World Coffee Masters in London

By Sam Balf

The London Coffee Festival is the UK's largest coffee and artisan food event, a celebration of London's vibrant coffee culture. Credit: Flickr

London’s Coffee Festival will host the 2019 Coffee Masters, where the world’s top baristas will gather and compete for the title of World Coffee Master 2019.

Applicants from across the world will have a chance at the prestigious title, competing in several head-to-head battles.

The knockout competition is notorious for the level of talent it attracts and with a £5,000 prize as well as the accolades that follow, but you need more than excellent barista skills to win.

“It’s a real test of mental endurance. You’re not just making coffee, everybody is there, the best baristas in the world and everybody is watching you not to make a mistake.” Says Teemu Sillanpaa, a barista originally from Finland and an applicant for 2019.

The categories featured this year will be: Cupping, Brewing, Latte Art, Order (the baristas have a limited amount of time to produce a full range of coffees judged on taste and speed), a Signature Drink, Espresso Blending and Origin. The Origin category will be a platform to showcase coffees from remote regions that are often produced by single farm holders.

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