EP 883 Ian Fretheim - Quality, Hype, and Coffee Competitions - Map It Forward Middle East Podcast Lee Safar episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 27, 2025 · 37 MIN

EP 883 Ian Fretheim - Quality, Hype, and Coffee Competitions - Map It Forward Middle East Podcast Lee Safar

from MAP IT FORWARD Middle East · host Lee Safar

If you love what we do, become a premium YouTube Subscriber or join our Patreon: • https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward• https://www.youtube.com/mapitforwardCheck out our on-demand workshops here: • https://mapitforward.coffee/workshopsConsider joining one of our Mastermind Groups here:• https://mapitforward.coffee/groupcoachingJoin our mailing list:• https://mapitforward.coffee/mailinglist••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••This is the 3rd of a five-part series featuring Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at US-based coffee importer, Cafe Imports, on The Map It Forward Middle East Podcast, hosted by Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar.This series originally aired on the global podcast and is a companion series to our discussion with Reza Kosar on this Middle East Podcast that aired last month. Both series follow the same discussion flow.In this series, Lee and Ian will explore the question, "What is Quality in the Coffee Industry?".The titles of the 5 episodes of this series are:1. Tools for Assessing Coffee Quality - https://youtu.be/5iEIRX6pU182. How Do We Define Quality? - https://youtu.be/PxpoXDy2YNk3. Quality, Hype, and Coffee Competitions - https://youtu.be/6ll7-9yy8-Q4. The CVA Won't Fix Anything In Coffee - https://youtu.be/yA0s1aGZ2Yw5. Q Graders, Cuppers, and Technology - https://youtu.be/w57Wv5DY18UIn this episode of the podcast series, Lee and Ian discuss the role of coffee competitions in the industry and their relationship to coffee quality.They delve into the recent Best of Panama auction, where a coffee scored 98 points and sold for $30,200 per kilo. The conversation touches on the impact of such high prices on the market, the potential for bias in judging, and the pros and cons of these competitions for producers and the industry at large. They also explore whether the hype around competition-winning coffees detracts from broader industry issues such as sustainable pricing for farmers.Connect with Ian Fretheim and Cafe Imports here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/https://www.cafeimports.com/north-america/sensory-analysis/coffeerose••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Connect with Map It Forward here: Website | Instagram | Mailing list💡Support this podcast on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/mapitforward📽 Watch the podcast on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3ouyFYW🎙 Check out the audio version of our podcast here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify🧐 Find out more about Map It Forward Mastermind Groups here: https://mapitforward.coffee/groupcoachingLooking for a business advisor for your established coffee business or startup? Email us here📧 email: [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 27, 2025

Embed this episode

Ready to play

EP 883 Ian Fretheim - Quality, Hype, and Coffee Competitions - Map It Forward Middle East Podcast Lee Safar

0:00 37:38

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of MAP IT FORWARD Middle East?

This episode is 37 minutes long.

When was this MAP IT FORWARD Middle East episode published?

This episode was published on August 27, 2025.

Can I download this MAP IT FORWARD Middle East episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!