Making the Best Brew

If you’re particular about your coffee, you can easily find a good cup locally, and an award-winning one at that. We connected with Dominique Marot, co-owner of Lineage Coffee, to find out more about their acclaimed brews. They recently won an award for the second consecutive year as one of the Top 3 Best Coffee Shops in the Midlands/Pietermaritzburg region in the annual Battle of the Beans Competition for 2025.

The Lineage legacy has been going strong for almost 15 years. It was started by Craig Charity in Hillcrest in 2012, who won both the South African and African Barista Championships. He was also in the Top 15 at the World Barista Championships in 2015. Dom joined him in 2018 and helped launch the branch in Nottingham Road.

The team also celebrated their dedicated barista, Mfana Zibula, who won the Best Barista award in the same region. He has served at Lineage Coffee for over 10 years and stands out as one of the most respected baristas in the area and a trusted, familiar face to regulars. “His commitment, attention to detail, and quiet consistency set him apart,” shared Dom.

The Battle of the Beans takes place in the second half of each year. What makes it a distinctive competition is that the judges operate completely incognito, and no one knows when they will show up. Winning top place twice is a testament not only to skill but also to dedication to being the best every day.

Let’s hear more from Dom:

What was the process like preparing for the competition?
We tried to focus on consistency in everything we do, every day. Every cup of coffee needs to reflect our best standard; whether in temperature, flavour, or latte art.

What technical aspects of the coffee-making process made you part of the Top 3?
Most coffee aficionados will tell you about their dosage, extraction times or new single-origin beans, but what about regularly changing water filters, replacing grinder burrs, or deep-cleaning group heads daily? These are some of the things we, as café owners, often neglect. Another key part of our process is continually cupping and testing each batch of roasted beans we receive, and giving ongoing feedback to our in-house roastery to ensure consistency and improvement.

What is your top blend or drink?
Our recommendation would be a flat white made with our signature Fingerprint blend. It’s a balanced and beautiful coffee that really reflects what we aim for at Lineage: smooth and well-rounded.

What coffee blends/origins do you offer?
We primarily use our speciality Fingerprint blend, roasted in our roastery in Hillcrest. It is typically a North African single-origin blended with a Brazilian or other South American coffee.

What does coffee mean to you & the team?
Coffee has become something much bigger than just a product. We have a large mural behind our coffee bar that captures what coffee represents for us. It tells the story better than words ever could.

What is next for the Lineage team?
We value these awards deeply, but what matters most to us is the continued support of our locals. That is what keeps our doors open and allows us to keep doing what we love. Our focus remains on consistently improving and staying true to the culture that has brought us this far.