Cedar was founded by Leigh Wentzel and Winston Thomas out of a yearning passion to make specialty coffee accessible to a larger conscious audience. It was built from many years within the industry mastering the craft for over seven years at leading roasteries within South Africa. Both Winston and Leigh led a personal journey at separate competing roasteries where they would be molded by leaders of the industry.

Leigh plied his trade at Rosetta Roastery where he started out as a part-time driver and slowly progressed through the ranks of the barista, the head barista, a cafe manager, and ended as their roastery manager, a journey of seven years within the industry. He formed part of the team that won Coffee Magazine Roastery of the year 2018 and 2019.

Winston started off his formal Barista career at Origin Coffee Roasting in 2014. After 2,5 years he managed to win the 2017 South African Barista Championships and progress from Barista to head barista and eventually to wholesale relations and head of the Barista Academy. After leaving Origin at the end of 2017 he began consulting and training and has since won the South African Barista Championships in 2018 and 2020 and also the African Barista Championships in 2019. Winston is also a licensed Specialty Coffee Association Trainer (AST).”