Barefoot Coffee Roasters Barista Team Set to Compete at the 2005 Western Regional Barista Competition on February 19–20
A competition pits 15 of the top Baristas from the best espresso bars in all of California and Hawaii in an intense coffee making competition.
Santa Clara County, CA (PRWEB) February 14, 2005 -- The Barista Competition
team from Barefoot Coffee Roasters and several of their wholesale café
customers’ Baristas will be competing for the top spots at the upcoming Western
Regional Barista Competition. A total of five (5) of the Baristas competing are
on the Barefoot Barista Competition Team. This is the first western regional
Barista Championship and marks a new stage in the espresso renaissance occurring
in America.
Baristas (individuals who excel in the art of espresso
preparation) from Barefoot Coffee Roasters, an artisan roaster of organic and
Fair Trade coffees, have competed in several Barista competitions before and
have done very well. Most recently Monica Hill won first place at the Bay Area
Battle of the Baristas and Eugenia Chien placed third in the same competition.
Andy Newbom, Chief Espresso Officer of Barefoot Coffee Roasters, has competed in
several Barista Championships including placing 13th in the nation at the 2004
United States Barista Championships in Atlanta.
The Barista Competition
team is comprised of these coffee rock stars:
• Eugenia
Chien, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Santa Clara, CA
• Monica
Hill, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Santa Clara, CA
• Eton
Tsuno, Etoniq Espresso, South San Francisco, CA
• Melody
Harwell, SmallTown Coffee, Kapaa Hawaii
• Kelley Price,
Global Blends Coffee Company, Mountain View, CA
Eton, Melody and Kelley
all work for wholesale customers of Barefoot Coffee Roasters. Melody Harwell is
also the only Barista representing her home state of Hawaii at the competition.
So she is especially eager to make a good showing on her first ever
competition.
“I am so excited I can’t even sleep!” said Melody Harwell of
SmallTown Coffee in Kapaa, HI. “I have been practicing every day for weeks on
perfecting my espresso and my cappuccinos. I am so proud to be able to represent
the great state of Hawaii in this cool ‘Coffee Olympics’. It is so sweet to be
part of the Barefoot Barista Competition team, I am stoked!”
Taylor Maid
Farms Organic Coffee & Tea and Roshambo Winery are teaming up to host the
Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Western Regional Barista
Championship on February 19–20, 2005. This competition provides an opportunity
for baristas—individuals who excel in the art of espresso preparation—to
showcase their talents for producing superior quality coffee and espresso
drinks.
Each contestant will prepare and serve 12 coffee beverages—one
espresso, one cappuccino, and one specialty drink of their own creation for each
of four judges—within 15 minutes. Competitors will be judged based on taste,
presentation, technical skills, and cleanliness.
The first-place winner
will receive an expenses-paid trip (travel and accommodation) to compete in the
semifinals round at the 2005 U.S. Barista Championship in Seattle, WA, on March
10–13. The winner of the U.S. competition will compete in the World Barista
Championship in Seattle, WA, on April 15–18.
“Coffee is a culinary art.
These Barista competitions are an exciting part of the major espresso
renaissance that is occurring in America today.” Emphasized Andy Newbom, Chief
Espresso officer of Barefoot Coffee Roasters. “These competitions are all about
showcasing the immense skill, talent and knowledge it takes to create a perfect
espresso. In the next five years great Baristas will be a professional class
alongside pastry chefs and sommeliers.”
The SCAA is the trade association
for the specialty coffee industry, one of the fastest growing food industries in
the world. The organization sets industry standards for growing, roasting, and
brewing and promotes sensitivity to the environment and a consciousness of
social issues. Their more than 2,500 company members worldwide include coffee
retailers, roasters, producers, exporters and importers, and manufacturers of
coffee equipment and related products.
For more information on the
competition, contact Trish Skeie at Taylor Maid Farms at 707.824.9110 or e-mail
protected from spam bots (www.taylormaidfarms.com). The Roshambo Winery tasting room and
nationally known gallery featuring contemporary conceptual art, located at 3000
Westside Road in Healdsburg, will be open during the competition for specialty
coffee and wine tasting (www.roshambowinery.com).
Barefoot Coffee Roasters is a
full-service coffee and espresso bar and artisan organic wholesale coffee
roaster located at 5237 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara (at the corner of
Lawrence Expressway near Bed, Bath and Beyond). Barefoot was voted the Best
Coffee House in Silicon Valley by Metro magazine for 2004. Barefoot is famous
for their traditional cappuccinos as seen on NBC news. All coffees are roasted
fresh in the café by skilled artisan roasters using old-world, small batch
roasting techniques to coax the best flavor out of every coffee. Barefoot Coffee
Roasters actively practices and promotes sustainability in both products and
practices. Over 85% of Barefoot Coffee Roasters coffees are organic, shade grown
and fair traded, resulting in not only better coffee but better living and
working conditions for the farmers and their children for successive
generations. Barefoot Coffee Roasters was recently certified as a licensed Fair
Trade coffee roaster by Transfair USA. The café features computers for Internet
access, as well as Wi-Fi Internet access, and serves high-quality coffees, teas,
pastries, desserts and chocolates. Barefoot Coffees are served and enjoyed in
many fine cafés and restaurants throughout the nation. Barefoot Coffee Roasters
is proud to be a participating member of the Specialty Coffee Association of
America, the Roasters Guild and a founding member of the Barista Guild of
America. For more information, please call (408) 248-4500, visit www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com or simply drop
by.
Editor’s Note: Photos and electronic images are available upon
request. Reporters and press photographers are welcome to attend the
event.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb208188.htm