SIAL Middle East, the region’s fastest growing professional exhibition for the food and beverage industry, is excited to announce details of the 2017 UAE National Coffee Championships, taking place at the 8th edition of the exhibition in December.
A testament to the incredible growth of the specialty coffee scene in the Middle East, three official competitions, certified by World Coffee Events (WCE) and sanctioned by the Specialty Coffee Association will take centre stage at the championships, bringing together the regions most passionate and talented baristas.
Joanne Cook, Managing Director of SIAL Middle East, says; ‘We are delighted to host the 2017 UAE National Coffee Championships at our exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The specialty coffee industry is a key part of the region’s rapidly expanding food and beverage industry, and hosting the competition is a natural partnership between SIAL Middle East and the Specialty Coffee Association.
Khalid Al Mulla, National Coordinator of the SCA’s UAE Chapter, agrees; ‘Bringing the regions’ most exceptional baristas together and showcasing their talents to 16,000+ trade visitors is an incredible step towards increased awareness and knowledge of the specialty coffee industry. SIAL Middle East is now a key partner for the Specialty Coffee Association and the UAE Chapter, and we’re very excited to see this partnership grow.’
National Cezve/Ibrik Championship
One of the oldest forms of coffee preparation that have existed throughout history in the Middle East, the Cezve/Ibrik employs traditional heated sand or a modern burner to heat a small pot with a distinct elongated handle to brew coffee. The UAE National Cezve/Ibrik Championship competition highlights the skills and talents of the barista to showcase this traditional coffee preparation technique to produce an amazing cup of specialty coffee.
National Brewers Cup Championship
The UAE National Brewers Cup Championship competition showcases coffee preparation in its purist form as baristas demonstrate their high level of skill through filter coffee brewing, done entirely by hand. In this exciting competition the competitors are tasked with preparing and serving three individual coffee beverages for a panel of judges.
National Cup Tasters Championship
An expert at tasting and distinguishing levels of quality and flavour differences in specialty coffee is called a cupper. By far the most exciting of all coffee competitions, the UAE National Cup Tasters Championship judges’ cuppers on their ability to exhibit accuracy and speed when drawing on their superior palate, sense of smell, attention to detail, and experience in choosing the cup of coffee that has an almost imperceptible difference in taste, out of three cups of almost identical coffees.
Competitor Registration
Baristas and coffee professionals are welcome to register to compete in one or all three competitions. Registration forms, competition rules and regulations can be accessed by emailing contact@scauae.com.
