Annual ‘battle of the baristi’ kicks off in Belfast
Café Krem scoops top spot for fourth year in succession
The UK Barista Championships (UKBC), the annual ‘battle of the baristi’ is now underway with the first of the seven regional finalists announced as Nelie Petkova, from Café Krem, a coffee shop chain in Northern Ireland.
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| The UKBC Regional heat – Northern Ireland pictured, from left:
Andrew Tucker (managing director SanRemo, espresso machine sponsor UK Barista Championships);
Heather Jamison of Quail’s restaurant in Bambridge, County Down, (second place);
Nelie Petkova of Café Krem, (winner); Julia McKenna of Clements, (third place) |
Orginally from Bulgaria, Nelie has been a barista for 3 years and along with Se Gorman, owner/proprietor at Café Krem has quite a track record of success in the UKBC. Nelie won the regional heat last year and went on to scoop second place overall in the national competition as did Se in 2007. Nelie will now go on to compete in the UKBC semi final event to be held on 2nd and 3rd March at Scothot, SECC, Glasgow.
Commenting on her win, Nelie said: “I am thrilled to be once again representing Northern Ireland in this competition. This is the fourth year in succession that Café Krem has won through to the semi final and I am hoping that this time round we will come home with the top prize.
“I must thank Se who has given me enormous support in terms of training and preparation and this has helped me in the run up to the competition. The pressure was really on to produce so many perfect cups of coffee in a short time frame, but the SanRemo machine is definitely great quality and easy to use, and I will be pleased and happy to use it again on the UKBC finals.
“The competition has been great fun, I have met lots of new people and it’s really great to get constructive feedback from coffee experts. It’s also a very positive way to raise the profile of the barista within the industry. So, if anybody out there is thinking about taking part in the competition, I would say just do it!”
Andrew Tucker, managing director for San Remo, the espresso machine sponsor for the UKBC said: “I was impressed at Nelie’s professional approach in her presentation as well as her skill on the coffee machine. The standard in the Belfast heat was very high and Nelie fought off some excellent competitors. She is a very deserving winner and I wish her the very best as she goes forward to the next round of the competition.”
The UKBC is the annual search for the ultimate coffee experience, organised by the Speciality Coffee Association Europe (SCAE). Each competitor has 15 minutes to make four cappuccinos, four espressos and four of their own ‘signature’ drinks. As well as the flavour and texture of the drinks, the baristi are judged on presentation, professionalism, attention to detail and knowledge of their chosen coffee’s provenance. This year’s UKBC champion will go on to represent the UK in the World Championship event which takes place in Atlanta, USA in April 09, against over 50 other countries. For further information about the UKBC, please visit www.scaeuk.com.