Courtney Kheng, Singapore

Glyph Supply Co

Tell us about yourself:

My name is Courtney, and I’ve been a barista since 2018. I currently work with Glyph Supply Co, based in Singapore.

I was once working in Human Resources, and needed my daily caffeine fix to survive the corporate life.

Serendipitously, there was a specialty multi-roaster cafe across my office and I fell in love with not just their coffees but their amazing baristas. Long story short, I took that leap of faith and gave up my corporate career to become one of them.

When I was a newly hired barista, my colleagues were training for competition and asked if I wanted to assist them. As I sat through their training, I was dumbfounded as to how training for coffee competitions seemed to be as challenging as training for the Olympics.

I saw their exponential growth throughout the process, and when I saw them dazzle and inspire on stage, I decided that I wanted to be a part of this arduous yet rewarding journey as well. I’ve since competed in three national competitions and this will be my first time on the world stage.

What are you excited to do while you visit Busan?

I am so excited to visit the coffee shops in Busan and understand how they have each contributed to the vibrant coffee culture I have heard so much about. I am also very keen to try their fresh seafood, especially their live octopus!

What are your interests outside of coffee?

I love reading manga and watching anime. My all-time favorite is One Piece.

I also love eating other specialty foods like cheese, chocolate and olive oil. I enjoy keeping a record of all the foods I have eaten in these categories, and logging down their tasting notes and tactile experiences. Perhaps it is a natural tendency to do so as a barista competitor.

Before I was training for competition, I used to ferment things every day. Kombuchas, natural sodas, yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, cultured butter, you name it!

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize or who helped you to prepare for the WBC?

I would like to thank my Glyph Supply Co and Dough team for being there for me in the little and big things along the way. Thank you for believing in me and holding space for me.

Thank you to Jill Hoff for believing in me since my nationals, and being not only an amazing coach but a mother figure in my life. Also to my other female coffee role models, Yessy and Marcia.

Thank you to my family for supporting me from day 1, the day I broke the news that I quit my corporate career to join the coffee industry. Despite that surprising news, your faith in me never waivered and I am beyond grateful.