Colombia, La Locura

Founded in 2016 by Venezuelan-raised Marian Aguilar and her husband Han, Cata Coffee emerged from Marian's deeply rooted connection to coffee—her family were green coffee producers in the Andes, giving her experience from harvest to cup. Their roasting philosophy centers on seasonality and intermediation, bridging the gap between farmers and consumers while "cata" (Spanish for tasting session) defines their approach to evaluating each harvest at its peak freshness. Operating from Changi with a second-hand Giesen 1.5kg, they've positioned themselves as honest storytellers who advocate for producer histories and traceability rather than just quality metrics.