Cathy Naert has been crowned winner of the BaxterStorey Barista Championships 2018, which showcases exceptional talent from across the UK and Europe.
Following two months of hard-fought regional heats across England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brussels, 16 semi-finalists took to the stage in Shoreditch on Thursday 22nd November. By lunchtime, the judges had chosen the six finalists who spent the afternoon demonstrating their creative flair and in-depth coffee knowledge through their signature drink. After an intense afternoon, Cathy, based at AXA, Belgium, was announced as the winner.
Cathy took inspiration from the tastes of summer, with a signature drink infusion of strawberry coulis and mint, with a dollop of almond cream on top. The sprig of mint is rolled between hands before drinking, so the aroma of mint is infused in the tasting.
Jana Slamova, BaxterStorey Barista Academy Manager and head trainer, said: “This year’s competitors pulled out all the stops, making the final decision as hard as possible for the expert judges.
“The competition offers an opportunity for our baristas to be recognised for their passion and highlights the incredible talent within our business. We hope our training opportunities continue to inspire, and arms them with the skills and confidence they need to produce quality coffee for our clients across our many locations.”
Cathy said: “I’ve only been a barista for six months, and the other competitors are amazing, I can’t believe I’ve won. My drink was inspired by my favourite summer flavours. It’s been such a life experience, I’d tell any barista to enter as it’s so worth it”.
Scott Taylor, head of coffee at BaxterStorey said of the finalists: “It was a fierce competition. This year saw finalists being told to change their coffee brand ahead of the final heat. Watching them choose their new flavours with just one hour’s preparation, is credit to the talent and passion of each barista. Cathy’s presentation and signature drink was outstanding and the flavours really came together”.
As the 2018 Barista Champion, Cathy will be given a tour of the Matthew Algie roastery in Glasgow; tickets to attend the World of Coffee show 2019 in Berlin and will be entered into the SCA’s 2019 UK Barista Championship.
BaxterStorey also launched its first coffee festival in conjunction with the competition. The festival was an opportunity to explore the latest trends and creations from across the coffee industry and saw a range of suppliers exhibit their products. Exhibitors included We Are Tea which showcased its cold brew tea, Union Coffee whose roasters demonstrated the company’s sensory and flavour tests with amazing single origin filter coffee and Matthew Algie which brought the brand’s Hasslachers single origin Cacao and espresso warehouse with the latest coffee gadgets available for purchasing.
