Ferran Buxeda,

Ferran is the owner of the two spaces On y Va Coffee, both based in Barcelona and where specialty coffee meets a young community for cyclists.

The natural synergies between coffee and cycling, offer a space of sharing and communicate the message that cycling is not only a sport and coffee is not only coffee, but a lifestyle. Having a real space to bring people together, create a community, and discover the surprising world of specialty coffee. That is everything On y Va is about. A youthful enthusiasm of a dream transformed in reality.

Where are you working right now?

I am the owner of a specialty coffee ON Y VA BARCELONA, and of the new roaster ON Y VA ROASTER. Both of them located in Barcelona

What’s your background? How did you get there? What got you into the coffee business?

My restlessness brought me to specialty coffee and my eager to do better led me to opening my own specialty coffee shop.

What do you like best about your job?

What I like best at my job is to captivate my consume, I love to see their faces when something surprises them or when they like something.

What’s your own personal goal? Where would you like to be in a few years’ time?

I see myself living quietly from my business. I want to be able to manage it externally and
discover the world around my sector. I see myself contributing positively to this community in many ways with constant renovation and research.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time I like to do all kind of sports specially outdoors, it is what makes me feel better about myself.

What makes you laugh? What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you at work?

I laugh very easily, any excuse is good to laugh.

When I first opened ON Y VA a girl fainted in the bathroom, I heard her fall and went to her aid, called the ambulance and they came to pick her up, as she was being transported out of
the shop she stopped the medics and asked me for a coffee to go, she had heard
it was really good and didn’t want to leave without trying it.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Restless, passionate, daring.

What’s your own personal favourite brew/drink?

Flat white.

What makes a great cup of coffee?

The texture 

What have been the biggest recent changes in the industry?

Everyday, there are more microtoaster, making small farms more participative and allowing more exclusive origins to be known.

What do you think are the big issues for the coffee industry right now?

The biggest actual problem is Covid and all the restrictions brought by this pandemic, the
industry is suffering daily.

Where do you see the future of the coffee industry? Any trends?

The coffee industry is going back to its origin, searching for quality and proximity of the product. We are looking for a variety of coffees and very personal products. It is no
longer a beverage to have in the morning to wake yourself up, but a beverage to
enjoy a beverage that is unique.

Have you made changes to make your own life more sustainable? Do you cycle, recycle etc. at home? Are you into sustainability as a way of life for you?

Everyday I try to be very conscious of my footprint and what adjustments I need to make to have a more sustainable lifestyle. In my opinion the sum of little actions is what makes the difference. No one is perfect in terms of sustainability and that is the point we need millions of people doing it imperfectly for it to make a change. I have tried to add small changes to my life. It started with recycling, up cycling, but now I try to go further and try to change it from the origin, like buying in bulk etc.

Making the workplace sustainable – any advice? Ingredients, materials, tools, tips e.g.
straws, disposables…

I think the biggest thing we can do is to buy products from close origins, or the product depending on the season, etc. I also think we urge to eliminate one time use
products like “to go” coffee cups, straws or plastic cutlery.

Where does plant-based fit into that, for you? What made you look into plant-based? What’s the current demand for plant-based? How fast is it growing?

Everyday there are more people who are intolerant to lactose, as well as more people concerned about the impact of the dairy industry for the environment who choose to become
vegan or to reduce their dairy intake. That is where the plant base product comes in strong.