International barista judges prepare for World Championships

http://www.foodweek.com.au/
Thursday, January 08, 2009

Box Hill Institute will host thirty-five national and international barista judges at the World Barista Championship Judges workshop on January 14 and 15.

Successful participants will be qualified to judge the 2009 World Barista Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, US in April.

The coffee lovers will have travelled from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand and other states in Australia to earn the chance to judge at the competition.

This is the first time that the judges' training has been held outside of the country where the championships are taking place, with training held in four international regions. Box Hill Institute was selected as the host of the Asia-Pacific training.World barista judge and Box Hill Institute trainer, Justin Metcalf, will teach the Australian and international contingent how to judge the world's best coffee makers.

"By breaking the judges' training into international regions, the World Barista Championships is trying to give people the opportunity to study in their own region for these critical roles. It will also increase the quality of the training by breaking it into smaller groups, rather than one mass training just prior to the competition," said Metcalf.

"This is a great opportunity to develop barista experience in the Asian-Pacific region. The Asian market is quite an untapped espresso market. So, by developing skills in the region we are not only increasing the pool of judges but also equipping these judges to take the skills back to their own countries."

The participants will attend a variety of workshops and judge baristas in real-life competition simulations.

"Box Hill Institute as a completely independent training facility, free from coffee company sponsorship, is a terrific place to train barista judges in Australia. There is no product push, only quality training in barista and barista judging," said Metcalf.

World Barista Championship announces new judges certification workshops

LONG BEACH, CA (November 14, 2008)

Two new judges certification workshops will be held in Long Beach, California and Melbourne, Australia for applicants who aspire to judge at the 2009 World Barista Championship (WBC) competition in Atlanta.

On April 16-19, 2009, national barista champions from over 56 countries will converge in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center to compete for the ranking of world’s top coffee maker in front of a live audience of several hundred spectators and thousands of online viewers from around the world.

Participants that successfully complete the 2-day certification course will be included in a pool of volunteer judges that will evaluate the taste of beverages served in the 2009 competition, as well as, the creativity, technical skill and overall presentation of competitors.

Once certified, judges will be issued a certificate of completion and a license to use the WBC Certified Judge logo in accordance with WBC standards.

In order to attend, all candidates must meet the following prerequisites:

• Possess two consecutive years experience officiating at WBC-sanctioned national or regional barista competitions;
• Demonstrate the ability comprehend and complete all score sheets in English;
• Agree to comply with the WBC Code of Conduct;
• Agree to attend the 2009 competition and pre-competition events in Atlanta, GA from April 14-19 at his or her own expense; and
• Demonstrate a commitment to coffee excellence and to promoting the barista craft.

In Long Beach, December 4-5, 2008:Specialty Coffee Association of America Headquarters330 Golden Shore, Ste. 50, Long Beach, CA, USAFee: US$200 per person Register Here

In Melbourne, Australia January 14-15, 2009:Box Hill Institute465 Elgar Road, Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaFee: US$200 per person Register Here

Attendance is limited and advance registration is required. Dates for workshops in the United Kingdom and Africa will be announced shortly. For more information or to register, visit the World Barista Championship website at www.worldbaristachampionship.com.

About World Barista Championship UK Ltd.World Barista Championship UK Ltd is jointly owned by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.

The first WBC competition took place in Monte Carlo in October 2000 and has since held annual competitions Miami, Oslo, Boston, Trieste, Seattle, Berne, Tokyo and Copenhagen.

The organization’s next event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A., April 16-19, 2009.

For more information, please visit www.worldbaristachampionship.com.