Features / Coffee Culture
UK Barista Champs heats coming to Bristol
The UK regional heats for the oldest and most prestigious barista competition in the world is coming to Bristol on Wednesday.
Organised by Mat North, owner of Broad Street cafe Full Court Press owner, and sponsored by Ashton Vale company Beyond The Bean, the day-long competition taking place in the Paintworks Event Space will see 20 coffee professionals from across the South West and Wales compete against each other.
The event starts at 9.15am and is free to watch.
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The UK Barista Championships sees contestants get 15 minutes to make four espressos, four milk drinks and four espresso-based non-alcoholic speciality drinks.
The top 12 scorers from the three heats across the county will go through to the semi-finals and final to be held next month at London Coffee Festival, with the winner representing the UK in the world championships.
Bristol, says Mat, is the perfect place for the regional finals: “The scene is still growing here. More people are realising that they don’t want a standard chain coffee. They want access to better coffee.”
Mat whittles off a trio of new openings that will be offering speciality coffee: Society on Narrow Quay, Little Victories in Wapping Wharf and Spicer & Cole on Gloucester Road.
“There’s still a growing demand,” continues Mat, who is hoping to extend his own cafe on Broad Street upstairs to offer more space that will incorporate a training area, perhaps where a future UK or world champion could learn their trade.
For more information about the UK Barista Championships, visit www.scaeuk.com
This is the first in a new series of columns looking at Bristol’s flourishing coffee scene. Want to feature? Email martin@bristol247.com
Read more: Spicer & Cole to open third cafe
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