New South African Barista champion

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Danette Breitenbach

At the recent Good Food & Wine Show, Craig Charity (29) was named the new South African SCASA Barista Champion for 2014. He will represent South Africa at the World Barista Championships in Rimini, Italy in May 2014.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Charity, from Stretta café in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, beat five other finalists in a very closely contested final round, to be crowned champion, in a competition dominated by a KwaZulu-Natal contingent.

The Cup Taster's Competition was first on the schedule and Gerald Charles of Union Hand Roasted had prepared a stellar set of drinks for the competitors to sip. Wayne Oberholzer came out victorious when the points had been tallied, with only a small time difference separating the top two. He walked away with a Tissot watch for his skills.

Latte Art finalists Peter Seodisa of Seattle Coffee Company and Arno Els of Colombo Coffee & Tea brought their A games with swans, shooting hearts and an inverted Rosetta making appearances in the cups. The Durbanite, Elso clinched the title in the end and walked away with a Tissot.

Newest of the competition categories, the AeroPress was a rock star affair. The final was a showdown between an industry man from a roastery in Durban and an economist from Joburg. In the end Daniel Erasmus, barista trainer from Durban retained his reputation and beat out underdog Braden Muhl to take home the R1000 cash prize, a Porlex Mini Hand Grinder and a DeLonghi Toaster.

In the Top Six competition, Charity held off fierce competition from previous two-time SA Champ (2009, 2010) Ishan Natalie. Charity started roasting his own coffee, opened a café in partnership with Stretta in Hillcrest and is soon to open his own home barista paradise adjoining the café.