“Coffee is my hero product”: Celeste Wong on writing a new chapter for specialty coffee

Celeste Wong – The Girl in the Café | Photo credit: Jake Green

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From honing her barista skills at top coffee shops in New Zealand to making waves in Melbourne’s hallowed coffee community and serving up London’s first flat whites in Soho, Celeste Wong has been a firm fixture in the global specialty coffee community for more than 15 years.

In 2014, she rose to prominence with much-loved blog The Girl in the Café, which charted her travels to the world’s most celebrated specialty coffee destinations. A long-time MC at The London Coffee Festival’s Coffee Masters competition, actor and café consultant, today Wong is recognised as a leading voice in the specialty coffee world, including being named one of London’s top five baristas by the Financial Times.

Wisdom from those experiences can now be found in Wong’s first book, Coffee Creations, which features 90 foolproof recipes for mastering staples such as cappuccinos, flat whites and cortados alongside coffee-infused baking and cocktails.

The book is also brimming with coffee knowledge, from brewing methods to roast and flavour guides, tips on choosing beans, pods or instant coffee, grind size guides for different methods and storage advice.

“Writing Coffee Creations took me back to my golden days behind the coffee machine in Soho, making hundreds of coffees for customers. I’ve always loved sharing tips and knowledge – whether with regulars at the café or on social media – so it felt natural to consolidate years of experience and insights into a book,” says Wong.

Wong fondly recalls her early career working in London’s burgeoning specialty coffee scene during the mid-2000s. In particular, fellow New Zealander and Flat White founder Cameron McClure was one of many valuable mentors.

“His infectious enthusiasm, positivity, and generosity were unforgettable. He also taught me vital lessons: always open your doors when promised, as reliability builds trust, and ensure every takeaway coffee is of the highest standard because it may determine if a customer ever returns,” she says.

During that time, Wong was pulling shots at London’s now legendary Flat White and Milk Bar cafés and giving customers their first taste of a hip new beverage.

“Honestly, I can’t tell you how many times I repeated what a flat white was to the point where we actually wrote it on the wall. We were putting 21-23 grams of coffee into the portafilter and pulling it super short. We were probably blowing people’s heads off and wasting a lot of coffee – no one was looking at costs back then!”

Then came the adoption of the flat white by Costa Coffee backed by a major nationwide marketing campaign in 2010, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Times change, and so do coffee choices. “10-15 years ago I don’t remember anyone in London ordering iced coffee, the same with filter coffee,” says Wong reflecting on the development of specialty coffee during her career.

“Filter coffee has definitely risen in popularity alongside the rise of lighter roasts and single origins, but also the Scandinavian influence,” she adds.

Wong also notes that writing Coffee Creations marks an important step in specialty coffee moving away from its purist roots to become more experimental and accessible.

“Specialty coffee has long been criticised for being snobby or elitist – the classic barista saying you shouldn’t put sugar in your coffee or only serving black or white options. But coffee is my hero product and I started to wonder about different perspectives by adding other flavours.”

For Wong, embracing a new era of experimentation in specialty coffee has been a revelation in approaching coffee as a gourmet ingredient and finding new, unexpected synergies.
 

“It felt natural to consolidate years of experience and insights into a book”

“Coffee adds an element to a traditional cocktail that you wouldn’t think would work. Espresso Martinis are bold with high, sweetness, bitterness and texture, but the coffee in the margarita I’ve made is so subtle and adds a complementary layer without overpowering.”

Ultimately, Wong hopes Coffee Creations will contribute to making specialty coffee more widely accessible for everyone, not just professionals and enthusiasts.

“Coffee isn’t just a drink; it’s a way to connect and build relationships, which is what makes coffee culture so unique and captivating,” she says.

“I hope this book will be both a practical resource and an inspiring read for anyone who enjoys coffee, whether they’re new to it or already obsessed.”

As for those inspired to usher in the next era of specialty coffee innovation, Wong offers a few sage words of advice: “Find the right mentors, businesses and examples for you to work in and be around. Know your values, stay true to yourself and keep going. Find the thing that you love about it and go in on that as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to do the hard, monotonous work – but at some point take some risks.” 
 

Celeste Wong lives in London and Lisbon. Her first book, Coffee Creations, is available in hardback on Amazon.co.uk and bookstores, priced £18.99.

This article was first published in Issue 23 of 5THWAVE magazine.

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