The latest edition of the International Coffee & Tea Festival (ICTF), the region’s most sought after event for the specialty coffee and tea industry, will feature the seventh UAE Barista Championship.

Promoting the ‘third wave of coffee,’ the competition is a platform for skilled and professional baristas to vie for the most coveted title of the UAE’s Top Barista. The championship, which begins on November 10, and concludes with the final round and Champion’s Ceremony on November 13, will highlight the skills and knowledge of the country’s finest baristas.

The winner of the UAE Barista Championship will represent UAE in the 2016 World Barista Championship in Washington D.C., USA, to compete against 54 other competitors from every corner of the world.

The competition rules are extremely pedantic with each barista having to prepare four espressos, four milk-based drinks, and four original espresso-based signature beverages in a strict 15-minute performance, incurring penalty points on exceeding the time limit.

During the competition, it is important that the baristas engage with the judges, explaining their selection of coffee, their preparation methods, and drinking tips that would enhance the judges’ appreciation for the product prepared.  

Anselm Godinho, who heads the ICTF’s organising team, said: “The UAE Barista Championship continues to receive overwhelming response from UAE-based coffee shops and barista community.  The participation of professionally trained and qualified baristas is helping to raise the standard of coffee service year-in-year in the country.”

“The Championship, which has played a vital role in promoting the art of coffee making in the UAE, is designed to showcase the knowledge, skills and precision of a barista. We are upbeat that, like previous years, we will receive enthusiastic, creative, and innovative participants for the competition who will bring prestige and recognition to the UAE Barista community in an international arena,” continued Godinho.

With more than half a billion dirhams being spent on coffee each year in the UAE, several regional and international players are eyeing the country as a key growth market in the coming few years.

The winner of the 2014 UAE Barista Championship, Dmitriy Griekhov, head barista at Café Rider, represented the UAE at the World Barista Championship 2015.

Supported by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), World Coffee Events (WCE), and the UAE Barista Community, the International Coffee & Tea Festival will be held from November 11 to 13, 2015 at The Meydan Gallery and Convention Centre in Dubai. – TradeArabia News Service