Costa Coffee has named Ace Valino of Bahrain as regional winner of its annual barista competition held among baristas from UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Valino will move forward to compete in the Champion of Champions final of Costa’s annual international barista competition, Barista of the Year.

After a day of competition, judges named the regional champion, who impressed judges with his signature Midnight Snatcher beverage - which he described as “a sweet, aromatic drink with a warm kick at the end”.

“I’m incredibly honoured to have been named the winner here today. This has been one of the greatest challenges of my career so far, and I’m thrilled to be moving forward in the competition,” said Valino.

“In my four years of working at Costa, I have had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally; I know I have been trained by some of the best in the industry, and that the Costa approach to preparing hand crafted coffee is second to none.”

Contestants for the sixth Costa Barista of the Year are judged on technical skill, presentation, personality and passion for coffee.

It is not only about a technically perfect coffee - it’s also about how they go about doing it, adding creative flair and passion to prepare the perfect barista recipe.

Last year’s contestants were tasked with creating their own unique signature drink that was judged on taste, presentation and innovation.

“Costa’s Barista of the Year competition is a celebration of the passion, skill and expertise that goes into the creation of each and every cup of Costa’s coffee,” said Andy Marshall, chief operating officer for Costa International.

“Barista of the Year is an opportunity to showcase the skill and talent our baristas at Costa have.  It is a fun competition, but make no mistake, it’s tough: we look for excellence across the board and are on the hunt for the best Costa barista in the world.  Today’s results in Dubai may see them go on to take that title,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service