In 1999 Nikos Psomas introduced the specialty coffee culture in the Greek market.
Nikos Psomas is proud to continue a story of four generations and that represents a very important part of the Greek coffee history. Nikos is the grandson of Dimitrios Apostolidis and son Antonios Psoma. The first is the founder of BRAVO company, which pioneered the Greek market for many years, and the second the owner of Brazilian Coffee Store Street, the first store that served espresso coffee in Greece.
These two showed Nikos some fundamental secrets of coffee, after all, roasting science is not studied somewhere in the world.. As a child Nikos was “drenched” into coffee, either working in the coffee shops or at the Brazilian coffee store on Voukourestiou 1 Street. The coffee aromas and coffees varieties were familiar to Nikos since a kid. At the age of 19 he studied BSc – Engineering, at the University of Westminster in London. After completing his studies, he began designing, along with his grandfather, the first fully automated coffee shop in Greece, perhaps in the world. In 1999 MOKKA was established.
In parallel and at age twenty four years old he traveled to the best plantations in Brazil. He imported certified Specialty coffee, varieties like Mundo Novo, Catuai and the famous Bourbon, processed by Natural, Pulp Natural and Fully Washed treatement. It was the moment that specialty coffee was introduced to Greece. In 2001 MOKKA imports a coffee lot receiving the Cup of Excellence award. A new chapter for coffee market in Greece was just starting … Nikos Psomas specializes in roasting all varieties of coffee and cupping. By attending in many seminars and presentations around the world he keeps updated regarding coffee cultivation, processing, roasting, chemistry, brewing. He holds diplomas like Coffee Science, Roasting Masterclass, Espresso Roasting Cuptasting Blending.
As a connoisseur is the first Greek as a member of the International Jury of the Cup of Excellence, with four entries in competitions in 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2008. In 2005 he also won the fifth place in the World Championship tasting. In 2000 he becomes member of the European Speciality Coffee Association and he belongs to the first group to be certified as SCAE Authorized-Trainer in 2006. Since then he has certified many Baristas with the Basic, Intermediate and Proffessional Barista diploma as well as he has done many seminars on cupping. From 2010 to 2015 he is the SCAE National coordinator and within this period the Greek team gets the Best nation Award in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The story continues ..
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