Coffee Made Me Do It

Hosted by Bluebird Coffee Roastery

Business Entrepreneurship

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Feb 2025

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About the show

Coffee made me do it, what made you do it? Sprudgie Nominated: Best Coffee Podcast 2024. Please vote here: https://sprudge.com/vote When Dario started Bluebird Coffee Roastery, he was driven by two motivations: to explore the quality potential of specialty coffee and to have a go at building a brand. This podcast is about passion, coffee, business and culture. "I know what made me do it, what made/makes you do what you do?"

Listen to episodes

22 recent

August 21, 2026Episode 11 hr 7 min

Episode 022: Luhle Mnyandu || Competition, Spoiler = We're Out

Why are we leaving barista competitions in the past? After 5 years on the competition stage, we've decided it's not for us. Find out why in this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It. Dario opens the new season of with Luhle, Bluebird's Wholesale Manager. Luhle just finished 5th at the South African National Barista Champs. In this episode, he breaks down his preparation, his approach to competition and they discuss Bluebird's role in competition in the future.

February 7, 202555 min

Episode 021: The Dream Team || ‘25 expectation’s

It’s 2025! Welcome back to the coffee and business podcast, Coffee Made Me Do It. We’re starting the year with a sit down chat with the Bluebird team. Join Dario as he reflects on 2024 with Fanie, Luhle and Katie, as well as talk about intentions for 2025. They talk barista competition, rebranding, staying motivated, hobbies and training in 2025. Catch up with the Bluebird team in this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It.

December 20, 2024Episode 652 min

Episode 020: Max Lundin, BlueWater Group

Max, from BlueWater Group, dives into the advanced conversations being had about water for coffee. Questions around minerals, TDS, Reverse Osmosis and BlueWater’s answers to these questions. Water makes up about 95% of your brewed coffee, that makes it an extremely important ingredient in your recipe. Water quality is inseparable from the ultimate quality of your brewed coffee. Dario and Max talk water, skiing, his background as a chef, sustainability focused food and what makes the BlueWater systems revolutionary. Give it a listen on any podcast streaming platform. Live now.

November 15, 20241 hr 56 min

Episode 019: Ian Kissick || Formative Coffee and WBC Finalist

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!

November 1, 20241 hr 30 min

Episode 018: Dark Arts Coffee || The genius of Brad Morrison

In this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It, Dario talks to founder and creative director of Dark Arts Coffee, Brad Morrison. They talk about building a brand that is a reflection of ourselves, catering for an audience of one, community and the “why” behind Dark Arts. This is one we are so stoked to share, and we’re big fans of Brad and his team. Brad moved to London to be a muralist and got a starting job as a barista. Fast forward to today and his roastery has a huge, cult-like, following and is bringing better coffee to the cups of Londoners (and beyond). Listen to Dario’s casual conversation with Brad as they drink a beer (or two 🍻) and talk about the why. It’s a good one! Available on all podcast streaming platforms now. https://www.instagram.com/ftwcoffee/ https://www.instagram.com/darkartscoffee/ https://www.instagram.com/bluebirdcoffeeroastery/ https://www.instagram.com/dariodoingthings/

October 18, 202439 min

Episode 017: Motors Coffee Paris || Thomas and Lola and one of Europe's best

In this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It, Dario talks to Thomas and Lola, founders of Motors Coffee in Paris. Motors has fast gained a reputation for serving some of the best coffee in Europe. It is certainly one of our favourite cafes! Dario sat down with Thomas and Lola after a Bluebird Coffee Roastery popup at Motors. In true Parisian style, this was recorded while sitting outside a cafe, people watching :) https://www.instagram.com/motorscoffee/ https://www.instagram.com/thxmasphilips/ https://www.instagram.com/wedontgiveafunk/ ⁠https://www.bluebirdcoffeeroastery.co.za/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bluebirdcoffeeroastery/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dariodoingthings/

August 13, 2024Episode 21 hr 29 min

Episode 016: Patrik Rolf || Building a Business with Purpose

Patrik is a coffee icon and pioneer of quality, education and progress. His presence at the highest level of international coffee competitions and the philosophies that his company has been built on have rattled the cage of the specialty coffee industry. Undeniably, his approach has moulded some significant changes and conversations in the industry over the 8 years since April was founded. Dario sits down with him to break down what April is at its core, what Patrik’s vision for it is and what his ultimate goals are for his time in coffee. Where is specialty coffee going? Is it at it’s worst point ever? They also get into your more serious questions, like how much Patrik deadlifts 🫡. Listen to this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It on any podcast streaming platform. Live now. This conversation happened at Creative Coffee Week hosted by The Coffee Magazine

April 26, 2024Episode 151 hr 8 min

Episode 015: Alex Kitain || The man behind Coffeevine

In this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It, Dario talks to Alex Kitain, founder of Coffeevine. Alex has spent 10 years sourcing incredible coffees from the worlds best roastery's and shipping these curated selections to subscribers in over 60 countries! It's fair to say that Alex has seen it all when it comes to trends, challenges and opportunities within the world of high end coffee. This was such a fun conversation and we hope you enjoy it! https://www.instagram.com/thecoffeevine/ https://www.bluebirdcoffeeroastery.co.za/ https://www.instagram.com/bluebirdcoffeeroastery/ https://www.instagram.com/dariodoingthings/

February 22, 2024Episode 141 hr 1 min

Episode 014: Cole Torode || Winning Team WBC '23 and forging in a career in coffee

In this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It, Dario talks to Cole Torode of Rosso Roastery and Forward coffee in Canada. Cole is a legend of the Specialty Coffee industry and competition arena. Twice a winner of the Canadian Barista Champs, twice a finalist at WBC, once a Canadian Brewers Cup Champion and most recently, a key member of Boram Um's World Barista Championship winning Dream Team. Its fair to say Cole has some unique insights into coffee competitions and their impact on our amazing industry. We hope you enjoy! https://www.bluebirdcoffeeroastery.co.za/ https://www.instagram.com/bluebirdcoffeeroastery/ https://www.instagram.com/dariodoingthings/

February 2, 2024Episode 131 hr 5 min

Episode 013: Markus Pytell || Europe's best cafe?, work life balance, entrepreneurship

In this episode of Coffee Made Me Do It, Dario talks to Markus Pytell, owner and founder of Sweet Spot Kaffee in Munich. Markus opened his specialty-coffee-showroom café in 2020 (as lockdown hit). He and his team have become renowned for their standout brewing and their exceptional selection of coffees from the world’s best roastery’s. Markus is as dedicated as they come. Dario talks to him about automation in coffee shops, opening a cafe in lockdown, quitting your job and starting in coffee and how he approaches a work-life balance. Markus is a friend, customer and an inspirational entrepreneur. We think you’ll love this one :) https://www.bluebirdcoffeeroastery.co.za/ https://www.instagram.com/bluebirdcoffeeroastery/ https://www.instagram.com/dariodoingthings/