Dmitriy Griekhov, the head barista at Café Rider, a specialty coffee bar in Al Quoz (Dubai, UAE), will represent the UAE at the World Barista Championship 2015, which is set to take place from April 9 to 12 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, US.

Griekhov emerged as the winner among 28 competitors whose skills were put to the test at the sixth National UAE Barista Championship.

The championship was held as part of the International Coffee and Tea Festival (ICTF) recently in Dubai.

The UAE Barista Championship highlighted the skills and knowledge of the country’s finest baristas.  

During the competition, each barista prepared and served four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four original espresso-based signature beverages to a panel of international and UAE-based judges in a 15-minute performance.

The two panels consisting of four international sensory judges, two technical judges and a head judge who, through a series of stringent criteria and scoring, evaluated the performances of all the top UAE Baristas.  

The judges awarded points based on technical capability, coffee knowledge, craftsmanship, communication skills, service skills, exceptional coffee quality and overall passion for the Barista profession.

The contenders had to introduce their coffee to the judges, provide reason for their choice in coffee and then systematically work their way through the three rounds of beverages, while interacting and serving the four sensory judges.

Ryan Godinho, Coffee Education and Championships coordinator for the organisers of the ICTF, said: “With each passing year, we see a substantial increase in the level of the professionalism, skills and overall performance of the baristas.  This is further evident with the ranking of UAE’s Champion Baristas as they advance to the next stage, being the annual World Barista Championship.”

The intense action will return to the seventh National UAE Barista Championship at the ICTF 2015.

It will offer a platform for the UAE’s best coffee professionals to display their knowledge, talent and skills while showcasing the vast differences between average coffee and specialty coffee. The battle for the title of the seventh Barista Champion will run from November 10 to 13 at The Meydan Gallery and Convention Center in Dubai. - TradeArabia News Service