MELBOURNE, Australia – There’s just two weeks to go until the coffee industry unites to celebrate all things coffee at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) from 7 to 9 February. Australia’s favourite coffee event will see five Australian Coffee Championships held under one roof, including the Australian Vitasoy Barista, Brewers Cup, Pauls Professional Latte Art, TCX Cup Tasters, and AMC Roasting Championship to recognise excellence in coffee.
The respected competitions, hosted by the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA), will see regional barista winners from across the country go head-to-head for the ultimate glory. Watch them dazzle the judges – and crowd – with their timed performances, creative latte art, and delicious coffees, with the ultimate goal of taking out the national title and representing Australia on the world stage.
With Kingswood Coffee’s Yama Kim crowned the World Cup Tasters Champion on 9 November in Brazil, the level of coffee talent in Australia has never been more pronounced. No Australian representative placed outside the top 10 in any of the world competitions.
“I’m very proud to be the first Australian World [Cup Tasters] Champion. I feel that the specialty industry in Australia is one of the best in the world. It’s great to represent Australia on an international level and bring this title back home,” Yama says.
All eyes will be on the competition stage to see who will be crowned the 2019 Australian Vitasoy Barista Champion. Will the top-seeded Tilly Sproule of Tim Adams Specialty Coffee come out on top after four consecutive Northern Region titles? All will be revealed at MICE2019.
“[The Australian Vitasoy Barista Championship] is a unique platform that allows you to grow as a barista, challenges you to think outside the box, hone in on your techniques and experiment with coffee beyond what you could ever imagine,” Tilly says.
Reigning Australian Barista Champion Craig Simon of Criteria Coffee echoes these sentiments, saying “Competitions are one of the most rewarding growth experiences available to a barista. They’re scary, fun, tough, and competitive, but highly worth trying to benchmark your skills and putting yourself in a challenging position.”
Come experience the exciting world of barista coffee competitions at MICE2019!
The competition schedule for the ASCA 2019 Australian Coffee Championships is as follows:
Thursday 7 February
ASCA Main Stage
8:30am – 4:30pm: Australian Vitasoy Barista Championship Open Heats
Australian Brewers Cup Open Heats
ASCA Roasting Zone
9am – 1pm: Lab competition and roaster practice for the Australian AMC Roasting Championship
2pm – 4:30pm: Lab competition and sample roast
Friday 8 February
ASCA Main Stage
9am – 12:30pm: Australian Vitasoy Barista Championship Semi-Finals
1pm – 4:30pm: Australian Pauls Professional Latte Art Championship Open Heats
4pm – 5:30pm: Australian TCX Cup Tasting Championship Open Heats
5:30pm: Australian Vitasoy Barista Championship, Australian Brewers Cup, and Australian Pauls Professional Latte Art Championship finalist announcements
ASCA Roasting Zone
8am – 9am: Australian AMC Roasting Championship Open Cupping
9:30am – 5pm: Single Origin and Blend Roasting Competition as part of Australian AMC Roasting Championship
Saturday 9 February
ASCA Main Stage
8:45am – 3pm: Australian Vitasoy Barista Championship Finals
Australian Pauls Professional Latte Art Championship Finals
Australian Brewers Cup Open Service Finals
(Competitions will be run concurrently, one Barista competitor, then one Latte Art competitor, then one Brewers Cup competitor.)
3:30pm – 4:30pm: Australian TCX Cup Tasting Finals
4:30pm – 5pm: MICE2019 Barista Big Bash
5pm: ASCA Australian Coffee Championships winner announcements
ASCA Roasting Zone
10am – 11:30am: Australian AMC Roasting Championship Single Origin Cupping
12pm – 1:30pm: Australian AMC Roasting Championship Blend Cupping
2pm – 3:30pm: Australian AMC Roasting Championship Open Cupping
