2010 Golden Bean
When I started out in the coffee industry, I was amazed at how fiercely competitive it all was. With blending and roasting secrets to protect, there were no risks taken when it came to the topic of coffee. I was also shocked to witness some of the ‘in-your-face’ marketing tactics used by some companies, with few signs of collaboration among them.
10 years on and I am pleased to say that this has all changed.
Paul and I recently attended the 5th Golden Bean Roaster Competition and Conference in Port Macquarie organized by Sean Edwards and his team, where over 500 delegates, representing coffee companies from all over Australia, came together to share and learn. In fact, we talked of nothing but coffee for 3 days and nights – at seminars and social events alike. The Golden Bean event also includes a competition, designed to recognise Australia’s best beans and blends.
The components of a blend that wins a Golden Bean award are still a closely guarded secret. But there is certainly no lack of camaraderie about beans and blends these days. The competition involves blind tastings of espressos by colleagues and competitors. So how does this happen in such a convivial manner?
On entering the competition, coffee roasters are sent a plain numbered bag to put their roasted beans in and must get it to the organisers the week before the start of the event. They may enter any or all of the eight categories.
The delegates, or judges, are run through a moderation and scoring process. Then the competition begins.
A team of baristas makes pairs of espressos from each entry, or lattes in the case of the milk-based category. Runners deliver pairs of espressos to tables and judges proceed to collaborate and deliberate with a tasting buddy – about the qualities of the coffee beverage they are judging and scores they will give someone’s beans in the first round of judging. Depending on the score, this may put the entry into the final round to win a bronze, silver or gold medal. They might be unknowingly judging their own entry or those of their closest competitors.
Delegates spend what seems like hours swilling and swishing their way through as many espressos as they can manage. They nibble on green apples and bread between entries to refresh their taste buds. The top scoring beans are then put to a final test via the taste buds of a select group of Australia’s best coffee judges, all certified through the Australasian Specialty Coffee Association.
At the formal dinner on the last evening, award winners in the various categories are announced. In each category, there may be up to 10 or 12 who receive a Bronze medal, or 3 or 4 who receive a Silver. But there is only one Gold awarded in each category and for 2010 these went to:
1. Espresso – Di Gabriel Boutique Coffee Roasters
2. Milk Based – Cre8ive Coffee
3. Australian – Real Coffee
4. Filter – Eureka Coffee and Growers Espresso
5. Organic Espresso – Numero Uno Coffee
6. Single Origin Espresso – Remedy Coffee
7. Decaf – Prestige Organic Coffee
8. Coffee Chain – Veneziano Coffee
The overall winner of The Golden Bean is then determined by the combined scores in the Espresso and Milk-based categories and in 2010, this prestigious award went to Mahalia Coffee from Robe in South Australia.
We feel honored to be part of such a wonderful community of like-minded coffee enthusiasts. We have made new friends and found new partners in our pursuit of excellence in espresso. Thank you Sean Edwards for the role you play in breaking down the barriers to communication and collaboration and making the coffee industry a healthier and happier one.