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| What does it take to be one of the best? |
Every year since 2000, the best baristas from each country compete in the World Barista Championship. The premier competition, organized by World Coffee Events, was held this year in Seoul, South Korea, and it received the most talented people from around the globe to give a demonstration of the beautiful art of brewing coffee.
Six competitors faced each other in the Championship’s finals, on 12 November at Café Show in the South Korean capital. They presented 15-minute routines and served four espressos, four milk-based, and four signature beverages to a panel of four sensory judges. The results were in, and we’re here to meet the three best baristas from 2017!
Kapo Chiu
Kapo Chiu
The third place in this year’s World Barista Championship belongs to Hong Kong representative, Kapo Chiu! He’s been participating since 2013 and earned the second place in 2014’s competition. Owner of his own roaster company, Cupping Room Coffee Roasters, Kapo Chiu “would love to see being a barista as being a sustainable long-term career for those who have passion in this industry, which would involve companies paying more, and providing a career path for coffee professionals.”
Coffee has always been a passion of his, but it wasn’t until recently that he started working full-time with it. He began as a home barista, visiting cafes, buying beans, and trying different brewing methods at home. Now he’s one of the best baristas in the world! Find more about his story following him on Instagram @kapoccino_.
Miki Suzuki
Miki Suzuki
Second place was conquered by Japanese barista Miki Suzuki from Maruyama Coffee. She’s the most decorated Japanese barista and has won the first place three times before! She never expected to find herself making a living out of her love for coffee since she comes from a small town near Tokyo. But now she considers herself very fortunate to have made it this far.
“I’m so delighted to be a barista. The coffee industry has been life-changing for me. I have forged many important relationships with coffee producer, trainers, my teammates, and my customers. These experiences made me grow as a professional barista and helps me to appreciate coffee truly”, explains Suzuki. She thinks herself shy and never thought about joining competitions, but as her colleagues were all doing it, she dared, signed in, and has been very lucky ever since. Check her out on Instagram @mkszk57!
Finally, British barista, Dale Harris, earned the first place, beating a total of 58 representatives from different countries. The first-time winner had been participating in the competition since 2009, slowly but steadily making his way to the top! “I’ve worked in coffee for a long while; competition has been a big part of my time in coffee but it’s also the excitement of new flavours, working with passionate people, and seeing how something seemingly simple can lead to incredible complexity – in the cup, economically—bringing lots of very different people and experiences together”, Harris said when asked to talk about himself and his work in the coffee industry.
The UK champion hosted the judges between two tables and provided service from both sides, even asking the judges not to watch him prepare the coffees. His routine focused on the connection between the flavors experienced in the cup, and the actions that shape them at the origin. Finally, Harris revealed his coffee and its roots towards the end of his presentation – an entirely washed 2L28 from Finca Las Brumas in El Salvador, and he explained the importance of context when it comes to an understanding the coffee’s value. You can follow Harris on Instagram @acostuiccoffee and learn more about his work!
Are you an aspiring barista? Or would you like to become one? It’s never too late! Reading the inspiring stories of these champions shows us that everybody started at the bottom and found success thanks to hard work, dedication, and passion! That’s precisely what moves us at That Coffee Roasters. Well, that and our daily cups to fuel our energies. Next year’s championship will take place in Amsterdam, are you signing in?
Sources: World Barista Championship, Sprudge
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