Ian Kissick is the owner of Formative Coffee and 6th Place World Barista Champion 2024. In this episode, Dario and Ian dive into coffee culture, changing perceptions around coffee, putting flavour before brand name, preparing for competition and how he approached the 2024 World Barista Championships.

Ian owns and operates Formative Coffee in London, a cafe serving some of the world's best coffee, but with a creative twist. Ian has brought his competition expertise into the cafe to create an experience that puts flavour in the foreground, and prompts some subtle questions about how his customers perceive the role of coffee in their lives.

It's a long, casual chat that thoroughly explains Ian's mindset, approach and philosophies. Grab a coffee and put your headphones on, this is a good one!