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Canberra · Australia

Ona Coffee

Since 2008 · Sasa Sestic

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Overview

Ona Coffee was founded in Canberra by Bosnian-Australian Sasa Sestic — a former handball Olympian — who won the 2015 World Barista Championship using a rare Sudan Rume varietal from Colombia processed via carbonic maceration, a winemaking technique he and his team adapted for coffee. The win put both Canberra and CM processing on the global specialty map, and the resulting raspberry-and-white-chocolate-noted Raspberry Candy blend remains an Ona signature a decade later. Sestic also runs Project Origin, a separate green-coffee venture focused on producer collaboration and post-harvest experimentation.

Known for

  • Sasa Sestic — 2015 World Barista Champion
  • Popularized carbonic maceration processing in coffee
  • Raspberry Candy signature blend (CM Sudan Rume)
  • ONA Manuka and Cupping Room cafes in Canberra
  • Project Origin green-coffee sourcing operation

Why it matters

Ona's 2015 WBC win is one of the genuine inflection points of modern specialty coffee — it took carbonic maceration from an experimental fringe technique to an industry-standard processing method copied at origin worldwide. Sestic's continued role as a coach and origin consultant means Ona's influence extends well beyond what Canberra alone would suggest.

Recognitions

  • World Barista Championship — Sasa Sestic (2015)
  • Australian Barista Championship — Sasa Sestic (2015)

Sources

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