The internet is full of influencers these days, so we have decided to put together a list of some of our favourite coffee personalities, why we think they are so great and where to find their best content.

This is by no means a definitive list, and we should mention that these are just some of our personal favourites. We haven't included any of the companies that we work with, but you are already following them, aren't you?

People:

Matt Perger

Matt Perger is the World Brewers Cup Champion (2011) and the World Coffee In Good Spirits champion (2014). He is also the founder of St. Ali Coffee Company (Melbourne, AU) and the founder of Barista Hustle. Barista Hustle is a coffee blog that takes a scientific approach towards documenting and improving coffee flavour through improving extraction and consistency. Perger's scientific approach towards coffee brewing and coffee extraction has been turning heads since he founded Barista Hustle.

Over and above this constant drive to improve coffee, Perger is the undisputed king of coffee memes. If you love coffee and fancy a bit of a laugh, head over to his instagram! He's on and off of various online platforms, but we will link his website where he'll try to keep you updated on where to keep up with him.

James Hoffman

James Hoffman has been at the forefront of the specialty coffee industry since he took home gold at the 2007 World Barista Championship. He is a coffee writer, coffee blogger, coffee vlogger and the founder and owner of Square Mile Coffee Company in London.

His approach to coffee is informative but also directed at the the people, not the professionals. The World Atlas of Coffee is an amazing resource for any coffee lover; it discusses coffee in depth but without any of the jargon or technical terms that make a lot of specialty coffee concepts seem inaccessible to the average coffee drinker. 

The content that Hoffman puts out that we love the most is his coffee vlog on Youtube. It's as informative as his writing, but he brings some wit and fun and that wonderfully dry english sense of humour. If you are into coffee, James Hoffman is definitely worth checking out

Patrick Rolf

A slightly more obscure entry, and someone who might not have the same celebrity status (yes there are coffee celebrities) as some of the other entries, is Patrick Rolf, founder and owner of April Coffee in Copenhagen and host to one the most in depth and informative coffee podcasts that we have come across.

Rolf's podcast, Coffee with April, hosts some of the most influential coffee professionals in the world. From the founders of some of Europe's most prestigious coffee companies to barista champions, writers and progressive specialty coffee farmers. The discussions are passionate and informative stories of individuals' (often uphill) journeys through the early era of third wave coffee culture. It is interesting, entertaining and inspiring for anyone interested in the specialty coffee industry. 

Chris Baca

Chris Baca has a decade of experience in the world of specialty coffee. He cut his teeth working his way up the ranks at Verve Coffee, and in 2015 he co-founded Cat and Cloud - a values-based coffee company whose main goal is to leave people feeling happier than it found them.

He co-hosts a podcast and has a great youtube channel where he discusses what it means to be a values-based business and to constantly strive to add value to both customers' and employees' lives. All these discussions happen through the eyes of a coffee company and take on many forms, from how to make better coffee to how to be a good boss and all sorts of things in between.

Baca is a great one to follow, not only from a "how to make better coffee" perspective, but also from a "how to be the best version of yourself" perspective.

Not People:

Perfect Daily Grind

Perfect Daily Grind is the closest thing there is to a coffee university. Whether you are a barista, a roaster, or even now as a blogger and home brewer, Perfect Daily Grind is the number one resources and source of education for coffee professionals and coffee hobbyists alike .

Sprudge

Unlike Perfect Daily Grind, Sprudge's focus is more on specialty coffee as a lifestyle product. Cool cafes, exciting new products and equipment, brands worth following and coffee events is where their focus mostly lies. If you want to get more involved in the coffee industry and community, this is the place to start.

Honourable Mentions

We had quite a long list to whittle down to these six, and so we thought we would include a few honourable mentions that are no doubt very interesting people in the world of coffee, but weren't quite right for this list.

• Tim Wendleboe - Owner and founder to what is considered by many to be one of the best coffee roasters in the world
• Steve Leighton - Founder of HasBean coffee and host to the Youtube show "In My Mug".
• Colin Harmon - Author of "What I know About Running Coffee Shops" and Co-Founder of 3FE Coffee, Dublin
• Scott Rao - Highly opinionated coffee roaster, consultant, writer and blogger. Rao wrote what is, to this day, the most comprehensive handbook on roasting coffee.
• Oli Bradshaw - The epitome of dry British humour through the lens of specialty coffee. 
• Winston Douglas - Three time South African Barista Champion. Coffee Trainer and consultant.