Canberra · Australia
Ona Coffee
Ona Coffee roasts in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
Since 2008 · Sasa Sestic
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)