Author Archives: baristacanada

New Community Coffee Cupping, Vancouver

I’ll let you in on a ‘not-so-secret’ coffee tasting that a few souls are doing this week

Why: To discover new tastes and things while being awesome

Where: Propaganda Coffee, 209 E Pender St

When: Sunday, 5th of March

Who: YOU and some friends

ARE YOU A CAFE OR ROASTER?

Submit your coffee for our cuppings, OR dare to host us – just get in touch.

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CNBC 2014 Results

2014 Canadian National Barista Championship (CNBC) Results

Finals

Monday September 29th, 2014

Ben Put from Monogram Coffee: 586 pts
Joshua Tarlo from Reunion Island Coffee Roasters: 558 pts
Aimee Ferguson from Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters: 543.5 pts
Nathaniel Fried from Pilot Coffee Roasters: 518.5 pts
Andreas Adams from Rosso Coffee Roasters: 498 pts
Cole Trepanier from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters: 491.5 pts

Round One

Sunday September 28th, 2014

1. Ben Put from Monogram Coffee: 578 pts

2. Aimee Ferguson from Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters: 530 pts

3. Andreas Adams from Rosso Coffee Roasters: 514 pts

4. Nathaniel Fried from Pilot Coffee Roasters: 513 pts

5. Joshua Tarlo from Reunion Island Coffee Roasters: 503 pts

6. Cole Trepanier from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters: 471.5 pts

7. CJ Yang from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters: 462.5 pts

7. Jon Plett from Detour Coffee Roasters: 462.5

8. Keaton Ritchie: 461 pts

9. Christopher Tellez from Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters: 457 pts

10. Cole Torode from Rosso Coffee Roasters: 446 pts

11. David Lalonde from Tunnel Espresso: 442 pts

12. Edmond Keung from Moving Coffee 432.5 pts

13. Jean-Daniel Lajoie from Brulerie de café de Québec: 393.5 pts

14. Liam Robichaud from Pourquoi-Pas Espresso Bar: 391 pts

15. Stacey Lynden from Stir Coffee House: 342.5 pts

Thank you to all the competitors, judges, & volunteers for such an incredible event!

We proudly crowned Benjamin Put from Monogram Coffee as the 2014 Canadian National Barista Champion. Ben joins the ranks of legendary Sammy Piccolo as the only champion to win consecutive Canadian National Titles. However, Sammy has set the bar as being the 4 times undefeated Canadian National Champion.

Enormous congratulations to Ben and his team on the win! We know he’ll make us proud at the 2015 World Barista Championship.

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2014 Central Canadian Barista Competition

The 2014 Central Canadian Barista Competition (CCBC) will be held at Propeller Coffee, 50 Wade Ave. in Toronto, on June 20 and 21, 2014. With the competition’s focus on coffee excellence it’s no surprise it was named as one of the city’s Top 10 Food Events by BlogTO.

This year’s event takes place at Propeller’s awesome new roasting facility and promises “backstage access” to the craft of roasting specialty coffee from cupping, to roasting and brewing. It is an excellent setting to get the story behind the event and a fun way to understand the many steps in the process from seed to cup.

With the support of our sponsors Zuccarini, Mavea, 8 Ounce Coffee, Mahlkonig, Reunion Island and Full Circle, the CCBC will showcase our central Canada’s talents as 20 baristas compete to qualify for the upcoming Canadian National Barista Competition in Toronto.

There’s also more than coffee at the CCBC. Take some time to enjoy a Nickel Brook beer and snack on some great food in between the competitors’ presentations. Or join in on the action and taste their signature drinks made with the new Victoria Arduino Black Eagle. This is a gorgeous Nuova Simonelli espresso machine that features a built-in gravimetric weighing system incorporated into the grate above the drip tray.

This year’s event offers guaranteed fun with killer coffee prizes, including a Baratza Encore Grinder, a selection of Aeropresses and Chemexes and even a vineyard tour at Fieldings’ Winery.

Look out for another returning fan favourite in the So Nice Soy Latte Art Contest, which be happening again in Carvalho’s Cupping Room with the competition’s first Ontario Roasters’ Coffee Cupping Seminars.

The CCBC is also excited to feature 14 of Ontario’s best coffee roasters all in one place for the seminars. They will showcase local roasters’ blends and single origin coffees from Africa, Central America and Indonesia. Did we mention that it’s free? Just tell your boss you’re going on a coffee break!

Come join in on the fun while sipping and steaming your way into the local coffee scene. Check out the attached schedule or follow us on Twitter at @ccbctoronto for more information.

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Call for 2014 Regional Hosts!

Posted: Tuesday, January 7, 2014

To all prospective Regional Barista Championship Hosts!The 2014 National Canadian Barista Championship will take place at The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show at the International Centre in Toronto, September 28 & 29, 2014.Last year’s host sponsors and local committees did a superb job in hosting and operating the events. The Canadian Barista Regional Sanctioning Committee (SC) hopes again to stimulate local sponsorship and a grassroots enthusiasm for the event by building a solid local foundation of sponsors, volunteers and other invested players.

Once again, we are asking for proposals from organizing committees to host this event. This is necessary to keep this whole process transparent and the events open to all. The bids will be open for all proposals until March 1, 2014. All proposals will be considered by the SC comprised of members of the Canadian Barista Academy, Fulcrum Events, the Coffee Association of Canada and the Canadian Head Judges Committee. The winning regional hosts will be notified by March 14, 2014.

We hope you are interested in again participating in these events. Remember, they can be as simple or elaborate as you make them. They are extremely time and energy rich events and many volunteer hands and hours are required. In this economy we must be wise with our expenditures. Although we must promote and put on a good show, we need to be prudent in deciding where dollars are spent. The purpose is to run a good fair contest. If we need to scale down to fit the budget, then we must do so.

Regardless, the priority for all funds raised must be for the competition.

Other issues such as publicity, advertising, audience experience, prizing, food, beverage, though very important will take a back seat in order to ensure that we have a proper, fair, and competent regional championship that will select winners to the nationals.

We would like to hear from you on your interest in hosting these events for 2014 and timelines. We ask that you form your committees, if you have not already. Please email the attached form by March 1, 2014, along with a budget and marketing plan for the event.

Fulcrum Media Inc.
Claire Kim
Please see this link for the full host agreement.

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2012 Western Canadian Regional Barista Championships

We are pleased to announce the final results of the 2012 Western Canadian Regional Barista Championship, held this past weekend June 1-3rd, at the Host Sponsor event, Eat Vancouver. It was a great weekend for all things culinary, as attendees got to sample the best of Vancouver food and drink, and watch the multitude of culinary championships held on various stages.

Over 30,000 Visitors to the newly renovated BC Place Stadium, witnessed a hotly contested event, as baristas battled nerves, and judges, to make 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 specialty drinks in 15 minutes. Congratulations to all involved and good luck to the top 4 finalists, who will go on to represent the Western Canadian Region at the national championship, Sept 9-10 in Toronto.

Kyle Straw, 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, Vancouver: 606.5 2 pts
Grahame Bouvier, Fernwood Coffee, Victoria: 595.5 pts
Alan Vuong, Caffe Artigiano, Vancouver: 528.0 pts
James St. Clark, Kafka’s Coffee and Tea, Vancouver: 516.0 pts
Tristan Mapstone, Discovery Coffee, Victoria: 508 pts
Daniel Houghton, Cafe Motivo, Kamloops: 429.5 pts

**Top 4 Advance to nationals**

This is the first of 4 regional barista competitions to be held across Canada this year. For more details on the rest of 2012 Canadian Barista Championships competition schedule Please go to http://canadianbaristaacademy.com/barista.htm The Canadian Champion will go on to represent Canada at the World Championships in 2013, rumoured to be in Australia.

Round 1 Results: 2012 Western Canadian Regional Barista Championships

Kyle straw49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, Vancouver: 623 pts
Graham Bouvier,Fernwood Coffee, Victoria: 601.5 pts
Tristan Mapstone, Discovery Coffee, Victoria: 504.5 pts
Alan Vuong, Caffe Artigiano, Vancouver: 478.5 pts
Daniel Houghton, Cafe Motivo, Kamloops: 440 pts
James Saint Clark, Kafka’s Coffee and Tea, Vancouver: 440 pts
Chris Naylor, Crema, Vancouver: 422 pts
Julia Barber, Independant: 297 pts

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2012 Canadian Barista Regional Championships

This year four regional competitions will take place starting with the Western Regional in Vancouver, Central Regional in Toronto, Prairie Regional in Calgary and Eastern Regional in Victoriaville. The events will feature each region’s best baristas demonstrating the art of making the perfect espresso drinks and competing for the regional barista championship title.

The top three finalists in each regional will qualify for the Canadian National Barista Championship held at The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show in Toronto on September 9 & 10, 2012 at the International Centre, Toronto, Ontario.

During both the National and Regional competitions, each competitor will be expected to prepare and serve 12 separate espresso beverages: 4 espresso, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 “signature” drinks of their own creation. Competitors have only 15 minutes to prepare all 12 drinks and are judged on various elements including station cleanliness, taste, beverage presentation, technical skills and total impression by a distinguished panel of local judges from the foodservice industry.

The eventual winner of the Canadian National Championship will represent Canada at the 2013 World Barista Championship.

All the competitors will receive great prizes for participating as well as valuable experience.

The events are open to the public.

For information and to register to compete visit www.baristacanada.com and www.baristacanada.com/registration

Canadian Regional Barista Championships Schedule:

Western Canadian Regional Barista Championship
June 1-3, 2012

EAT! Vancouver
BC Place Stadium,
777 Pacific Boulevard,
Vancouver, BC
V6B 4Y8

http://www.eat-vancouver.com/area_barista.html

NOTE NEW DATE!

Central Canadian Regional Barista Championship
July 24-25, 2012

St. Lawrence Market North
92 Front St. East
Toronto, ON
M5E1C4

Prairie Canadian Regional Barista Championship
July 13-16, 2012
Fratello Coffee Roasters
4021 9 St SE
Calgary, AB
T2G 3C7

http://www.fratellocoffee.com

Eastern Canadian Regional Barista Championship
August 10 & 11, 2012
Café Méridien
505 Boul. Jutras Est.,
Victoriaville, QC
G6P 7H4

Tel. 819 604 1671

egfsuanne@hotmail.com

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To all prospective Regional Barista Championship Hosts!

Next year’s 2012 National Canadian Barista Championship will take place at the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show at the Toronto International Centre, Sep. 9-10, 2012. This year’s host sponsors and local committees did a superb job in hosting and operating the events. The Canadian Barista Regional Sanctioning Committee (SC) hopes again to stimulate local sponsorship and a grassroots enthusiasm for the event by building a solid local foundation of sponsors, volunteers and other invested players.

Once again, we are asking for proposals from organizing committees to host this event. This is necessary to keep this whole process transparent and the events open to all. The bids will be open for all proposals until January 31st, 2012. All proposals will be considered by the SC comprised of members of the Canadian Barista Academy, Fulcrum Events, the Coffee Association of Canada and the Canadian Head Judges Committee. The winning regional hosts will be notified by February 15, 2012.

Other issues such as publicity, advertising, audience experience, prizing, food, beverage, though very important will take a back seat in order ensure that we have a proper, fair, and competent regional championship that will select winners to the nationals.

We would like to hear from you on your interest in hosting these events for 2012 and timelines. We ask that you form your committees, if you have not already. Please email the attached form by January 31st 2012, along with a budget and marketing plan for the event.

Fulcrum Media Inc.

Claire Kim

E-mail: ckim@fulcrum.ca

Phone: 1. 866. 688. 0504 ext. 141

Fax: 1. 877. 560. 1445

Should you inquire clarification or have any questions please contact Vida Radovanovic, e-mail: vidar@canadianbaristaacademy.com

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CANADIAN BARISTA REGIONAL SANCTIONING COMMITTEE AND REGIONAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEES FOR REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Background

The Canadian Barista Championship (CBC) is an official competition sanctioned by World Coffee Events (WCE).The winner of the CBC qualifies to represent Canada at the World Barista Championship (WBC), which is just one of many WCE world championships.

All official Canadian national WCE sanctioned Competitions are under the auspices of the sanctioned Canadian Body, the Coffee Association of Canada (CAC). The CAC has designated the Canadian Barista Academy (CBA) as its competition coordinator.

The CBA ‘s responsibilities include but are not limited to :

Ensuring fair competitions. CBA has veto power over any aspects of the competitions that threaten the fairness of competitions.

Approve stage setups, machinery and all components of the competition.

Train, and administer a competent and objective judging pool.

The CBA has delegated the full responsibility of maintaining and monitoring the judging pool to the Canadian Head Judge Committee (CHJC) whose current members include Andrea Piccolo, Ian Clark, Michael Yung, and Amber Fox. Associate members for 2011 are Joshua Del Sol, Matthew Lee, Matthew Kolehmainen and Elizabeth Drobigs.

Fulcrum Events is the host of the Canadian National Barista Championship, and provides administrative and marketing support to the SC as well as facility support at its national trade show, The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE Canadian Barista Regional Sanctioning Committee (SC)

The Canadian Barista Regional Sanctioning Committee (referred to in this document as “SC” is comprised of members of the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy, Fulcrum Events, Coffee Association of Canada and Canadian Head Judges Committee.

Approve and appoint regional committee members.
Approve stage layout and set up
Train, calibrate and certify judges for the competition or appoint a suitable representative.
SC may negotiate additional funding from other sponsors and suggest a sponsorship fee structure.
SC will ensure that the competition is run fairly and that all rules are adhered to.
SC will provide marketing assistance through its web site and email blasts in informing members of the community of the events in each city.
All titles, authorities, images, pertaining to regional events, trademarked, copyrighted or not, remain the sole property of the SC and any use of the title for other purposes must require written approval from the SC.
All marketing materials pertaining to regional events must be approved by the SC or its designate prior to publication. Approved materials will contain “Endorsed by” followed by the logos of the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy, Canadian Coffee Association and Canadian Barista Championship/Canadian Coffee & Tea Show. If the regional organizing committee and any of its members intend to use any of the above logos on any printed or electronic media, written permission must be received from the SC. The WBC logo cannot be used on any regional materials without the written permission of the WBC and the National Sanctioning Body co-ordinator.
SC or its designate must approve all stage layouts and equipment set up.
SC or its designate holds veto power over any issues that may create conflict of interest either with competitors, judges, sponsors, signage, or any other issues that may impact the integrity of the event or SC, or are otherwise not condusive to promoting the goodwill of the regional barista competitions.
SC is the final arbiter of all disputes and conflicts that may arise and may remove or appoint new committee members if it deems it necessary to do so.
SC is not libel for any financial, insurance or other issues concerning the regional barista competitions and championships and or associated events.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE(S)

To act in the best interest of the regional championship, the baristas, the SC and the specialty coffee industry.
To organize the event, and ensure that everything is in place to run a proper championship.
Committees must provide (if required, as deemed by the SC) airfare and accommodation for a certifying head judge / organizer appointed by the SC or its designate to oversee judges training, approve stage set up, and other matters outlined above.
Committees are responsible for raising funds to operate the event and therefore are responsible for any shortfalls in funding.
All funds raised belong to the regional championship event and if the event does not happen, the committee must ensure all funds are returned to sponsors.
Committees are expected to use sponsorship dollars wisely and solely for the purpose of running, and promoting the regional championships.
Committees must supply all required equipment and materials outlined in attached excel sheet. Changes can be made to these requirements with the approval of the SC or its designate.
Committees shall set up a full accounting of revenue and projected expenses, and submit copies to the SC or its designate prior to the event.
Committees may NOT contract or bind the SC or its designate, Canadian Barista Championship/Canadian Coffee & Tea Show and Coffee Association of Canada to any liability or agreement.
Any budget surpluses must be either used in prizing, held in trust for future events or other uses that do not benefit the committee members.
Committees have no authority to determine who may judge or compete, score keep, or what machinery is used on stage.
Committees will be responsible in sourcing volunteer staff, or paid staff to run the competition.
Committees are responsible for all marketing and promoting of the event.
Committees are responsible for insurance for the event and providing a copy of certificate 30days before the event.
Committees are responsible for recruitment of competitors.

Agreed to this _________ day of _______________ 2011/2012

Signed by committee members for the _____________________ regional barista champion of Canada for the year 2012.

x_______________________ x________________________ x___________________

(print name and company below)

x_______________________ x________________________ x___________________

Please sign and return to: Fulcrum Media Inc., fax 1.877. 560. 1445., e-mail ckim@fulcrum.ca or mail to 508 Lawrence Ave. West, suite 201, Toronto, ON, M6A 1A1. This document must be signed and received prior to the event for the regional event to be recognized as a sanctioned Canadian Regional Barista Championship.

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Don’t miss the action brewing at the Canadian Central Regional Barista Competition & Coffee Expo

July 5 & 6, 2011

St. Lawrence Market North, Toronto

Coffee lovers are invited to attend the Canadian Central Regional Barista Competition & Coffee Expo. This year’s location, the historic St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto will feature the region’s best baristas demonstrate the art of making the perfect espresso drinks and compete for the regional barista championship title and one of six spots that will take the finalists to the Canadian National Barista Championship in Vancouver in October. The two day competition and Coffee fair will feature coffee and tea samples from local coffee roasters and distributors of coffee products, confections and allied products, as well as coffee cupping and latte art demonstrations.

Each competitor must prepare and serve 12 separate espresso beverages: 4 espresso, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 “signature” drinks of their own creation. Competitors have only fifteen minutes to prepare all twelve drinks and are judged on various elements including station cleanliness, taste, beverage presentation, technical skills and total impression by a distinguished panel of local judges from the foodservice industry. The eventual winner of the Canadian National Championship will represent Canadian at the 2012 World Barista Championship. All the competitors will receive some great prizes for participating as well as valuable skill building experience. The events are open to the public with admission a suggested donation to a Coffeekids, a registered charity, helping families build a better life in coffee growing countries.

For information visit baristacanada.com

Canadian Central Regional Barista Competition & Coffee Expo
2- day Central Regional Barista Competition and Coffee Fair Event, open to the public and trade

Date: July 5-6, 2011
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Daily (times subject to change)
Venue: St. Lawrence Market North, 92 Front St. East, Toronto, ON
www.stlawrencemarket.com

For more information on the event and sponsorships, booths, special events and to volunteer send queries to: ccbc@gmail.com

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Central Regional Cup Tasting Competition

Toronto, St. Lawrence Market, July 6

Cup Tasting Competition is a fun and exciting event. It showcases the coffee cuppers’ ability to demonstrate their speed, skill and accuracy in distinguishing the taste differences in specialty coffees.

Three participants at a time taste coffees arranged in eight triangle set (groups of three). In each triangle, two cups are identical, one is different. Using skills of smell, taste, memory and concentration, the competitor will try to identify the odd cup in the triangles, in the shortest time possible. After eight minutes, the round stops and the competitor discovers how many correct they have selected, by lifting their selections to reveal whether or not there is a mark on the bottom of the cup.

12 competitors compete in 4 heats (3 competitor s per heat)

Top 3 competitors advance to the final round. Competitor with the most correct selection in the least amount of time wins.

Registration

The entry cost per competitor is $25. To register as a competitor, please email to steve@socialcoffeecompany.com with your name, phone number, company

Prizes

First place winner will receive $250 and some great coffees

Second place winner will receive $100 and some great coffees

Third place winner will receive $50 some great coffees

Volunteer

You will gain great experience as volunteer, plus there will be goodies and prizes for the volunteers.

To volunteer please email steve@socialcoffeecompany.com or call Steve at 416-848-0718 X91

Coffees Sponsor

All Coffee Roasters, We would love to get your support for the event. This is a great event to feature your coffee and your company. The sponsorship cost is $150 plus two coffees for the competition, 8lb of each coffee. Please also provide the information and tasting notes for your coffee submitted. For sponsorship please contact steve@socialcoffeecompany.com or 416-848-0718 x91 with your name, phone number, and company

Bonus event! Open (to show attendees) Cup Taster event July 5

Open to all show attendees. It’s a fun, casual event, allowing the spectators to participate in the fun. It will help them acquire the experience for future Cup Tasting Competition.
The format will be the same as the cup taster competition but with 4 set triangulation rather than 8 sets.
There will be some goodies and give away for the participants. No registration necessary, spaces are limited!

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A weekend of Cowboy Coffee…

September 17, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 12:31 pm

Just recovering from a great weekend in Calgary. So many things to mention. First of all, hats off to Fratello Coffee who turned over their entire operation to the event. Basically we were in the warehouse, but with the drape, and chairs, you sorta forgot that you were sitting amongst warehouse racking. The best thing about the facility is that everything was there. Photocopiers, printers, bathrooms, kitchen, LCD screens, dishwashers etc.. everything for us to use.

Yes it was crowded, and yes the lighting wasn’t as good as we would have liked it to be, but most the baristas commented that it was nice to be in a facility that actually involved coffee… it felt.. authentic.

Andrew Legg the emcee/actor/comedian/and a kick-ass barista in his own right, did a stellar job as emcee. In case you missed it, Andrew may have made coffee history by organizing the first live internet streaming broadcast of thumb-wrestling for schwag.. it was a great moment.

Head judge Andrea Piccolo was universally lauded for the job she did steering the ship. In what turned out to be the most competitive region in Canada, Andrea managed to lasso and wrangle the judges, keeping them focused and calibrated. This was essential as the margin between 1st and 5th was only 30 points. Fantastic job Andrea…

Volunteers… we can’t thank you enough. From bussers, to runners, to dishwashers, cameramen, timekeepers, station cleaners.. none of this works without your support.

But the best thing of all was the fact that we had competitors being judged by rival cafes, roasters, etc.. Noone doubted the integrity of the judges, and their ability to remain objective, despite having a competitor of their own in the contest. This was mostly due to the fact that everyone just wanted the region to pick the best and the brightest, to send to the nationals. A strong performance in the nationals would mean that the entire region would benefit from the media coverage/publicity.

No wonder that the top six in the Prairies had the highest average score in all the regions.

Let’s see if the other regions can get it together in time for nationals.

For all the scores, go to http://www.canadianbaristaacademy.com

Okay.. I have three weeks to prepare for nationals now… If you want to volunteer, let me know. We can always use the help

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It’s been a while…..

Rare Canadian Loonie Latte

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 8:44 pm

First of all, a billion apologies for not keeping up with this blog. I have a million excuses, and some pretty good believable explanations… but I’ll spare you all those and will just say that I hope to make this blog more of a regular thing.

One of my mandates has been to involve more people into building the culture around the competitions, and as such I sorta hoped others would start their own blogs to finish what this Canadian Barista blog had started.

Those of you who know me, know that I’ve not been idle in the coffee world, as the past year+ has kept me very busy… so busy that I’ve had to scale down some of my coffee exploits.

But I will try to maintain this blog, ( but in reality I will be delegating/blackmailing certain people to take some of the load)

On that note, I am pleased to announce that the regional championships have been given to the local communities to further develop. Steering/organizing committees have been set up in the Eastern, Central, Prairie and Western regions to help find sponsorship, involve cafes and their baristas, and beat the bushes for volunteers.

The rationale behind this was to allow the locals to create partnerships with local businesses. This is a far better solution than the Canadian Barista Academy trying to do this from outside your communities. The idea is to create local coffee “events”, that will attract the general public, but mostly it is to showcase the state of the local coffee scene.

Sort of like separation of church and state, we’ve decided to separate the economics of the event from the running of the event itself.

That being said, the Canadian Barista Academy is still creating sponsorship opportunities for the regionals, and is running the actual contest. All judges must go through training, certification, and the stage setups, scorekeeping etc are firmly in the Academy’s hands. This way we keep an impartiality in the judging process, and the steering committees are free to pursue sponsorship without fear of bias.

Fulcrum Events, the host of the Nationals, October 14/15th in Vancouver, is sponsoring the regionals both financially and with infrastructure/support staff. I hope everyone can make it to the nationals, I know it’s going to be one of the best nationals ever.

There will be more to come in future posts, including some opportunities for baristas to pay their expenses if they come to the Vancouver Coffee Tea Show… if you are willing to work in booths, making drinks to serve the public, let me know!

Okay. I better go get some coffee..

Les

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2009 in a nutshell..

August 8, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 9:35 pm

Where to begin? So much has happened this past year, and we’re just BEGINNING our 2009 competition season.

Sammy Piccolo… came out of retirement, knocked off the rust in the Canadian Nationals last November in Montreal… then did us proud by losing a squeaker to those brits… Silver Medal!!

This makes Sammy the most decorated barista ever… three silvers and a bronze, in four events gives him the highest slugging percentage ever.

I was lucky enough to be allowed behind the scenes in Sammy’s training for Atlanta this year. Usually I only relegate myself to doing some trial judging of Sammy’s performance in the weeks prior to the competition, as I always tried to maintain a separation from baristas I might judge in the future.

But this year I decided to step away from the judging circles and let the new crop of WBC certified judges take the lead. This allowed me to going into the Sammy Piccolo/ Artigiano inner sanctum, and I got to see first hand how a champion trains for competition. I accompanied Team Piccolo to Atlanta, and got so wrapped up in things that I missed the meeting with WBC hemisphere coordinator Roukiat Delrue (Sorry Roukie!!)

Maybe we can get Sammy to do an article for the blog about the run to Atlanta ( subtle hint)

Atlanta could be a whole book by itself. It was a great weekend.

Speaking of great weekends, I just came back last month from the first regional this year, the Central , held at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto.

Despite a tight schedule, an uncooperative macbook, some sound issues, bandwidth issues it was a highly competitive event. Judges, baristas, volunteers all worked to put on the best contest possible, culminating in a victory by Chris Tellez of Espresso Post in Collingwood.

Chris showed he was the most polished ( and the most practised , based on the after comments of the competitors), so he definitely deserved the crown.

His espresso shone well on the cool green WBC competition Aurelias, as he cruised in just ahead of Sam James of the soon-to-be opened Sam James Coffee House, and Momiji Kishi of Dark Horse Espresso, both in Toronto.

Fellow Torontonians, Ivonne Ramirez of Dolce Gelato & Cafe, and Adam Vrankulj of Grinder, placed 4th and 5th respectively, and will be entered in the wildcard draw of all 4th and 5th placed finishers for one of four wildcard spots available at the nationals in Vancouver. Good luck!

The place was packed to capacity which means we have outgrown it. This is a good thing.

Okay.. that’s it for now, just a reminder for those in the East and West, if you haven’t registered for your regional competitions yet, DO IT NOW!!!! NOW!!!

We will be closing off registration very soon.

Les

Ying and Yang heart..

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2008 Canadian Regional Barista Championships

Espresso Enthusiasts invited to 2008 Canadian Regional Barista Championships

Toronto, ON (April 9, 2008) Coffee enthusiasts from across Canada will be gathering to watch some of the country’s best baristas (espresso machine operators) at the 2008 Canadian Regional Barista Championships. Four regional competitions to be held in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver have been announced beginning with the Prairies Regional Barista Championship in Calgary on May 24 & 25, 2008. Masters of the espresso machine from around the country will be competing for the coveted title of Barista Champion in each region.

A few weeks later, the Eastern Regional Barista Championship will take place in Montreal on June 9 & 10, 2008, followed by the Central Regional Barista Championship on July 18 & 19, 2008 at the Queen Elizabeth Building, CNE in Toronto and the Western Regional Barista Championship on August 15 & 16, 2008 in Vancouver, BC.

The first place, second and third place winners of each competition will secure a place at the Canadian Barista Championship to be held October 21 & 22, 2008 at the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show in Montreal. The eventual winner of the championship will represent Canada in the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Atlanta, USA in 2009.

Spectators are encouraged to visit the displays of the event’s sponsors and sample some of the newest coffee and tea products on the market. All the competitors will receive some great prizes for participating as well as valuable experience. The events are open to the public and admission is by donation to the CoffeeKids charity, helping families build a better life in coffee growing countries.

In conjunction with the events, the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy will also offer hand-on barista training for those new to the industry or those who want to perfect their skills.

As the premier regional event in Canada, organizers are encouraging baristas from cafes and restaurants to sign up. The Canadian Barista Championship is endorsed by the Coffee Association of Canada and the WBC.

The regionals’ host sponsors include Espuccino Imports, Espresso Mali, Zuccarini and ECM Espresso. Additional sponsors of the event are Gerhards, Monin, Oregon Chai, Ghiradelli, Jet Smoothies, Pacific Soy, Cappuccino King, Coag, and Toi, Moi & Café. Krups is the Canadian Barista Championship’s Host sponsor.

For information and to register, visit the website www.canadianbaristachampionship.com or www.canadianbaristaacademy.com or call Vida Radovanovic

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2008 Canadian Barista Championship Calendar

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.

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2007 Canadian National Barista Championships.. SOLD OUT!

August 22, 2007

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 7:34 pm

Yes.. it’s official. We are booked up. What a difference from last year, when, even with the excitement of a celebrity contestant, Bob Blummer and the food network filming an episode, we were still struggling for competitors. In the end, our 2006 Champion Colter Jones, represented us well at the world’s in Tokyo, missing out on the finals by just half a point.

Looks like this year, he is really going to have a fight on his hands. We are fully booked. If you haven’t registered yet, I am afraid there is just no more room. Put your name in all the same in case people drop out, but there is already a waiting list. ( this is why you should listen to Les when he says… REGISTER EARLY!).

Next year, we will be putting in a new system to determine who can compete in the Nationals, based on making the regionals mandatory. More details to come.

The bottom line is, the playing field is becoming more level, and more competitive. This should be a great Nationals. As we speak, I am working with a real budget for audio video. Our stage set up should be the best ever for a nationals. Tommorrow I will pack up all the judges’ tables, machine tables and chairs, and ship them to Toronto. Do to the hard work over the years by Vida Radovanovic, our fearless leader and WBC Sanctioned representative, we have a show kit that will be shipped from province to province for regional championships. This will give us a uniform standard for regionals. Schedules for 2008 events will be announced before the end of 2007. Look for a few new events.

I am also putting the call out now for volunteers for the 2007 Nationals in Toronto. I cannot offer you airfare or accommodations, but I can offer you free passes to the trade show in Toronto and seminar access. Let me know if you will be in the Toronto area September 16-17th., or email at the http://www.canadianbaristaacademy.com site.

If there are any usbc, or WBC judges travelling to the area at that time, let us know. We always try to utilize outside guest judges.

That’s all for now…

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Western Canadian Regionals… aftermath

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 7:14 pm

It’s been a week since the regionals, and I’m still sifting through scoresheets, verifying, checking etc. I will be sending out copies of scoresheets to all the competitors this week. If you want to arrange to come pick them up just email or call me. Otherwise they are going in the mail.

I just want to thank all the competitors for a fantastic display of support for the event. We capped the event at 12 competitors, because that was all that our schedule allowed. We stuck to our guns and reluctantly turned away some competitors, but we had to work with the capacity that our pool of judges and volunteers allowed. Next year, the regionals will be compulsory, so no more ” I’ll wait for the nationals”. We will have a special ranking system to ensure that we have good geographical representation, but more importantly, that we form the most competitive field possible for our national championship.

I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out this year, there are too many to name, and I don’t want to single out any, in fear of missing someone. But those of you who either helped to bus, to scorekeep, to time, to make phonecalls, to order pizza, to change water jugs, to get milk, to pedal blender bikes, to hand out flyers, to man the 4th machine… you get the drift…. there are so many things involved in this event… the real stars are the volunteers, and I want to thank you all.

The results are final, the top six unchanged.

1. Derek Lucas Buon Amici’s coffee 541 points

2. Logan Gray Discovery Coffee 540

3. Ken Gordon Habit Coffee and Culture 479
4. Cady Wu Wicked Cafe 468

5. Brette Richard 2% Jazz 458

6. Zachary Simon Habit Coffee and Culture 449

7. Tiffany Malley 2% Jazz 440 tie

7. Paul Reimer Discovery Coffee 440 tie

8. Ryan Crawford Blenz 426.5

9. Layla Osburg Blenz 366

10.Donald Wilson Soma DQ’d, over time

11. Stefan Morales DNF

All in all, one of our closest regionals ever. I want to specifically thank all the first time competitors. It’s not easy to stand up there and compete in front of 7 judges, never mind the audience. The fact that you put yourself on the line means you’ve earned my respect. It’s always difficult the first time. I’m sure if you ask our new western regional champion, Derek Lucas, his first time was probably the hardest thing he’s done in coffee. But the key is he got past it. Nobody died.

The confidence Derek gained from previous competitions was the deciding factor this year, as his polish, poise and presentation skills put him ahead of the field to stay. The performance I saw last Tuesday from Derek, was miles ahead of the pitcher shaking, quivering voice barista I saw the first time. If I remember correctly, the first year Derek competed, he was actually attending our barista skills seminars the day before. The practice and training Derek has put on since then, showed last Tuesday.

Next time register early, okay Derek?

That being said, Logan’s performance was exceptional, the one point difference meant it was basically a coin flip. Either one of these two would have made great champions, and I’m glad that we will see Logan at the Nationals in September 16/17.

Ken Gordon, your performance and demeanor was great. The judges loved your presentation and image. You are on the waiting list for Toronto, and I hope you get in, but as everyone knows by now, the nationals are overbooked, and we are trying to find a way to get everyone a spot, but the logistics may mean some competitors will have to wait for next year.
A big hand to Victoria for sweeping our top three.

A round of thanks to all our sponsors. Without them we would be having these contests in my basement using one of my franken-spresso machines, with a rolled up cone of newspaper for a sound system. We are grateful for the support of Nuova Simonelli and ECM, our official Western Regional and National Machine sponsors. They do more than just provide the machines as the technical support they provide, and logistics support make the event possible. This year they made two Aurelia machines available for barista practise at Origins coffee, and at 49th Parallel roasters. The Mythos Grinder and the Aurelia have proven to be a potent tandem, both in competition and in the cafe setting. I did notice some improper flushing techniques being used however, ( this is why you need to attend practise sessions, competitors!) and I will address these issues in a later post.

I would like to also thank CoffeeGeek and City Foods Magazine for their media support, next year is our break through year to reach the general public. Thank you Mark and Rhonda May for your support. I truly believe that this event can be the pinnacle event for coffee afficionados in BC, and next year we should see this event grow from just a coffee competition, to a coffee celebration. ( coffee-xtravaganza? coffee-paloosa??)

Thanks to Kerry Food & Beverages, their support from year to year has been unwaivering. Plus we all love the Kerry girl. Thanks to Origins Coffee, ( John Sanders, Bronwen, et al), their contribution towards the winner’s airfare, and the use of their training facility on Granville Island are invaluable. Island Farms, has always come through for us, and all the baristas appreciate the opportunity to use a truly quality milk. Reg Barber, as always many thanks. I am looking forward to “bobby’s” replacement as the national trophy. Thanks for coming out Reg, and supporting the barista community in Canada from coast to coast, like you do every year.

Espresso Specialist supply is our official sponsor of the Canadian Barista Academy. They provide all the essentials for start up cafes, so if you haven’t browsed their site yet, I would do so ASAP. It’s not just about having the tools, it’s about having the right tools. There is just something about having the right barista timer, and the right kind of cleaning brush. I mean, you could theoretically use a meat thermometer to steam milk, but…..

Thanks to Baron from Mahlkonig Canada for making their espresso grinder available for the baristas to use. There was much interest in the grinder that World Champion James Hoffman used to claim the crown in Tokyo this year. Auto dosing or electronically controlled dosing grinders seem to be the rage this year. I will do a later post about the ES 30, the Simonelli Mythos, and other autodosing grinders.

Special thanks to Amanda from Saeco for lending us some display props, donating some volunteer prizes and loaning us their sales rep, Douglas Kincaid. Douglas was our invaluable scorer this year, and king of the spreadsheet that Phil from Phil & Sebastion coffee company created last year ( it worked perfectly Phil!) And finally thanks to Norco, for the tables. I want to give a special plug to “our community bikes” or http://www.pedalpower.org . For those of you who didn’t see the show, pedal power displayed and demonstrated bicycle powered coffee grinders, and were whipping up frappaccinos on a bicycle powered blenderblenders. Go to their site or bring down your bikes for repairs to their workshop, where proceeds go towards recycling bicycles for the needy.

And finally, thanks to Alistair from the Elysian Room for setting up the Clover Booth, and for providing the essentials ( beer ). ( bubba says thanks). Alistair, along with Kevin Bravaro from Swiss water decaf, Murray Inkster from JJbean, and Billy Wilson, the out of town visiting judge from the Albina Press in Portland ( and Northwest USBC champion), sucked it up and sat through 12 straight sensory rounds…awesome..

My fellow technical judges, Arthur Wynn from wicked Cafe and Alex Arc, another out of towner, from the black drop cafe in Bellingham Washington, did a commendable job.

And lastly, a special thanks for our head judge, Aaron DeLazzer, of ethical bean. Aaron and his lovely wife are expecting their first child any time now; I was waiting for the beeper to go off during the competition. Despite this pressure, Aaron not only oversaw this event, but spearheaded the Sunrise Jam also. I think this dedication to coffee earns you the right to bypass the Canadian Nationals, although you will be missed.

Okay .. it’s onto the Nationals.

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Winners Announced for the Third Annual Canadian Western Regional Barista Competition

The battle for the Best Barista in the West has been determined at the third annual Eastern Region Canadian Barista Championship held on August 15, 2007 at Heritage Hall in Vancouver.

Derek Lucas, from Buon Amici’s Coffee in Victoria, BC., took the title of Western
Regional Barista Champion. He won a trip to the finals of the Canadian National Barista
Championship to be held at the Toronto Congress Centre September 16-17, 2007.
The event celebrates the skills of the barista; the consummate artist of the espresso
machine. In competition, baristi have 15 minutes to prepare four servings each of
espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink of their own invention for a panel of judges.
The audience was thrilled to experience the energy and excitement created by 12
competitors from across British Columbia all vying for the title of Western regional
barista champion.
“This event was met with enthusiastic competitors and provided the audience with an
opportunity to learn about the high level of skill it takes to make a proper espresso
beverage,” says event organizer, Les Kuan of the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy.
The Canadian National Barista Championship is open to both novices and seasoned
operators alike, and some fabulous prizes are available to be won – including the
winner’s trip to the 2008 World Barista Championship in Copenhagen The 2007 World
Championship took place in Tokyo, and Canada was represented by our current national
champion, Colter Jones of Caffe Artigiano in Vancouver.
The regional competitions were organized by the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy
which also offers hands-on Barista Basics & Espresso Training and Advanced Barista
Training & Latte Art and Barista Jams in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The
Academy will be offering more barista training classes in September in Toronto.
Donations at the event went to the Coffee Kids charity helping children & their families
in coffee producing regions to improve the quality of their lives
Top Six 2007 Western Regional Barista Championship Competitors and their scores and
rankings:
1. Derek Lucas, Buon Amici’s Coffee, Victoria BC Score: 541
2. Logan Gray, Discovery Coffee, Victoria: 540
3. Ken Gordon, Habit Coffee & Culture,Victoria: 479
4. Katie Wu, Wicked Cafe, Vancouver 468
5. Brette Richard, 2% Jazz, Victoria: 458
6. Zachary Simon, Habit Coffee & Culture, Victoria: 449
For more information visit www.canadianbaristaacademy.com or call 416 784-5210

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Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy Presents Western Region Canadian Barista Competition

July 4, 2007 — The Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy will present the Canadian Western Regional Barista Competition and Training Workshops on August 14-15, 2007 at Heritage Hall in Vancouver, BC. The event celebrates the skills of the barista; the consummate artist of the espresso machine. Some of Canada’s top “espresso bartenders” will compete for the regional title and a spot in the finals at the National Barista Championships to be held in Toronto in September.

The competition features baristi preparing a series of espresso based beverages in a very tight window of time for a discerning panel of official coffee judges. Judges rate the competitors on taste, design, speed, showmanship and creativity.

The Canadian Barista Academy will also offer hand-on training for those new to the industry or those who want to perfect their skills. Workshops offered include: Barista Basics & Espresso Training and Advanced Barista Training & Latte Art. A cupping workshop will also be offered. The training takes place on August 14, followed by the Western Regional Competition on August 15.

As the premier regional event in Canada, organizers are encouraging baristi from cafes and restaurants to sign up. The competition is open to both novices and seasoned operators alike, and some fabulous prizes are available to be won. The competition is open to the public and will run from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Heritage Hall in Vancouver. It will feature a coffee and tea fair with table top displays where visitors can see and sample new products from the event’s sponsors. Proceeds from coffee sales will go to the Coffee Kids charity helping children and their families in coffee growing countries improve their quality of life. The event is open to the public. Doors open at noon.

The Western Regional Canadian Barista Championship sponsors are ECM, Nuova Simonelli espresso machines and Mahlkonig Canada

Other sponsorship opportunities are still available. Call today.

2007_western_region_press_release

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Girrl power at the Eastern Regionals…

April 17, 2007

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 8:23 am

It was a long day of competition and judging at the Steam Whistle Brewing company. In the end, it was the women who ruled the day, locking down the top three spots at the Eastern Canadian Regional Barista Championships in Toronto, Here are the OFFICIAL RESULTS:
1st place: Kimberly Stavely ( Matter of taste)                    570.5 pts
2nd place: Dawn Tran ( Matter of taste)                             540.5
3rd place : Tie –
Ivonne Ramirez ( Dolce Cafe), Cathy So ( Avenue Cafe’)        516.5
4th place:   Matthew Taylor ( Mercury Organics)                    509
5th place:   Samuel James ( Cherry Bomb)                           452
6th place:   Chris Tellez (Espresso Post)                              444
7th place:   Alex Tran (Mercury Organics)                             434
8th place:   Michael Empacher ( F’coffee)                             338
9th place:   Elias Vlastis ( C.E. Organics)                             313.5
10th place: Chris Wilson ( Journo)                                       161.5
*Disqualified, over time Matthew Lee ( Manic Coffee)

Congratulations to all the competitors, for a job well done! It was great to see the comraderie in the fact of all the intense competition. A special thanks to all the sponsors, for recognizing how important baristas are to the coffee industry. Without the coordinated efforts of sponsors, volunteers and suppliers, this coffee celebration event would not happen. Thanx…. LK

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ERBC 2007

Winners Announced for the third Annual Canadian Eastern Regional Barista Competition

The battle for the Best Barista in the East has been determined at the third annual Eastern Region Canadian Barista Championship held on April 14, 2007 at Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto. Women took the top three spots, as best baristas (espresso bar tenders) in a profession traditionally limited to men in Italy.

Kim Staveley, from Matter of Taste in Kitchener was the first woman to win a barista competition in Canada. Co-owner of Matter of Taste, Dawn Tran placed second. Both were trained by co-owner Phong Tran who had placed second in last year’s competition.

“This event was met with enthusiastic competitors and provided the audience with an opportunity to learn about the high level of skill it takes to make a proper espresso beverage,” says event organizer, Vida Radovanovic, president of the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy.

This year’s regional judges included Toronto famed chef and restaurateur Chris McDonald of Cava restaurant, named best restaurant in Toronto this year by Toronto Life magazine and Wanda Beaver, president of Wanda’s Pie in the Sky, a supplier of desserts and pies to many cafes and restaurants in the city.

Tied for third place was Yvonne Ramirez of Dolce Gelato & Café on College Street in Toronto who created a signature beverage using gelato and Cathy So of Avenue Café & Bistro, a popular and café on University Avenue in Toronto.

The winner of the regional competition has secured a spot in the finals rounds of the Canadian National Barista Championship to be held September 16-17, 2007 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The competition is open to both novices and seasoned operators alike, and some fabulous prizes are available to be won – including the winner’s trip to the 2008 World Barista Championship. The 2007 World Championship will take place in Tokyo, Japan and Canada will be represented by our current national champion, Colter Jones of Caffe Artigiano in Vancouver.

The regional competitions were organized by the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy which also offers hands-on Barista Basics & Espresso Training and Advanced Barista Training & Latte Art and Barista Jams in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The Academy will be presenting a Western Regional competition in August and offering more barista training classes at the Western event and in September in Toronto.

Donations at the event went to the Coffee Kids charity helping children & their families in coffee producing regions to improve the quality of their lives

2007 Eastern Regional Barista Championship Competitors and their scores and rankings:

Kimberly Stavely, Matter of Taste, Kitchener Score: 570.5
Dawn Tran, Matter of Taste, Kitchener 540.5
Ivonne Ramirez, Dolce Gelato & Café, Toronto (tied for 3rd) 516.5
Cathy So, Avenue Café & Bistro, Toronto (Tied) 516.5
Matthew Taylor, Mercury Organic Espresso Bar 509
Samuel James, Cherry Bomb Coffee, Toronto 452
Chris Tellez, Espresso Post, Collingwood 444
Alex Tran, Mercury Espresso Bar, Toronto 434
Michael Empacher, F’Coffee, Toronto 338
Elias Vastas, Ce Organics, Toronto 313.5
Chris Wilson, Journo, Toronto 161.5
Mathew Lee, Manic Coffee, Toronto (Overtime)

2007 Eastern Regional Winners Profiles

Kimberly Stavely, 1st Place, 2007 Eastern Region Canadian Barista
Champion, Matter of Matter of Taste Coffee Bar, 119 King Street
Kitchener, ON
Back in August 2006 I dropped my resume off at a coffee bar in downtown Kitchener called Matter of Taste. Little did I know that eight months latter I’d become 2007 Regional Barista Champion!
The competition was intense! Preparation required lots of hard work and dedication. The training from Dawn and Phong Tran was vital to my win. There are so many variables that you forget. The hardest and most stressful part of competing was making sure I knew how to adjust these variables to ensure an excellent product. I have always enjoyed the adrenaline rush of competition, and this was my best experience yet! The most stressful part of the day came before I competed. I was very nervous, but once I had my grind set and my espresso looked excellent, my nervousness slowly died and my fifteen minutes of fame began. The proudest moment was when I poured four perfect ‘monk
head’ cappuccinos. Life as a ‘Barista’ taught me discipline, give me the confident in my work and myself. I feel very lucky to have had dropped my resume off back in August 2006.
The concept at Matter of Taste is simple – to offer and be the best in specialty coffee. Owner Dawn Tran and Phong Tran are dedicated to the professional training of barista and instilling an appreciation of coffee to both employees and customers alike. Since opening in March 2004 in downtown Kitchener, Matter of Taste has gain reputation for quality, passion for the coffee culture and for creating beautiful culinary art of coffee. Matter of Taste has trained some of Ontario’s best baristi. In fact, some of the baristi have competed at some level at the Canadian Barista Championship. At Matter of Taste, we are constantly striving to raise the standards of quality and services.

Dawn Tran, 2nd Place, Matter of Taste Coffee Bar, 119 King Street
Kitchener, ON Five years ago, I did not know much about coffee. I open the coffee bar with basic understanding of coffee but I knew I had to learn a lot more. Along the way, I stumbled upon the art of coffee. I saw these beautifully prepared coffee drinks with rosettas and hearts on them. I thought to myself how in the world did they do that? At that moment, I told Phong that if we are to distinguish ourselves that this would be it. We worked hard, developed our skills and taste palettes. Now four years later, Matter of Taste Coffee Bar has brought latte art, coffee culture and the craft of barista to the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.
Currently at Matter of Taste, we have five fully trained baristi. One of my responsibilities is to train all new staff with the basic knowledge of coffee and customer service. If the new employee meet our requirements then we put them into our barista training program.
I really enjoyed the experience of competing at this year’s Canadian Regional Barista Competition. Creating a signature drink was by far the most enjoyable part. First, I had to visualize in my head how the ingredients would taste with coffee. From there it was trial and error to get the correct ratio. Of course, there is the exhilaration of the competition. I was not overly nervous going in, but I felt a greater level of confidence in my ability to perform under pressure after the competition.

Cathy So, 3rd Place, Avenue Café & Bistro, University Avenue,
Toronto, ON
This is the second competition for Cathy So who is a barista at Avenue Café & Bistro. Opened in the summer of 2005, Avenue Café & Bistro is located in the downtown core at the corner of University and Dundas, the Avenue Cafe and Bistro combines sleek design and ambiance, with a wide array of
specialty sandwiches and menu items seldom found in the area. The cafe caters to a mostly business crowd that desires quality food quickly and at reasonable prices.. In addition, the Avenue Cafe, provides catering services to nearby offices. The Avenue Cafe offers its guests Illy Coffee and a vast
selection of specialty beverages such as smoothies. Guests are treated to a minimalistic-chic design. The white walls areadorned with cool designs, art, flat screen tv’s playing black and white classic films and funky music in the background. The Avenue Cafe always strives to deliver on its motto “Excite your Senses”. . Cathy’s signature beverage was “Plum it Up”, a mixture of plum powder, honey, milk and espresso.

Ivonne Ramirez, 3rd Place, Dolce Gelato & Cafe. 697 College St.,
Toronto
Dolce Gelato is located in the heart of Little Italy has been opened to the public for over a year now. This gelato café have been managed by one of it’s owners, Ivonne Ramirez who started learning this trade and became a Barista five years ago. At Dolce Gelato & Café we proudly serve a blend of seven of the highest quality espresso beans to ensure a rich and creamy espresso we also offer 42 homemade gelato and sorbet flavors. Among them is the MENTA flavour which was used to make the signature drink “Bela Menta” for this year Canadian Eastern Regional Barista Competition .
Having started competing one year ago Ivonne finds the experience each time exciting and gratifying for being recognized this year with the 3rd place in this competitive field of being a barista in a City surrounded by so many excellent coffee shops.

Head Judge & Sensory Judge: Aaron Delazzer – Director of Coffee, Ethical Bean Coffee Roasters, Vancouver , BC

Technical Judges:
Les Kuan – Trainer, Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy / Technical Director, Canadian National Barista Championship, Vancouver , BC

Michael Riesberry – Café Consultant, Zuccarini Importing Company, Toronto

Bill Herne – Coffee Consulting Specialists, Toronto

Krys Hines – Coffee Consultant, Toronto

Drew DeGeer – Senior Sales & Marketing Manager, Ce Organics

Sensory Judges:
Chris McDonald – Owner, chef of Cava Restaurant in Toronto

Wanda Beaver – President & Director of Product Development, Wanda’s Pie in the Sky, Toronto / Partner with Dinah Koo, Wanda’s in the Kitchen with Dinah. Cookbook author.

Sal Costanzo – President, Patera Marketing in Toronto

Sevan Istanboulian – President, Roaster – Café Mystique / Toi et Moi Cafe in Montreal

Baron Drobig – Malkhonig Canada

Master of Ceremonies: Edward Graham – Sales and Marketing Consultant for Zuccarini Importing

2007 Eastern Regional Judges Profile

Sensory Judges

Head Judge: Aaron De Lazzer is Director of Coffee @ Ethical Bean, a roaster/wholesaler in Vancouver , BC . He is a trainer with the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy . He is an experienced cupper, roaster and is skilled in green coffee selection. He has many years experience in the industry as a consultant.

Bill Herne is a coffee consultant with over 20 years experience as a trainer, green bean buyer & roaster. Once a director of coffee at a leading coffee chain, Bill now specializes in coffee roasting, brand management coffee business start-ups.

Chris McDonald is the Executive Chef and co-owner of “Cava Restaurant”, and previously the owner and Chef of “Avalon” here in Toronto . He is considered to be one of the best chefs in North America . Cava was just nominated Toronto ’s best new restaurant by Toronto Life.

Wanda launched Wanda’s Pie in the Sky with her husband David Beaver in 1985. She has been baking with a passion ever since. In 2002 her cookbook Wanda’s Pie in the Sky was awarded Silver Medal in the “Cuisine Canada Cookbook of the Year” Competition. Today she does business from her two locations: her wholesale division serving Toronto ’s finest restaurants, cafes and gourmet shops, and a collaboration with Dinah Koo – one of Toronto ’s most respected caterers – called “Wanda’s in the Kitchen with Dinah” on Mt. Pleasant Avenue . Wanda teaches hands-on baking classes and spreads her enthusiasm for fresh baked desserts.

Sal Costanzo is President of Patera Group in Toronto , who distributes the La Marzocco, W MF and Promac lines of espresso machines, and Arcaffe coffees. Sal has been in the coffee industry since 1972.

Sevan Istanboulian is a Roaster from Montreal . He started in coffee 15 years ago with “Toi, Moi et Café”, a roaster/retailer. Last year Sevan established Montreal ’s Specialty Coffee Academy , to educate and train coffee professionals as well as newcomers to the industry. Sevan is a Canadian
Barista Championship Judge, a member of the W orld Barista Championship Technical Committee and a longtime member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and The Roaster’s Guild.

Technical Judges

Les Kuan is the Technical Director of the Canadian National Barista Championships, and Instructor for the Canadian Barista Academy . He is also a consultant for retail and café start-ups. Les is still in denial about being in the coffee industry.

Michael Riesberry has been in the espresso industry for 15 years. He is a former café owner & operator. He has been a regional & national Barista Judge, Certified by Canadian Barista Championship for 3 years in both sensory and technical. Michael is currently employed by Canada’s first espresso machine importer – Zuccarini Importing in Toronto – as a Café Consultant, specializing in espresso bars.

Krys Hines is first & foremost a happily married father of a newborn baby girl. He is a former coffee roaster and retailer, with many years of espresso machine sales and technical support. Krys is an avid cyclist and a former bicycle designer & frame builder, and currently a consultant involved in
technical design and sales.

Drew DeGeer – Restaurateur, coffee consultant and DJ. He built the former Toronto landmark, “Triple X Diner”, where the pilot episode of the American TV show “Queer as Folk” was first shot, and he still runs the Triple X Diner Radio website. Currently, he is the Senior Sales & Marketing Manager for CE Organics, a Canadian company which is first in the world to manufacture a Certified Organic Fair Trade coffee syrup.

Master of Ceremonies: Edward Graham began working in foodservice at 15 years of age. In the 1980’s and ‘90s he owned 2 restaurants and operated 2 cafés. He was also a coffee roaster and retailer for 6 years and has trained many hundreds of people working in the gourmet coffee industry. He is currently a Sales & Marketing Consultant for Zuccarini Importing Company,
Canada ’s first espresso machine importer.

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Importance of dosing..

April 1, 2007

Filed under: Uncategorized — canadianbarista @ 10:24 am

One of the most common faults we see in baristas’ performances is inconsistent shotmaking. While making their 4 espresso, one set of shots run 25 seconds for 3 oz, while the next set is lightning quick at 17 seconds. What happened here?

It’s possible that a sudden tropical front invaded the competition stage, thus changing the relative humidity, causing the grounds to swell, thus creating more space between coffee particles, causing the quicker extraction. Possible, but unlikely, given the tiny gap between the two sets of shots. Yet, how many times have we seen baristas immediately try and dial in a new grind in the middle of their performance?

A more likely suspect is dosing.

With the pressure of two technical judges hovering over them, a 15 minute time clock, mom and dad in the audience, we can tighten up, and change our routine. This will vary our dose. If we tap the portafilter on the grinder forks just a little too hard while dosing, or use a little more downward pressure with our fingers while distributing, we can very easily work in a little more ( or less) coffee into the filter basket.

A fraction of a gram is all it takes to throw the shot times off, depending on the coarseness of the grind.

The technical judges watch every aspect of your dosing and tamping technique, looking for a repeating, consistent method. What they observe will be backed up by the shot times, and the density of the puck after extraction ( that’s what they are feeling when they poke their fat little fingers into your pucks) .

So remember, keep your dosing consistent. The technical scoresheet itself highlights this, because you are marked on ” CONSISTENT dosing and tamping.

The best competitors will have shots of equal volumes, equal extraction times, and pucks that feel the same density. So make sure you rule out a dosing problem before you hit the panic button and adjust that grind.

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Coffees on the table

I’ll let you in on a ‘not-so-secret’ coffee tasting that a few souls are doing this week

ARE YOU A CAFE OR ROASTER?

a unanimous resounding cheer of coffee goers crash the doors of local cafes

Sunday October 4th at 7pm at

Matchstick Coffee Roasters GEORGIA ST. LOCATION & Propaganda Coffee PENDER ST.

Tickets are free but RSVP would be appreciated click to register.

The field may have been small, but the competition was fierce. CJ Yang of 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, and Edmond Keung of Moving Coffee, duelled it out head to head in three separate rounds of espresso, cappuccino and signature drinks at the Western Regional this Wednesday.

In the end, CJ narrowly edged out Edmond , making CJ Yang our 2015 Western Regional Barista Champion!

The quality of the performances were exceptional, and both of them will represent the Western region well at the Canadian National Barista Championship that will be held at Oct 4-5 at the Coffee tea show.

You can volunteer on baristacanada if you would like a front row seat!

2014 Canadian National Barista Championship (CNBC) Results

Finals

Round One

Support our National Champions!

Barista Canada is proud to announce the first scheduled regional championships for 2012. The Western Regional Barista Championship will be held in Vancouver at the Eat! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival at the newly renovated BC Place, June 1-3, 2012.

Winners Announced for the third Annual Canadian Eastern Regional Barista Competition