Elina Serhenchuk grew up in Donetsk, in the east of Ukraine, where her earliest memory of coffee is watching her father drink cup after cup of instant coffee and being allowed the occasional bitter sip. Nobody looking at that kitchen scene would have predicted what came next. At 23, she is the Brand Chief at Funt Coffee, one of Ukraine’s rapidly growing roasteries, and the Ukrainian Brewers Cup Champion on her very first attempt!
She describes coffee not through tasting notes but through colours, and that detail tells you a lot about how Elina thinks. She is not interested in making coffee to feel like a test. She is interested in making it feel alive, approachable, and genuinely personal. Her favourite coffees are light, floral, and delicate – the kind that surprise people who thought they did not like coffee, and her approach to sharing them is to open a door rather than deliver a lecture. She found her way into the industry through a small specialty café while studying Hotel and Restaurant Management, fell in love with the product, and never really looked back.
Now based in Kyiv and working across Funt Coffee’s roastery and its growing network of coffee shops in Ukraine and Poland, Elina is already preparing for the next Brewers Cup season. She is curious, quietly confident, and deeply committed to a version of coffee culture that leaves room for people to find their own way in.
Elina, what is your first memory with coffee?
My first memory of coffee is my dad constantly drinking a lot of it. Sometimes he would let me try some, but it was instant coffee of poor quality, which, of course, seemed extremely bitter to me.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started? What did you do before coffee?
I’ve always known that I wanted to work in hospitality. I studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at the university, and then I started working at a very small coffee shop that served specialty coffee. I became really fascinated by it, and that interest has stayed with me ever since.
I also met my husband in a coffee shop, and we both work in the coffee industry. I stay in this field because I love coffee as a product, how diverse it can be, how much there is to discover about it, and, most importantly, the emotions it can give people.
Can you walk us through your career?
While studying at university, I got a job at a small coffee shop, where I worked for a short time. After that, I worked together with my husband at a coffee shop called 1900.
Then I started working at a cocktail bar, but I always had the feeling that something was missing. I saw an opening for a barista at a coffee shop run by Funt Coffee. I knew it was one of the most well-known roasteries in Ukraine, and I really wanted to work there.
I joined the company and eventually grew into the position of Brand Head Barista. Now I work mostly with our roastery and only a little at Astra, but Astra will always be my alma mater.
Tell us a bit about the place you work at. What is your role there?
I’m the brand chief at Funt Coffee, a coffee roastery that has been roasting coffee since 2011. We roast and produce specialty coffee, as well as instant coffee, coffee pyramids, and lemonades. We’ve also recently started developing our bean-to-bar chocolate direction and opened our own chocolate production. We currently have six coffee shops in Dnipro, one in Kyiv, and one in Warsaw, Poland.
What kind of experience do you want people to have when they try your coffee?
I always describe coffee through colours. When I brew coffee for someone, I usually talk about the colours first and then about the tasting descriptors. I would love for people to start experiencing coffee through colours as well.
When it comes to the taste, I love coffee that is light, delicate and floral, for example, a washed Ethiopian coffee. That is the kind of coffee experience I would love to promote more widely.
What is your favourite part of the day in your cafe, and why?
I often run calibration sessions for my team, and my favourite part of the day is gathering together in the morning for a calibration, then opening the coffee shop and talking together. I also enjoy getting together in the evening and discussing what’s happening in the coffee shop.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?
I work for a company that does a lot to make sure we never lose our motivation to develop. We drink a lot of coffee, constantly organise training sessions, open new places, and travel to coffee exhibitions.
All of this keeps me inspired and gives me new motivation to keep learning.
What are some common misconceptions about our industry that you’ve encountered, and how do you address them?
One misconception I’ve encountered is that you need to be a coffee expert to truly appreciate specialty coffee. I actually experienced the opposite myself. When I was younger, I thought coffee was simply bitter, and I never imagined I would build my career around it.
Over time, I realised how much there is to discover in coffee – from processing and terroir to brewing and sensory perception. Now, as a coffee professional, I try to make that world feel less intimidating and more accessible.
I believe our job is not to tell people what they should taste, but to make them curious and help them find their own way of experiencing coffee.
What are the current trends in cafes in your region? Are there any trends you promote yourself and would like to see more often in other places?
Right now, there is a growing interest in washed coffees and filter coffee. I definitely support the filter trend and promote it in our coffee shops.
You have some amazing achievements in championships. Can you tell us more about them?
I won the Ukrainian National Brewers Cup Championship on my very first attempt. I received the highest scores in both the Open Service and Compulsory Service.
How did it feel to compete on the World Stage?
It was an incredible experience. I really wanted to compete on the world stage, and the whole process was incredibly inspiring for me. I especially loved the atmosphere there, and I would love to have the opportunity to compete there again.
What was the main message you wanted to convey on stage?
I talked about floral aromatic compounds because they are what I love most about coffee.
What, in your opinion, is the most important thing to have in mind when you start to compete in coffee championships?
Love coffee, believe in it, and remember why you are doing it.
And remember that the points are awarded according to the score sheets, so you need to understand exactly what the judges are evaluating.
What are the next championships you’d like to compete in?
The Brewers Cup again. I’m actually already preparing for the new season.
If there were one piece of knowledge about coffee you’d like everyone to know, what would that be?
That there are no absolute rules or prejudices when it comes to coffee. A coffee can be very expensive and still not taste good to you.
Coffee theory can tell you one thing, but in practice, the experience can be completely different. I think it’s important to stay curious, question what you know, and trust your own taste.
What are your passions and hobbies apart from coffee?
I love hospitality as a whole. I enjoy exploring new products and discovering different places, especially when it comes to food and hospitality.
Where in your city do you find your best inspiration?
At our Funt Coffee roastery in Dnipro. It’s a place where I feel connected to what we do and where I often find inspiration.
What coffee challenges are you looking forward to?
I’m open to new projects, collaborations, and research. I’m always interested in exploring new ideas and seeing where they can take me.
Quick Fire Questions for Elina Serhenchuk:
Filter coffee or espresso-based?
Filter coffee.
Milk coffee or black coffee?
Black.
The most underrated coffee drink?
Flat white or cezve.
How do you make coffee at home?
I don’t drink coffee at home. Or I drink our specialty instant coffee called pusk.
Favourite piece of barista equipment?
Cupping bowl.
What’s your favourite city to have a specialty coffee tour outside of “your city”, why?
Dnipro, I think that’s the Ukrainian coffee capital!
