Gauteng Barista Championship kicks off tomorrow

The Speciality Coffee Association of Southern Africa (SCASA) has announced that the Gauteng Barista Competition will be held at Lynnwood Bridge Retail, Pretoria, from 3 - 6 November 2011. This is in preparation for the National Barista Competition and the World Barista Competition thereafter which will be held in Vienna, Austria from 12 - 15 June 2012.

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Competing baristas will each prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature beverages to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music.

Judges will evaluate each barista's performance, including the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall impression. The ever-popular signature beverage allows baristas to stretch their imagination and the judges' palates to incorporate a wealth of coffee knowledge into an expression of their individual tastes and experiences.

The top six competitors of the four regional competitions in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town will advance to the National Competition from which one winner will be selected. The national champion will represent South Africa at the WBC in Austria in 2012.

This year will also mark the introduction of the Cup Tasters Competition where competitors will be asked to distinguish different coffees by their taste. This is one of six World Coffee Competitions introduced by the World Coffee Events, which South Africa is hosting on a national level for the first time. The Cup Tasters competition is open to the public.

SCASA would like to extend an invitation to the public to attend this exciting event.