Filipe Escodar Valle (in the picture), from Spain, is the winner of the “2016 European Barista Competition”, which Autogrill Group, the leading provider of foodservice for travellers, organizes every year with Kimbo Caffè for the baristas in its European network.
The final of the contest, now in its 3rd year, was held for the first time in Milan, in the heart of Autogrill headquarters, the Spazio Fucina, the Group’s special facility for innovation and culinary research.
Nine contestants from the national selections carried out over the last few months in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Italy engaged in a battle “to the last coffee bean” in which they had to prepare the two great classics of the Italian tradition – an espresso and a cappuccino – and produce a creative coffee drink (Signature Beverage).
The finalists were judged by an international panel of experts from SCAE Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (Italy Committee), an authoritative organization that promotes coffee culture, which declared the winner after an enthralling contest.
2nd in the ranking for preparation of the classic ‘caffè espresso’ and ‘cappuccino’ was French Aurélie Lamy, in the “Signature Beverage” category (introduced this year), was Italian Veronica Buonomo, with a creation entitled “Delizia di Zabaione”.
“We’re very satisfied with this event, which bears witness to Autogrill’s commitment to training its staff and spreading the culture of “good coffee,” said Autogrill’s Group Chief Marketing Officer Ezio Balarini. “All the finalists in this 3rd edition showed themselves to be passionate and competitive, and this makes us very proud. The European Barista Competition reflects our solid collaboration with Kimbo, with whom we work actively to give our customers the best by developing new products in line with their needs, as happened in the case of the coffee blends created by Kimbo for Autogrill consumers,” concluded Balarini.
“Our collaboration with Autogrill stems from a shared passion for coffee, and both our companies have the same philosophy of consumer service, rooted in the capacity to excel all along the chain, from raw materials selection to putting an excellent product in the cup,” said Kimbo Global Marketing & Trade Marketing Director Fabrizio Nucifora. “That’s why barista training is so important, as this competition goes to show. The European Barista Competition has at least four big merits: it stimulates effort to constantly improve coffee preparation, it helps raise the professional profile of the barista, it gives consumers a better product and, lastly, it promotes coffee culture worldwide,” concluded Nucifora.
Finalists in 2016:
- Sébastien Fardet (France)
- Samantha Malpezzi (Italy)
- Filipe Escodar Valle (Spain)
- Marco Ventura (Italy)
- Kristina Leys (Belgium)
- Aurélie Lamy (France)
- Andreja Weber (Switzerland)
- Veronica Buonomo (Italy)
- Alexandra Kasapidou (Germany)
