Petrakis's path into specialty coffee is anything but conventional. After settling in Panama over a decade ago, he built a career that spans virtually the entire coffee value chain. He is a certified AST trainer through the Specialty Coffee Association, a professional roaster, and a high-level competitor. Beyond his work at origin, he operates a roastery in the city where he processes approximately four tons of coffee per month — maintaining a permanent connection between production and consumption. His experience as a cupper, roaster, and barista directly informs every decision made on the farm, allowing him to design coffees with a fully integrated vision of quality.
Among his achievements: Panama National Barista Champion 2024, Panama's representative at the World Barista Championship in Korea, 2nd place at Panama Brewers Cup 2023, and 3rd place at Panama Barista Championship 2025 — competing with coffees produced on his own farm.
Belco's relationship with Baru Black Mountain predates Petrakis's involvement — we had previously sourced coffee from the farm's former owners. When Petrakis and his team took over the project, we knew we wanted to be part of it. The collaboration has since been built around a shared vision of excellence, innovation, and Transparency. His ability to understand the needs of roasters and End Consumers has created a relationship grounded in consistent quality and ongoing technical exchange.
Petrakis represents a new generation of Producers who understand coffee from multiple perspectives simultaneously — growing it, roasting it, teaching it, and competing with it. That full-chain vision is what makes Baru Black Mountain genuinely singular. Shared values with Belco include continuous innovation and learning, Transparency and Product Traceability, and the commitment to building value from origin all the way to the cup.
