Naoyuki Kitajima (Nao)

When it comes to someone with hard-core passion for coffee-making, they don’t come any more dedicated that Naoyuki Kitajima (Nao). Born in Japan, Nao’s family moved to Brazil, right in the heart of the coffee industry, when he was just one. It was there in Brazil, Nao found his love for coffee after drinking his first one at the age of seven… he says he’s been addicted ever since.

After moving back to Japan in 1995, Nao found himself increasingly becoming disappointed with the quality of coffee in Japan, at the time, so he began researching coffee and doing his own private coffee-making classes called Pour over Coffee.

Years later, Nao made the move to Australia. In 2008 Nao finished his Bachelor of Business Management and Economics degree at the University Queensland (UQ). During his 11 years in Australia, Nao always worked in the coffee industry, including working for Dancing Bean since 2011. As the Master Roaster for Dancing Bean, Nao is in charge of roasting, green bean procurement, blend design (Nao blend and Brewnette blend are his very own blends), coffee quality assurance and barista training.

When you stumble across someone who has their own coffee roaster at home you know they mean serious business! A self-proclaimed ‘coffee nerd’, in addition to his coffee roaster, Nao also has over 70 kinds of coffee beans in his collection and his very own coffee tree! Constantly researching about coffee trees beans and coffee chemistry, it is no secret that coffee is Nao’s life!

His passion and attention to detail have seen Nao win many over a dozen awards for his first-class roasting, spanning the CSR Golden Bean Roasting Competition 2011/2012 (national competition); CSR Golden Bean Roasting Competition 2012/2013; Natvia Golden Bean Roasting Competition 2013/2014; and RASV Australian International Coffee Awards 2013.