March 27, 2008
Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 9:26 pm
Hi everyone. Sorry for the long time between updates, but it’s been busy since the nationals.
It’s almost time for our 2007 Champion, Mike Yung, from caffe artigiano, to head to Copenhagen to represent us at the WBC. Those of you who got to see Mike’s performance in the CNBC finals last year, can only hope that Mike will be able to pull off something similar in Copenhagen. GO CANADA!
Okay.. the 2008 Schedule. It’s not all official yet, there still might be some minor tweaks, but that will only affect a few regionals by a day or two, but I wanted to circulate these dates now, so that baristas can begin to train.
Two major news items for this year:
1. Regionals will be mandatory. This means that you cannot just enter the nationals, you must qualify through your regional competitions. The exact details of the qualification procedure will be announced shortly.
2. There will be 4 regionals this year. The coffee communities in Alberta and Quebec have stepped up to the plate and are willing to show that they are deserving of their own regionals. Let’s do what we can to make sure that these new territories start off on the right foot. This means that we need all of the coffee community on board, not just including the baristas. We need all hands on deck to make the new regions a success. This is the industry’s showcase to the public, to the media, to coffee consumers.
I believe that if we can show everyone else out there the comraderie, the culture, the common grounds that drive us, what it means to be a barista, why the craft is so important, and the dedication that goes into serving customers the best drink of their day, every day…. then I think we will have success.
It’s not just about the winning, it’s about this community of like-minded professionals who want to push the limits of coffee, to as far as it will stretch.
Good luck baristas in 2008!
2008 Preliminary Schedule ( subject to revision)
Nationals are a 2 day event Oct 21,22. Maximum Competitors allowed will be 16. All contestants must qualify via Regional Championships
4 confirmed regionals this year, Registration details will be posted soon
Calgary – May 24 & 25 at Espuccino ( Alberta, Sask, Man)
Montreal – June 9 & 10 Either At Cafe Mystique Roasters or other
( Ottawa eastward, Quebec, PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Newfoundland)
Toronto – July 18 & 19 (At the Drinks Show exhibition center East Ontario, to, but not including Ottawa)
Vancouver – Aug 15 & 16 (Venue could either be Heritage hall, or the drinks show at Trade and Convention Center ( BC only)
The three territories, Yukon, North West and Nunavut will compete in the regionals that are closest by distance.