The competition underpins CH&CO’s commitment to coffee excellence whilst celebrating the people at the heart of its delivery. It gives baristas the opportunity to develop their craft, learn with peers and push boundaries.
Making it accessible for baristas at every stage of their careers, the Barista of the Year competition was split into two categories – Brilliant Basics and Barista of the Year. The Barista of the Year competition had an emphasis on customer service and exceptional coffee skills, including day-to-day skills, signature drink, latte art and brewing.
Brilliant Basics challenged people to demonstrate a range of skills, progression and flair with a focus on day-to-day coffee service skills, including latte art and a signature drink. The Brilliant Basics competition was won by Raffaella Grillo part of the Sky Ocean Rescue Team at Sky Osterley.
Matt Symonds, managing director for Gather & Gather, part of CH&CO, said: “The barista talent and coffee knowledge we have across CH&CO is superb and it’s great to have the opportunity to showcase and celebrate it in this way.
“All the finalists brought their ‘A game’ and I was blown away by their pure talent and flair. The standard was incredibly high, and it was truly a close call for the judges. Everyone should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved, but huge congratulations must go to Natalia, our worthy winner.”
The winners and finalists also received some prizes including a group espresso machine, a Specialty Coffee Association Brewing Course and an educational trip to Victoria Arduino in Italy.