World Barista Championship

If you have followed my past blog entries you probably already know that the coffee market is a large industry. It is, in fact, large enough to have its own world championship! 

The World Barista Championship is the annual international coffee competition, which crowns the best barista of the world. A barista is a "coffee artists" at the espresso machine that has great knowledge of coffee, can prepare, decorate, and serve it artistically to the customer. The World Barista Championship (WBC) was founded by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe and the Specialty Coffee Association of America. According to WBC's website, it "focuses on promoting excellence in coffee, advancing the barista profession, and engaging a worldwide audience with an annual championship event that serves as the culmination of local and regional events around the globe".

Every year, the participants of more than 50 Nations each need to prepare 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance, which is accompanied by music.

These excellent creations are served to WBC Certified Taste Judges from around the world for evaluation. The evaluation is based on performance on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and overall presentation. The organization states that the "ever-popular signature beverage allows baristas to stretch their imagination and the judges’ palates to incorporate a wealth of coffee knowledge into an expression of their individual tastes and experiences".

This year, the 11th annual World Barista Championship was held in London's Kensington Olympia Exhibition Center. In addition to the title of the world's best barista, the judges also awarded the international title for Latte Art (milk drawings), Good Coffee Spirits (alcoholic coffee drinks), Cup-tasting (tasting) and Ibrik (Turkish method). 

This year's World Barista Champion is Michael Phillips from the USA, followed by Raul Rodas of Guatemala and Scottie Callaghan from Australia. Congratulations!