- Major brands sign up to support region's first-ever qualifying event to the World Barista Championship
Organisers of the Specialty Coffee & Tea Convention 2009, the first international specialty coffee and tea event crafted for the Arab World, have announced that they have generated strong interest for the inaugural National UAE Barista Championship, which will be held on November 12, 2009, at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel Dubai. Professional baristas from all over the UAE have already signed up for the National UAE Barista Championship, which will serve as a qualifying event to the 2010 World Barista Championship (WBC) in London.
The National UAE Barista Championship has also attracted the support of leading establishments, including Platinum Sponsor Coffee Planet. Other sponsors of the event are Merchant Star International LLC, Golden Star International LLC and Giza Foods – Shaheen Cafe (Bronze Sponsors); Nuova Simonelli (Official Espresso Machine), Mahlkonig (Official Espresso Grinder), Monin (Official Syrup Sponsor), Evian (Official Water Sponsor) and Camelicious (Official Milk Sponsor).
Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), organisers of the event said, "Several baristas from all over the country have confirmed their participation, which will ensure a truly high-level competition. It is a very distinct honour to be the first-ever national barista champion of the UAE, which explains the tremendous response the event has gathered from the barista community. We certainly have all the ingredients for what is going to be a very exciting highlight feature of the Specialty Coffee & Tea Convention 2009."
Cindy Chang, Executive Director of the World Barista Championship, said, “With the UAE Barista Championship, baristas all over the UAE can look forward to a definitive venue where they can showcase their unique skills and expertise. Furthermore, the competition will help promote a high level of quality in the barista profession. The WBC looks forward to welcoming the first UAE champion into our next World Championship in London, 2010.”
The National UAE Barista Championship, which is the only barista competition in the region accredited by the WBC, is one of the special attractions of the Specialty Coffee & Tea Convention 2009. Preliminary rounds of the competition will be held on November 10 and 11 with the final round on November 12.
Competitors will be required to serve each of the four sensory judges a single espresso, a single cappuccino and a signature beverage of his/her choice (espresso-based and alcohol free) for a total of twelve drinks, during a period of fifteen minutes; and will be judged by four sensory judges, two technical judges and one head judge.
The Specialty Coffee & Tea Convention 2009 will run from November 10 to 12 at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. Organised by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and IC&E, the event will host over 100 global companies showcasing the latest products, equipment and trends in the specialty coffee and tea industry. The Convention will feature a focused exhibition, a high-profile conference, targeted educational sessions and workshops, and a wide range of opportunities for networking, business sourcing and market intelligence.
The World Barista Championship (WBC) is a non-profit organization jointly owned by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. The first annual WBC competition took place in Monte Carlo in October 2000, followed by competitions in Miami, Oslo, Boston, Trieste, Seattle, Berne, Tokyo, Copenhagen and Atlanta.
.JPG "Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E).")
