Wake up and smell the coffee at Good Food and Wine Show

THE Durban Good Food and Wine Show will host the SCASA Coffee Competitions’ KZN Regionals Barista Championship at a dedicated Creative Coffee Theatre at this year’s show at the Durban Exhibition Centre from 28 to 30 October.

The World Barista Championships is the world’s most prestigious barista competition, welcoming participants from over 50 countries who have won regional and national-level competitions to represent their domestic coffee talent on the world stage. So there is everything to play for as the KZN national barista champion will compete at the World Barista Championships in Seoul, South Korea, next year.

The competition is all about performance, skill and a passion for coffee, as well as being able to pour delicious coffee under pressure, with seven highly skilled judges watching the barista’s every move as they produce four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature drinks, all in less than 15 minutes.

Visitors to the show will be able to witness the Cup Tasters Event, which is a test of the senses and there is also the popular Latte Art Event, where the baristas impress judges with their milk pouring skills, producing flawless tulips, rosettas, hearts and other patterns.

Semi-finals take place on the Friday and Saturday at the show with the finals taking place from 10am to 3pm on the Sunday. The winner will be announced at 5.30pm.

Creative Coffee Theatre, event organiser, Iain Evans, who is also the publisher of Coffee Magazine said, “The Good Food and Wine Show is an incredibly important event because it allows the coffee industry and coffee professionals to meet and greet the public, to educate, inform and inspire people about coffee but most importantly it is about great coffee! Most people out there enjoy coffee in some way, shape or form but often don’t know much about it or how much better their coffee experiences could be. This platform allows us to take the latest trends, equipment and techniques to the public.”

He explains what he believes are the new trends in coffee: “Home coffee brewers are loving grinding their own coffee beans at home! This adds an exponential flavour to the cup as opposed to pre-ground coffee or worse,
capsules or instant coffee. The aroma, the ritual, the flavour are just next level! Following on closely from this, the next big trend is to brew coffee using one of the more interesting brew methods, like an aeropress, a chemex or a pour over! These exciting new brewing methods for home are really catching on.”

Entrance to the Creative Coffee Theatre is free with a GF&WS entry ticket.

Visist www.coffeemagazine.co.za or the Facebook page: @scasa.coffee and Twitter @scasa_coffee for updates.