UK. Nine contenders from around the world will compete in the final of this year’s Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship, which will take place at The Dickens Inn at St Katharine Docks, London, on 21 September.
The competition will see contenders preparing four espressos and four cappuccinos, together with a signature drink of their own creation, watched by a panel of expert judges.
The event is adjudicated to the standards of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, according to the SSP-operated brand. This means that the skills of contenders are benchmarked against those of the world’s most successful competitive baristas, Caffè Ritazza added.
“Caffè Ritazza’s baristas are all trained to the most exacting standards,” said Caffè Ritazza International Franchise Director Stuart Coombes. “This contest gives the very best of these the opportunity to showcase their craft and compare their performance with the international stars of coffee-making.”
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Jurate Skarzauskaite was crowned the Caffè Ritazza World Barista Champion in 2010 |
A number of past contenders for the Caffè Ritazza title have themselves gone on to compete in external competitions, honing their competitive skills alongside developing their careers at SSP. These include Sindy Midgley, now an International Brands Manager at SSP; Grazioni Moroni, now National Coffee Specialist for SSP UK; and a finalist from last year’s competition, Matthew Roberts.
Stuart Coombes was himself also a competitor in the national UK championships and is qualified as a certified Speciality Coffee Association of Europe UK Barista Championship Judge.
This year’s finalists are:
• Marta Twardygrosz from Liverpool Airport, UK
• Ziadabi Nakhoul from Dublin Airport, UK
• Anne Marie Sacksteder from Longeville services, France
• Kristsada Kwannogen from Copenhagen Airport, Denmark
• Kajsa Bysell from Stockholm Central Station, Sweden
• Christian Roman from Paphos Airport, Cyprus
• Thomas Pettersson from Oslo Airport, Norway
• Kittipong Chaiyapim from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand
• Ashfaq Ahmed from Zurich Airport Switzerland
Last year’s competition, which was held in Rome, was won by Jurate Skarzauskaite from the UK.
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