My Journey Through Coffee

I am happy to host Goda Gedvilaitė-Bernotė on the blog. Goda grew up in Vilnius and started her coffee career around 2011, and she watched Lithuania’s specialty coffee scene develop almost from the beginning. She began behind the bar, then moved on to roasting, barista training and consulting, and she is also a sensory judge at coffee competitions. Since 2024 she has been a green coffee trader (green coffee means raw, unroasted beans).

One of my earliest childhood memories is watching my mother drink coffee in our kitchen. I remember being fascinated by the smell and asking her for a tiny spoonful, just to find out if it tasted as wonderful as it smelled.

Coffee has always been part of my family. My grandmother has a collection of more than 140 espresso cups. Looking back, perhaps that’s where my fascination with coffee began. Not necessarily with the drink itself, but with everything surrounding it: the smell, the conversations, and the little rituals that bring people together.

I had no idea back then just how much coffee would shape my life.

I grew up in Vilnius, Lithuania, and studied Lithuanian and Spanish philology at Vilnius University. Like many students, I needed a part-time job. Since I was already spending most of my free time in cafés, studying, chatting with baristas, and drinking coffee, working in one seemed like an obvious choice.

That’s how my coffee career started, around 2011.

I spent approximately six years behind the bar, learning everything from pulling espresso shots to understanding customers and creating a welcoming atmosphere. Some regulars even followed me from one café to another, which made me realize that hospitality was just as important as the coffee itself.

I also got to witness Lithuania’s specialty coffee scene develop almost from the beginning. There was so much to learn, experiment with, and discover. And I loved being part of it.

Eventually, I became curious about what happened before coffee reached the bar. How could the same green beans develop such different flavors? What actually happens inside a coffee roaster?

That curiosity led me into coffee roasting, where I spent two fascinating years learning about heat, flavor development, and the science behind a great cup of coffee.

I genuinely enjoyed it. There was something almost magical about transforming green coffee into something so aromatic and complex.

But I also discovered something important about myself: roasting can be quite a lonely job.

After years of chatting with customers, working alongside colleagues, and being surrounded by people, I realized how much I missed that daily interaction. I’m a people person. I love conversations, sharing ideas, and being part of a team. As fascinating as roasting was, I knew I needed more human connection in my everyday work.

So I gradually moved toward café management, barista training, coffee education, and consulting. I loved helping people develop their skills and watching teams grow.

Along the way, I also became a sensory judge at coffee competitions. Brewers Cup remains my favorite, as it brings together everything I love about specialty coffee: a variety of flavors, deep aroma, and the endless possibilities hidden in a single cup.

After more than a decade in the industry, I reached a point in 2023 when I seriously considered leaving coffee altogether.

I took a short break, thinking perhaps it was time for something completely different.

That feeling lasted about three weeks.

I realized I didn’t want to leave coffee. I just wanted to discover another side of it.

In 2024, I started working as a green coffee trader, moving further back along the coffee supply chain. After years of brewing, roasting, and serving coffee, I was finally exploring its origins, sourcing, and the relationships connecting producers, traders, and roasters.

And the best part? I am working with people again. And now it’s not only one brand: I maintain relationships with many different roasters and witness their craft up close.

Before I started working with green coffee, I worked in these places.

Caffeine. This is where it all started, when I was 19. Even today, on a hot summer day, I come in and order an iced caramel macchiato.

Strange Love. A place by the park where I spent one year of my career. The best time to visit is in the summer, because it has a beautiful inner yard and a delicious double espresso.

Brew. Another year of my career as a professional barista, and the place where I met my husband. Besides the coffee, I really love their peanut butter and banana smoothie.

Cofmos. A short but very memorable period, when Cofmos Coffee Roasters had their own café. The café is no longer there, but the roastery is going at full speed.

Backstage Roasters. A place that built my character and taught me a lot. If you want a delicious brunch together with your morning batch brew, this is the place to visit.

When I think about everything coffee has brought into my life, the most valuable things aren’t qualifications, job titles, or even the incredible coffees I’ve tasted.

It’s the people.

Some of my closest friends are people I met through coffee. And eight years ago, while working behind the bar, I met my husband, Justas. He was a customer who would sit at a table, looking at me while I looked back at him. Eventually, one of us made a move, and the rest is history.

Today, we have a two-year-old son who already asks us to steam milk for him using our espresso machine at home. Every weekend, the three of us explore different specialty coffee shops around Vilnius.

And I love that we’ve created our own little coffee rituals, just like the ones I remember from childhood.

Almost fifteen years after my first shift behind the bar, coffee is still a huge part of my life. It’s taken me from making cappuccinos to roasting beans, judging competitions, and trading green coffee.

But more importantly, it has given me friendships, a family, and countless memories.

Not bad for a student job I never really planned to take.