Nikolaos Kanakaris, 32 year-old Greek barista from Athens, is the winner of the third edition of Barista & Farmer, the talent show designed by bar champion Francesco Sanapo, in collaboration with Rimini Fiera e SIGEP – Salone Internazionale Gelateria Pasticceria e Panificazione artigianale (International Artisanal Gelato, Pastry and Bread-making Show).
This year, following stops in Puerto Rico and Honduras, the event sponsored by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (Scae) – the only one dedicated to the promotion and culture of excellent coffee – also stopped in Brazil, in the famous plantations of the company “O’Coffee”, the largest coffee producer, located in Pedregulho, a region of the Alta Mogiana region, and near Lambari, in the state of Minas Gerais.
After 11 days of individual and team tests, Kanakaris got the better of the other two finalists, Russian Olga Kaplina and local hero Raphael Ferraz De Sousa, who took second and third place. Ten top baristas, selected from 200 participants, took part in the third edition. The Greek barista won first prize for the points he scored in the various tests and for having collected the most kilos of coffee, as well as the extra credit he received for his positive attitude and team spirit, not to mention his victories in the individual tests. Instead, the sponsors’ special award went to Indonesian Evani Jesslyn, for her commitment and the elegance displayed during the ten days of tests.
The experience first shared on the website (www.baristafarmer.com) and on the social networks, will be described in a documentary.
“I discovered coffee by chance – a visibly excited Nikolaos Kanakaris tells us – when at school there was a six-month strike and so I found myself working behind the counter in a bar. And I have never stopped since. As I have said from the very first day, there are no words to describe this experience, but I must confess that winning the competition is truly not that important. Instead, what is important are the relationships I have built with the people I have met thanks to this programme, who will always be close to my heart. From today on, my home is your home”.
“It has been the best edition ever – states Francesco Sanapo, the creative genius behind the talent show – and we will continue to work in this direction so that the next one can be even better. What I can say is that this time a truly special group was formed, for whom winning the competition wasn’t the main element. Instead everyone focused rather on sharing an unforgettable experience, and I believe that all ten participants managed to fully appreciate and take advantage of their time here. A special thumbs up goes to Nikolaos, who was judged the most helpful and kindest of all the contestants. He also gathered a huge amount of coffee (an element that is always fundamental in order to claim victory) and always achieved good results in the academy. His victory was based on a combination of these things, but also depended on his attitude, which he maintained every single day of the Barista & Farmer event. So congratulations to him, but I want to underline that the great thing about this group was that the victory belongs to all of us in some way”.
“Barista&Farmer was a truly extraordinary experience”, says Patrizia Cecchi, business unit director of Rimini Fiera, “with professionals from all over the world able to witness the various processing stages first hand. Brazil is in fact the world’s number one producer and among the leaders with regard to coffee consumption, as well as our partner country at the last Sigep event. I am convinced that this format is perfect not only as a way to promote a better knowledge of speciality coffee and quality coffee. but to prompt the birth of further business opportunities and stronger international relations for companies in the industry, which is after all the main mission of our event, Sigep that is”.
The theme of the third edition was environmental sustainability and the promotion of the coffee production and supply chain. The participants took part in a process that spanned the full cycle, from the harvest in the plantation, throughout all the processing stages, with the use of various technologies, up to the experience of tasting and various opportunities to consume the product. The main sponsors were Lavazza, La Cimbali and Faema (the two main brands of Gruppo Cimbali) and Mumac Academy, the coffee machine academy of the group.
Michele Cannone, Head of Food Service Marketing at Lavazza commented: “Barista & Farmer has proved to be a very successful project. Here at Lavazza we are pleased to have supported the event and organised two days of the competition in Lambarì, where the community has been involved in the sustainability project ¡Tierra! since 2010. This project, developed by the Fondazione Giuseppe e Pericle Lavazza Onlus in partnership with the NGO Rainforest Alliance, aims to improve the social and environmental conditions and the production techniques of the caficultores communities from the main coffee-producing countries. Specifically, in Lambarì, ¡Tierra! has involved over 800 farmers in training initiatives, favouring the achievement of a high quality coffee production that is certified by Rainforest Alliance: an excellent product that today enables them to compete at a high level on the international markets. Indeed, starting this year, Lavazza is approaching the very best bars to propose its new ¡Tierra! Origins blends, made with coffee also sourced from the community of Lambarì”.
Luigi Morello, director of the Mumac Academy, the coffee machine academy of the Cimbali Group, concludes by stating: “We believe in this format, which promotes training in the coffee sector and the culture of coffee, but also focuses on the experience the contestants can have by participating in this talent show. The training element is a central part of the talent show, exalting the theatricality and team work of baristas from different cultures, in an event that is also characterised for its great international feel, gifting a truly unique experience to the contestants. A similar concept to that pursued by Mumac Academy, the coffee machine academy of the Cimbali Group, a location where professionals and coffee lovers train and meet. The Academy aims to be a reference point for the companies in the industry and in general for the entire production and supply chain: a location in which roasters, industry operators, coffee specialists and baristas can exchange views and learn more about topics related to the world of coffee. Indeed, we maintain and develop relations with several fincas, industry technicians, raw bean suppliers, roasters, baristas and coffee lovers. Kanakaris, winner of Barista & Farmer, will participate in some of the Academy’s training activities, and attend several international exhibitions together with other members of the team”.
More info about Lavazza www.lavazza.com/en/
