THE owners of a popular city cafe said they had a "big surprise" after learning the had been named in awards - from a customer.
Francini Cafe De Colombia owners Francini Osorio and his wife Sandra were oblivious to the fact they had won a Blue Ribbon in the Good Food Awards but said they are "over the moon".
The couple have over 30 years in the coffee business including a family-owned coffee farm in Colombia.
Mr Osorio said: "We didn't even know that we had been named by the Good Food Awards for cafés, not until a customer had told us.
"We could have missed an email as we are always very busy.
"It was a big surprise but we always focus on doing things the right way and so we are very happy."
The couple said it was great to hear and celebrated with a good cup of coffee at the cafe in Angel Place, Worcester.
Every year, Mr Osorio goes back to Colombia to his and the surrounding farms to pick out the best coffee crop for his business.
He then exports around ten tonnes of coffee from Colombia to Liverpool, where the beans are then roasted for the café along with a few other small businesses in Worcester.
Mr Osorio continued: "Colombian coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world, but it's the best coffee.
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"To be honest, when we first opened the café, I thought that this location would never work, but we are very successful and it's all through word of mouth."
Mr Osorio's favourite Colombian dish is a soup consisting of pork, chicken and beef, however he recommended either the cornbread or plantain when visiting the café as they are "very popular and delicious".
Mr Osorio said: "We don't change the menu that often as we find that if you change it too much, you lose customers as sometimes what they like has gone.
"We look at what works well and change or adapt what doesn't, but people like what we do."
The owners had plans to open six more cafés throughout Worcester, however this has since been abandoned due to the pandemic.
They still plan to expand the business by incorporating staff, giving them a percentage.
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