The finals will be held in Zagreb on the eve of the International Coffee Day on October 1, where the three best baristas will win professional education and certification in the total value of more than HRK 70,000 at the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Campus in Matulji
Yesterday, the first qualifications for the new season of the Franck regional barista competition were held in Šibenik's Moderato Cafe & Cakes, which for the fourth year in a row brings together the best waiters from the entire region to show their skills in preparing espresso and other coffee beverages.
The victory of this year's first qualifying competition was taken by Andrea Jakeljić from Split (caffe bar Bravo), thus placing her in the grand final of the regional competition Franck Barista Contest, which will be held this year on the eve of the International Coffee Day in Zagreb. Andrea works as a barista in the Bravo cafe in Split, and this year she is participating in this prestigious competition for the first time.
"I have been doing this job for five years and I am constantly trying to learn and acquire new knowledge and skills in order to become even better, and competition like this allows me to do so. I am very excited about the finals in Zagreb, where I hope I will show even more skill and creativity, " said Andrea Jakeljić.
Ivan Sinčić from Pirovac (caffe bar Rišpet) also qualified for the finals as the second place winner. The finalists have the opportunity to win the title of the best barista in the region, and the three best can win valuable main prizes - professional education and certification at the SCA Premier Campus in Matulji, the only SCA certified center in this part of Europe, which aims to educate coffee specialists according to international standards. pushing the boundaries of the coffee world in Croatia.
In this qualifying competition, conducted according to the rules of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), the international professional organization that brings together all participants in the coffee industry, the skills and abilities of the contestants to prepare one espresso and cappuccino within eight minutes were tested.
An expert jury, consisting of two sensory, one technical and a chief judge, evaluated the taste of each drink and style of work, visual presentation of drinks, technical knowledge and skills of working with espresso machine and grinder, personal presentation of the drink, as well as a clean working surface at the beginning and end of the performance.
The profession of barista is becoming more and more popular today, and Franck has been creating and following trends from the beginning, and with such projects it is trying to systematically raise the bar in the quality of espresso, but also other coffee and tea drinks. Through the organization of competitions of this kind, it strives to strengthen its HoReCa business in the region and enable waiters from all over the region to acquire knowledge and skills crucial for a successful career and profiling in the interesting world of coffee.
About 50 baristas selected from almost 15,000 hospitality venues in the region with which Franck cooperates will participate in the qualifications this year as well, and after Šibenik, the qualification competition will follow on June 25 in Zagreb and on July 16 in Lovran.
The grand finale, organized by Franck, will be held in Zagreb on the eve of the International Coffee Day on October 1, where 10 finalists from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Macedonia will compete for the title of this year's best barista.
