Interview by Melanie Winter with Hany Ezzat
Making a career in coffee isn’t an easy or linear path, but with determination and imagination, rockstar baristas and content creators like Hany Ezzat are carving their own paths and making waves globally. We had the opportunity to engage with this inspiring coffee professional who is based in Canberra, Australia and his day job is with world famous brand ONA Coffee. Hany has created a line of beautiful coffee vessels under the brand, Ni, inspired by the search to always be making better coffee and making coffee better. After hearing about all the projects he has on the go, we can safely say that Hany must subscribe to the ‘sleep when you’re dead’ line of thinking. It’s a good thing his passion is coffee!
I had the privilege of finally meeting Hany in person at World of Coffee Dubai this past month and it was so wonderful. His online persona is real, guys! A sweet, driven and genuine human that certainly has a bright future in this industry and beyond!
The question that must be asked: How did you start in coffee?
I started working in hospitality when I was 11 years old. It was in a Turkish restaurant as a kitchen hand, and I worked my way up through the kitchen, onto the floor and eventually made it into the bar. I became infatuated with latte art as a barista behind the bar was really good at it. After turning 17, I decided to leave school to open my own cafe. To get experience I left the Turkish restaurant to work at what I viewed as the best cafe in Canberra: “The Cupping Room” by ONA Coffee. ONA was founded by 2015 World Barista Champion, Saša Sestic. This is where I fell in love with coffee and my journey into the specialty side of coffee began. Fast forward to now! Well, I still haven’t opened my own place, but I have helped many others to open their dream cafes and it has been a super fulfilling experience.
Tell us about your role at ONA and what you find rewarding about being part of such an iconic team and brand?
I’ve been with ONA for 8 years now! I currently work in the Sales Team in Canberra based out of our HQ where all the magic happens. I love my job so much as I have the chance to travel regularly to help people open their dream cafes, run events and work with what I would argue are some of the best coffee professionals in the world. I feel so lucky to be part of a team that is constantly pioneering new things in coffee and pushing the envelope in many different facets of this industry. Being inspired by the people around me has kept me here for so long.
Ni is your own company dedicated to making vessels than enhance the flavour experience of coffees. Can you please tell us what drove you to dive into the world of R&D and manufacturing?
The idea for Ni initially started when I was preparing for the Australian Brewers Cup in 2021. I was fascinated by the way different cups changed the experience of the coffee. In putting together my set, I was always stuck between two different cup styles (thin-lipped and thick-lipped) and came up with the idea to put the two cups together, as it were. From there I decided to collaborate with a local ceramicist in Canberra, Madeline Cardone, to create my first ever prototype. We tested multiple different shapes, glazes and sizes to find the perfect match for my competition coffee and learnt so much about the harmony of cups and coffee in the process. That year I placed 3rd in Australia and did better than I ever have in the competition. After that I had a lot of interest for the vessels and I decided to create the brand and the product. Since I was young I was always fascinated by design and architecture, so much so that during COVID, I bought my own 3D printer and learnt how to use the design software CAD at a basic level. Working together with local industrial design firm Formswell, Rene and the team there was a huge support and backer of my idea before it was real, they are the biggest reason this idea is alive and well.
Can you please explain the science and inspiration behind the designs?
As I got deeper into prototyping I started to learn all about how the multisensory experience affects your overall enjoyment of the coffee. Especially the work of Charles Spence in his book GastroPhysics: The New Science of Eating and the article he authored with Fabiana Carvalho (Assessing the influence of the coffee cup on the multisensory tasting experience*). I always wanted to create my own products and brand with deep meaning and to add value to everyday customer, with Ni we not only enhance their experience but allow the user to customise their experience to their liking as well as connecting them deeper to the drink and hopefully the producers too.
*Extract from the Abstract of the article: “This review summarizes the latest evidence concerning the impact of the colour, shape, texture, weight, and other material properties of the drinking receptacle on the perception of coffee. The colour of the cup, for instance, has been shown to prime notions of sweetness (e.g., pink cup) or acidity (e.g., yellow or green cup) that may carry over to influence the tasting experience. Meanwhile, the shape and surface feel of the drinking vessel have also been shown to exert a profound influence over the perceived aroma/taste of coffee. Given that the various sensory attributes of the drinking vessel can exert such a striking influence over the drinking experience, the challenge, moving forward, is to optimize the design of the receptacle in order to enhance the multisensory tasting experience for the consumer.”
What are the plans for the future Ni Wares?
Well, I just got started really - we launched in March and its been going gangbusters with our first two products ‘Bouba’ (filter cup) and ‘Toto’ (espresso Cup). They both hit the world stage with Jack Simpson who placed 2nd in the World Barista Championship 2024, using Toto. For us, it’s about adding value anywhere possible with the brand, it’s not limited to just cups but for now that’s what we are focused on. I consider this a creative outlet for coffee professionals and for myself. It’s my little side hustle for now, but who knows what the future holds!
Do you think you will be competing again anytime soon? And what keeps you invested in the competitive side of coffee, whether brewing or supporting?
Absolutely, Ni was born out of competition. I truly believe that for me it’s the best way to personally develop, make better coffees and most importantly connect with likeminded and inspiring people. If you’re reading this, this is a sign to get involved in whatever capacity you can, it’s definitely worth it. I am currently preparing with Sangchul Lee (Mitch) from ONA who is currently the Australian Roasting Champ, he will be competing in Copenhagen. For me, it’s not about winning, its about getting better each day and learning new things always. If you haven’t heard me talk about competition before - check out my feature on “It’s just coffee!” Podcast with Golden Brown (an Instagram famous coffee content producer).
Has travelling to origin impacted your perspective on a career in coffee?
Absolutely! I had the opportunity to travel to Panama this year and got to meet producers of the coffee that I have been sharing with friends, customers and on the competition stage. The experience was euphoric. I started to understand more about the ‘business side’ of coffee farming too and beginning to understand all the hard work that goes into making the magic juice we all drink. My favourite part was going to Finca Iris with producers Jamison Savage and Sasa Sestic, seeing the lush jungle and different micro climates after tasting these coffees for so long in Australia, I truly felt connected to the coffee farms, people at origin and found a new appreciation for coffee. I definitely recommend this experience to any coffee professional if you haven’t done it before!
What does a typical day in the life of ‘Barista Hany’ look like? If such a thing exists!
Jeepers, that is a hectic one to answer! Literally, every day is different. I’m currently working towards making my days as structured and meaningful as possible. A ‘normal’ day will usually involve cafe visits, adding value to my clients, whether that be incorporating new revenue streams into their cafe, to quality control of the coffee, assist with preventative maintenance or going over financial elements of the cafe to plan for a more positive future. I am so glad to have a relationship with my clients at ONA. Around lunchtime I head over to HQ to work with Roast and Quality Control to see what’s happening and wrap up the day with some admin, or we may be hosting a Masterclass. After work, I’ve got more work to do, whether that’s admin for for Ni Wares or packing orders to send out. Plus I work with Milklab! I don’t know how I manage to breathe sometimes, haha! And then I will go climbing or play basketball - so my days are very full. My latest hobby (last month) is DJ-ing. I really love gaming, bouldering and basketball. If I am not doing any of those activities, I’m connecting with close friends and family.
What gives you energy to keep creating? Where do you find inspiration?
I have a great group of people around me, my support system runs deep and I have a clear vision and purpose for coffee: to connect people, and constantly improve.
