Bocana Tonny Ocana
Uganda
Coffee Quality Assurance
Please tell us a little about yourself:
A quality coffee enthusiast, coffee roaster, cup taster and social entrepreneur who is constantly working towards making quality coffee more accessible to consumers as either green beans, roast coffee, or coffee liquor. I work closely with passionate small holder farmers to help them to produce coffee that is responsive to market demands in terms of quality and cup complexity. Through our work with these small holder farmers, they have been able to produce sustainable coffees for a sustainable livelihood and sustainable wealth.
How did you get started in coffee?:
I got started in coffee in 2012, when I developed a strong desire to serve a quality cup of coffee to our customers at the eatery I owned. In 2014 we transformed it into a coffee house called MyCheckmate CoffeeHouse
Please list the coffee competitions you have participated in, what year they took place, and your results:
2017 UCDA National Cup Tasters Champion
2018 UCDA National Cup Tasters Champion
What are you excited to do while you are in Brazil?:
I would love to visit one or two coffee enterprises and learn their secrets of success in order to borrow and replicate those methods that I think can work in Uganda.
What is your favorite coffee to cup?:
I love black coffee (Americano) made with an espresso machine.
What are your interests outside of coffee?:
Working with communities and helping to transforming their livelihoods in a way that brings joint meaning.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?:
I see myself reaching more consumers with a quality cup of coffee through MyCheckmate CoffeeHouse which we would like to turn into a franchise.
Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the competition?:
My business partner, and son, Emesu Op’tune Bocana, along with his siblings, for being my inspiration in this adventure in the world of coffee.
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