SYDNEY – Sydney has embraced The Coffee Experience expo for its second year, with visitors encouraged to explore their horizons from 3 – 5 September. A total of 4821 people gathered in Sydney’s Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park for the three-day event.
Visitors were treated to a three days of education workshops, machine demonstrations, coffee tastings and barista competitions.
“We were proud to see the standard of exhibitors at this year’s event and thank the number of visitors who came to explore the event and support Sydney’s coffee community,” The Coffee Experience Show Director Simon Coburn says.
“While exhibitor numbers may have been slightly down on last year’s event, visitor numbers were up 24 per cent on last year’s inaugural show. The quality of exhibitors was impressive, and those who participated were able to gather leads and conduct good business interactions – a strong intention of this dedicated trade event.”
This year’s The Coffee Experience saw strong representation from café owners, corporate clients and enthusiasts who came to engage with the show’s exhibitors, which included coffee roasters, machine manufacturers, ancillary suppliers, syrup producers, franchisees and coffee chain companies, in what was the industry’s most inclusive event.
Ona Coffee was seemingly run off their feet, as fans were eager to try Sasa Sestic’s World Barista Championship coffee – and meet the very man in person for a selfie and autograph.
“I’m still riding the wave since winning the World Barista Championship,” Sasa says. “It’s was great to be here as a mentor and supporter rather than a competitor, I’ve really enjoyed myself and the opportunity to pass on the barista crown to a fellow teammate. It’s in good hands.”
World Latte Art Champion Caleb Cha of Cafenatics was also a welcome face in the crowds, cheering on the Australian Specialty Coffee Association competitions and imparting words of wisdom to the DaVinci Gourmet Chain Championship finalists.
A stand out of the three-day event was the addition of two coffee championship competitions, the ASCA Central Region Coffee Championship, and the DaVinci Gourmet Australian Coffee Chain Championship.
In front of a supporting crowd and World Barista Champion and mentor Sasa Sestic, Hugh Kelly of Ona Coffee was crowned the ACT/NSW Regional Barista Championship.
Hugh showed the rest of the states that Ona Coffee was a forced to be reckoned with, keeping the title within the Ona Coffee family for another year. Not far behind in second place was Alex Stathis of Sensory Lab and Andy Liu of Bean Drinking in third place.
“I’m pretty happy with the result,” Hugh said. “It’s been such a big year for me. I just got back from Honduras and Colombia and I wanted to share those experiences with the judges and audience.”
In the NSW/ACT Regional Latte Art Championship, it was Jibbi Little who demonstrated her creative and artistic fair using a pitcher, milk and coffee. Andy Liu won second place and Toru Takamats from Heritage Coffee Brewers won third place.
Over in the NSW/ACT Regional Brewers Cup champions Simon Jaramillo of Reformatory Coffee Lab who won first place, Sam Corra of Ona Coffee won second place and Michael Phelan of Ona Coffee won third place.
Ending on the day on a high, Jess Nicol of Black Market Roasters won the Cup Tasting Championship. Using skills of smell, taste, attention and experience, each cupper aimed to identify the odd cup in the triangle as quickly as they can.
A total of eight triangles were placed in each round. Jess proved speed and accuracy was the key to success, taking the title in a time of two minutes and 15 seconds with seven out of the eight coffee triangles guessed correctly.
Philip Pollen of Pablo & Rusty’s won second place and Angus Mackie of Ona Coffee won third place. Both guessed seven out of the eight coffees correctly. The winners from these competitions will go on to represent the region at the national level at the Melbourne International Coffee expo, taking place form 17 – 19 March 2016.
In one of the most hotly contested competitions of late, The DaVinci Gourmet Australian Coffee Chain Championship put Australia’s highly skilled coffee chain baristas to the test. Onlookers could sense the exhilaration and pressure of the occasion, judges put their game faces on, and the roar of the crowd helped settle the shaky hands and nerves of the baristas.
In a close battle to the finish line, Muffin Break’s baristas took out first place, followed by Jamaica Blue in second place, and Gloria Jean’s Coffees in third place. “We’re over the moon.
The finals were so neck and neck.
The more we watched the other competitors the more we thought we were out of contention.
The standard of skill was extremely high,” Muffin Break Team Captain Nina Cosgrove said. “Our win is a result of team work and communication, strong delivery of our drinks, technique, our amazing coffee and ability to slow down and not rush or let our nerves get the better of us.”
In teams of four, the three baristas and one manager or team captain competed in three rounds, including latte art, seasonal beverage, and service time. The baristas were judged on accuracy, time, consistency, cleanliness, and service to the judges – of whom sipped 189 coffees each on the finals day.
The competing teams included McCafé, Muffin Break, Jamaica Blue, Velocity Espresso and Bar, Shingle Inn, The Coffee Club, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Michel’s Patisserie and Donut King.
The Coffee Experience Show Director Simon says like any event, event organisers will now review the success of the expo and its ability to connect with the Sydney coffee community going forward.
“We thank all the sponsors, exhibitors, competition baristas, judges and public members who helped deliver an engaging Coffee Experience 2015,” Simon says.
“The Coffee Experience – as it was first intended – is a dedicated coffee expo that Sydney can call its own. It was designed to meet the needs of Sydney’s unique market. We welcome feedback from those involved and will assess the event’s return in the future,” he said.
