

After the presentation, I actually felt like I wanted to do more — I was just getting started. The atmosphere was so good, I didn’t want it to end.

How was it to have the producer of your coffee in the audience?

It was really special. It felt warm — like having friends or family there with me.

I hadn’t explained my full concept to him beforehand, so after the presentation, I checked in with him and asked if it all made sense. I tried to explain the idea in my Spanish, and he thought it was super interesting. It felt meaningful to me that he was there, watching. I had put so much focus on his coffee, his processing, and the work happening on the farm — it was beautiful to be able to share that.

Did you get to watch any other presentations?

Only three, live. The first one I saw was Carlos Escobar — and I remember being blown away. It was early in the morning, one of the first presentations, and I just thought: wow, this is incredible. The idea, the story, the execution — everything was so clean and impactful.

Interestingly, he worked with the same producer as I did, though a different coffee. The essence of what he was trying to express was something I also related to — though, of course, we each had our own take. After watching his presentation, I knew: this is top 3 material.

Would you compete again?

Yes — I would. I’ve been thinking about it already. Nationals are in four months, and I’m still figuring out if I’ll have the time. Because what I’ve realized is: to deliver a world-level presentation, you need a huge time investment.

It’s not just about repeating a routine a hundred times. It’s about continuously improving, noticing small things that can still be better — and that’s what takes time. I also think you need to have a strong concept, a personal idea that really comes across.

Why are you on that stage? What’s your perspective? What's your personal input? It can be technical, it can be storytelling, or it can be all about the coffee — but it has to be cohesive. So yes, I’d compete again. But only if I find the right idea. And then I’ll have to be honest with myself: will I have enough time to do it right?

What’s your biggest takeaway from this experience?

That the people who win, win before they go on stage. Preparation makes all the difference. You can’t fake it on stage — it all comes down to the work you’ve put in beforehand.

Final question — what motivated you to start competing in the first place?

Honestly, it was the people around me. So many of them were competing, and I felt that if I wanted to truly support them — as a leader, as a green buyer, as someone roasting their coffees — I had to understand what it really means to go through it.

I started competing two years ago. This was my first time at Worlds. I don’t know how long I’ll keep competing, but even when I stop, I’ll still be leading my team. Now I have a completely different understanding of what it means to support someone in competition. And that, to me, is incredibly valuable.