The FNB CMA winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Saturday, 29 June at Durban’s Waterfront Hotel at the conclusion of the popular FNB Creative Coffee Week.
The FNB CMAs, started in 2018, bring together the South African coffee professionals to recognise and celebrate excellence within the industry.
“Besides the prestige and naturally competitive nature of the industry, it’s our intention to reward those who have made contributions to improving the industry,” said Coffee Magazine founder and editor-at-large, Melanie Winter.
“This could be through philanthropy, mindfulness of the environment, influencing trends, innovation, market growth or simply by making decisions that shape our industry into a more desirable place for future coffee professionals. These awards celebrate diversity, champion transformation and reward those who create opportunities for others to flourish.”
This award is given to the person or company has dedicated time to coffee education. The 2019 nominees are:
The spaces created for coffee add to the experience of enjoying the beverage in South Africa. These 2019 nominees are:
This coffee professional achieves excellence in their chosen area of the coffee production chain. S/he is innovative and recognised as a leadership figure in the industry by constantly inspiring others around them. The 2019 nominees are:
Cafés are meeting places, spaces for community, collaborations and first dates. There are new cafés opening every month and the standard is increasing year-on-year through better equipment, higher quality beverages, a fitting menu, improved service, innovative design, outfitting, creative seating, flow and ambience. The criteria stipulate this is a café that opened in the last 24 months which has created something special. The 2019 nominees are:
This category seeks to recognise roasteries that opened in the last three years and are gaining reputations as up-and-coming on the South African scene. The 2019 nominees are:
Aeropress, Chemex, Siphon or V60 pour-over to name a few! The 2019 nominees are:
These nominees teach and inspire, they train and serve. They impart wisdom learned from thousands of hours behind the espresso machine and their subject matter is technique, science, aesthetic and service. The 2019 nominees are:
These coffee professionals approach whatever they do with optimism, effervescence and inspiration. They fly the flag of the coffee community high and get involved in all areas, remaining dedicated throughout. The 2019 nominees are:
This award recognises that it is people who make a coffee company great – from the owners who create a happy, respectful and creative ethos, to the staff who live the brand daily. A successful team is one where all the people in the space uphold the same values and consistently serve with excellence. The 2019 nominees are:
This award goes to the establishment that has consistently created an amazing café experience for its patrons. They provide great coffee and food with excellent service, have great ambience, design and - most importantly - a loyal community of patrons. The 2019 nominees are:
These nominees are the roasteries in South Africa that have forged the path for speciality coffee in the country. They continue to push the boundaries of coffee roasting by sourcing the best coffees, investing in the latest technology, while collaborating, sharing and engaging with the global roasting community. They educate, inform and inspire their customers – wholesale and retail - by bringing the highest quality coffee to the market. The 2019 nominees are:
This award is not limited to coffee competitions but is the barista all-rounder. S/he is the barista who epitomises what it means to understand, respect and serve amazing coffee experiences. They are masters of extraction, technique and technical understanding, but most of all, they cherish that it’s not just about the coffee served, but the serving. The 2019 nominees are: