AUSTRIA. SSP’s 2012 Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship final will take place in Vienna, one of the world capitals of café culture, on 19 September.
During the competition, the contenders will prepare four espressos and four cappuccinos, together with a signature drink of their own creation. Their efforts are assessed by a panel of expert judges.
For the first time the competition will be screened live via Ustream so it can be watched around the globe, and there will be a live Twitter feed where viewers, competitors and friends can post comments and cheer on their favourites. Also new to the contest this year is a separate prize, sponsored by syrup-maker Monin, which will be awarded to the competitor who produces the best signature drink.
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Dublin Airport’s Ziadabi Nakhoul won last year’s competition in London |
“The benefits of this competition go far beyond the competition itself,” said Caffè Ritazza International Operations Director Stuart Coombes. “These baristas are a real inspiration to all of our teams across the globe, and help to raise standards at each of our outlets. Caffè Ritazza is all about excellent coffee. This competition is one way of helping to foster that excellence, and highlight the importance of the barista in achieving the highest standards.”
The event is adjudicated to the standards of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, which means that the skills of contenders are benchmarked against those of the world’s most successful competitive baristas.
Every country in which Caffè Ritazza is present is represented this year.
The finalists are:
• Yip Wai Ho (Kenny) from Hong Kong
• Gregory Dovy from France
• Louise Roessell from Denmark
• Zoltan Gal from Hungary
• Ali Torun from Germany
• Ricardo Suarez from Spain
• Naveed Ahmed from Switzerland
• Laura Timpany from UK Air
• Tomas Bruckus from UK Rail
• Andrea Krogdal from Norway
• Kajsa Bysell from Sweden (representing her country for the second time, after coming third in last year’s competition)
The judging panel is:
Head Judge: Stuart Coombes, Caffè Ritazza
Sensory Judges:
Mark Pierre Dietrich, previous World Barista Championship Head Judge
Raphael Jeanniot, Caffè Ritazza Senior Vice President International Marketing
Yoram Lishansky, FoodLab Director, SSP
Nora Smahelova, Chapter One Coffee, Berlin
Technical Judges:
Chris Scott, Head of Training, International Brands, SSP
Paul Meikle Janney, Managing Director, Coffee Community
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