[more] world barista stuff

admin

latest press release from World Coffee Events about combined championships happening in Gothenberg in Sweden:
"This year's World Brewers Cup, World Coffee Roasting Championship, World Cup Tasters Championship, World Latte Art Championship, and World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship produced by World Coffee Events (WCE) will be the highlight of the SCAE Nordic World of Coffee show, June 16-18 at the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The 2015 World Brewers Cup (WBrC) brought to you by Hario, World Coffee Roasting Championship (WCRC) brought to you by Proaster, World Cup Tasters Championship, World Latte Art Competition (WLAC), and World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (WCIGS) will cover over 2,000 square meters during the 3-day competition schedule, attracting an estimated 5,000 visitors. A total of 28 national brewers cup champions, 10 roasters champions, 36 cup tasters champions, 36 latte art champions, and 14 coffee and spirits champions will compete, with only one world champion emerging from each competition." 

Don't know about you guys, but have to say it almost feels like overkill to me… just too many "world … championships". Maybe I'm getting to be an old fart, but I liked it when there were just WBC's and World Latte Art champs; actually the thing that killed it for me was when I was covering the World Latte art champs in Melbourne last year and realised there was nothing about the coffee - i.e. they only cared about the pretty patterns, not the quality of the coffee underneath! :doh:

Dry_bean.

Very much like world series baseball Admin, no one gives a stuff about it outside the US. ???

Kevohere

Overkill? Yep I agree. There seems to be coffee related world championships happening everywhere lately. How does this work? Does every roaster/brewer/barrister/latte art WC get his/her chance to defend their title at all of these "World Champion" events on this planet? Are you only the WC until or if you defend it at the next event on the other side of the world a few months later? Or should these events be perceived as the location's own (little) coffee world? Enough questions, don't need answers, just wondering....... :P

GeekKopi

on 1434425258:

Overkill? Yep I agree. There seems to be coffee related world championships happening everywhere lately. How does this work? Does every roaster/brewer/barrister/latte art WC get his/her chance to defend their title at all of these "World Champion" events on this planet? Are you only the WC until or if you defend it at the next event on the other side of the world a few months later? Or should these events be perceived as the location's own (little) coffee world? Enough questions, don't need answers, just wondering....... :P

kevo, DB, admin, agree. There is too much going on - overkill. just an FYI, I've just taken the title of World Barista Champ in the 1km radius catchment zone from my home.

Kevohere

on 1434425510:

just an FYI, I've just taken the title of World Barista Champ in the 1km radius catchment zone from my home.

CONGRATULATIONS! Now why didn't I think of that?  I'll enter the next one held here and find a good spot for the trophy!  :coffee2:

admin

on 1434425510:

kevo, DB, admin, agree. There is too much going on - overkill. just an FYI, I've just taken the title of World Barista Champ in the 1km radius catchment zone from my home.

haha  8)

GaryatGala

Agreed about the number of titles out there. Before you know it, there,ll be one for best and fastest dishpig. That one i reckon may be a chance for me since 80% is cleaning and washing, the other 20% actual coffee making. Yep, a title for the real world of cafes. Wash a whole bunch of cups, dry them and make coffees to simulate a hectic cafe that,s run out of stuff. Hehe.[emoji6]

GaryatGala

:thumb:Congratulations to Caleb Cha of Cafenatics of Melbourne who is now the 2015 World Latte Art champion. Together with Sasa Sestic,s World Barista title, Australia can stand proud to stamp it,s reputation for great baristas and great coffee. Was also a win win for Caleb. He proposed to his girlfriend Alice. Again congrats.

askthecoffeeguy

There an interesting article floating around at the moment about baristas bankrupting themselves attending numerous events for minimal returns ...

Brett H

Sounds like musicians.  My Tax agent is always shocked that I spend so much on self-education and coaching.  I helped her to understand that my hobby became my job!  If I bankrupted my family to pursue further opportunities however it wouldn't matter what field of work I was in... It would highlight a life out of kilter!

DoubleRistretto

on 1443979418:

There an interesting article floating around at the moment about baristas bankrupting themselves attending numerous events for minimal returns ...

any chance we could get a link to that Pat?

FreshCoffee2

For me, that would be not much different to the number of small roaster standholders we see at exhibitions such as mice, that dont go again in subsequent years. I guess they have to work out for themselves, that there is not much in it for them, unless they have a real plan as to what they are doing there, want to achieve, and how to make it happen...

askthecoffeeguy

on 1444023155:

any chance we could get a link to that Pat?

cant remember but I think it was in the Herald Tribune hard copy in New Zealand last week

Brett H

Those are the words of an educated man FC.  Not to worry pat, we'll get another artikill soon enough.... Possibly as soon as our next PM.... that reminds me, I must change the batteries in the smoke detector...

GeekKopi

My wife has organised and attended many trade shows for the company she works for. They are junkets. I've been on a few with her just for the free food and grog. Last year she attended a two week trade show in Dubai London and Paris and it was just a holiday. There is minimal, if no return, on these but in her industry it's more about keeping up appearances.

FreshCoffee2

on 1444202321:

..... There is minimal, if no return, on these but...... it's more about keeping up appearances.

Mixing it up a bit in this topic but.... Nailed it in one.  And this is what many dont understand. Newcomers have *no profile or appearance to keep up* at a trade show and waste their money and time especially in pitching to the wider market. Small to medium enterprises that have been around a while and already have a name can go to keep up apppearances" (and still make minimal to no return), and well established business frankly......dont need to keep up appearances and dont need to waste the (considerable) cost to be there (but sometimes do, and enjoy their junket for what it is)..... The several, disjointed, coffee "industies" (that actually dont have anything to do with eachother in reality), through suffering from identity crisis ...what am I, a roaster / or a cafe / or a green bean broker, or simply (sorry, but there is no getting around the truth) an espresso machine worker (barista) ???... seem to think nothing of mixing it around with others in trade shows that essentially have nothing to do with eachother and themselves are suffering from identity crisi. What kind of trade show am I? A barista (espresso machine worker) comp / trade show, a roaster trade show, a cafe trade show, a trade show for suppliers to roasters, suppliers to cafes, or whatever??????????? And after the small number of baristas that aspire to move from one area of coffee industry to another (ie espresso machine worker - read employee - to cafe owner / or small roastery owner or whatever) and have the drive and flair or ability and backing to be able to do it.......what are the others doing there other than for their own personal development and eventually without the requisite backing, wasting their own time? Its also probable all of this is a symptom of a saturated/fragmented market. Especially with the proliferation of cafes that buy a small roaster, where most will never make the transition from cafe to pro roaster (what am I, a cafe with a roaster, or a roaster with a cafe). Why would any of them go to trade shows pitching to the wider market?? And....a barista is always a barista unless he can make the leap to business owner. Identity crisis is the basic reason behind all, and youth and inexperience would be the only reason for anyone attending so many comps or trade shows that they would bankrupt themsleves and their families. Presumably everyone grows up eventually and gravitates towards reality... This is rhetorical and a private musing / opinion...doesnt require a reply and is not intended to upset anyone. After that. Can I venture another opinion that

on 1443979418:

There an interesting article floating around at the moment about baristas bankrupting themselves attending numerous events for minimal returns ...

sounds like another media furphy   

askthecoffeeguy

The article I'm thinking of referenced Mat Pergers win at a recent event in The States -  when asked what he would do with the $5k prize money he said that he'd use it to buy a ticket back to Australia The same article also explored how many baristas attended these events at great personal expense and how most enjoyed no tangable financial benefits from attending

FreshCoffee2

Not trying to be difficult Pat and I understand you are simply advising what was written by some "journo", but people make off hand remarks all the time especially people who wish to push a particular line of "spin" on something they are doing, and it is most likely that remark was something you say when there is nothing to say (silly question really  ) OR to state the obvious that it goes back into the "working kitty" (no matter who is "the backer" whether himself or others). On first read the comment may look like there is no money in the kitty, when in fact it can mean any number of things. Re "no tangible benefits". Well yeah, barista comps do not reflect real life in most working cafes (eateries - food industry - with a coffee machine) and are a "show". To win one is to master the art of barista comp participation. Such as to drive competitively on a race track has nothing to do with driving in real life. Privateers (budding entrepeneurs perhaps) in barista comps have far less chance of ending up with backing to get to where they hope success in the comps will lead, than barista champs that have the backing and will climb the coffee industry "corporate ladder" into other areas away from normal retail cafe business  or should I say, moving right out of a classic barista role, never to return.