FOR the first time, Tasmania will be represented at the National Barista Championships, after local barista Caleb Wilson scooped top honours at the Tasmanian Barista Championships held in Melbourne last week.
Mr Wilson, 19, from Island Espresso in Hobart, won top honours after being required to make four espressos, four capuccinos and four signature drinks within a period of just 15 minutes.
Dane Knezevic, from Island Espresso roasted, and helped blend Mr Wilson’s coffee at Tasmanian Coffee Roasters in Sandy Bay on their Probat roaster. Mr Wilson so impressed the judges that they were happy to take a sample, of his blend, home to try.
And it was a double whammy of success for Island Espresso, with barista Matt Bowditch also taking out second prize.
This is the first time Tasmania has had its own section in the Australian Barista Championships, and Mr Wilson said it would be a great thrill to test his coffee-making skills against the best baristas Australia has to offer at the nationals this weekend.
“The importance of having a coffee made by someone who understands the art of barista work cannot be overstated,” said Dane Knezevic.
“There is so much more to making a good coffee than pressing a switch and frothing the milk – it is about having good freshly-roasted coffee beans to start with, the right extraction time, the perfect texture for crema, for example, and being able to produce a number of great coffees within a short period of time.
“As Tasmanians become more and more coffee-conscious I have no doubt they will increasingly seek out the best baristas in town as well as the best coffee beans, and competitions such as the Australisan Barista Championships are a great way to test your skills and keep baristas constantly striving for excellence.”
The Australian Barista Championships will be held this Sunday, April 23, in Sydney.
