News

The inaugural Become a Barista school competition held in Brisbane recently was a huge success.  Participants from seven schools performed to an exceptional standard considering their limited experience. Having said that, participants should be inspired by Matt Perger, the current Australian Barista Champion. Matt was 21 and had been making coffee for less than 2 years when he won this prestigious award – and came 3rd in the World Barista Championship final where over 50 countries competed.

The new World Barista Champion is from El Salvador

The title of World Barista Champion for 2011 goes to Alejandro Mendez from Viva Espresso in El Salvador – significant not only because it is the most prestigious title an individual barista can win but also because it is the first time this title has gone to a producing country.

The competition took place in Bogota Colombia with over 50 nations competing.

In a whirlwind promotional tour of New Zealand, Kirsty has tracked down some exceptional coffee experiences. For those familiar with the Perfect Espresso training system, an exceptional espresso experience involves the AAA criteria of AMBIENCE, ATTITUDE and ACTION. Basically this means:

The place has a good vibe or atmosphere;

The staff are all relaxed and efficient, welcoming and friendly; and

The coffee beverages are so enjoyable, you want to come back for more.

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.

Armed with the blue map to good coffee in London, Gwilym Davies’ Dis-loyalty Card and our own research, we had plenty of places to visit – on our mission to make an itinerary of 10 exceptional espresso experiences.

For those of you who are familiar with the Perfect Espresso training system, an exceptional espresso experience involves the AAA criteria of AMBIENCE, ATTITUDE and ACTION. Basically this means

At the world’s premier coffee event, held a couple of weeks ago in London, Australian baristas scored highly to take out the trophy for the best team.

Paul and I had the pleasure of meeting Gwilym Davies, the 2009 World Barista Champion from London, during his whirlwind tour of coffee hotspots in Australia. At Di Bella Coffee in Brisbane, a small group of like-minded espresso enthusiasts gathered last month to find out the latest tips and techniques from someone who has been judged best in their field.

I am always amazed at the number of espresso machines out there being driven by those who know little more than which buttons to push. And I am not talking about those super automatics where yes, the skill lies mostly in knowing which button to push and positioning the cup in the right place.

There are way too many so-called baristas using your typical pump machine with a grinder-doser and it is plainly obvious that they have had little or no training.

The world’s largest coffee event is about to take place in the UK . The best baristas from more than 50 countries will compete in the finals of the World Barista Championship. In its 11th year, this exciting event, is being hosted by the annual Caffe Culture event at Olympia Exhibition Centre in London from June 23-25.