UAE barista champion 2011 crowned

Operations manager Ryan Godinho congratulates winner Matthew Toogood

Twenty-one of the UAE’s top baristas battled it out for the title of national UAE Barista Champion at the recent Middle East Coffee and Tea Convention, held at the Meydan Hotel & Grandstand in Dubai.

The event was watched by 7,100 spectators over three days, between November 3-5, 2011. The competition finished with six finalists vying for the championship on the last day. The event was live-streamed and viewed across the world by people in over 50 countries.

Operations manager Ryan Godinho said: “Matthew Toogood has definitely raised the bar at this year's competition and his mere spirit and determination will do us proud at the World Barista Championship in Vienna in June 2012.

"Matt invested a lot of time and effort in practice and should be immensely proud of being validated as UAE's best barista.”

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The event was put on in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of America, and competitors had to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four original espresso-based signature drinks in a 15-minute performance set to the music of their choice. As they prepared their drinks, contestants had to keep the audience and the judges engaged, explaining their choices and actions.

“Since its inception in 2009, the National UAE Barista Championship has come a long way in establishing a higher level of professionalism among the participating organisations and baristas,” Godinho said.

“Some of the participants from last year came back again this year with renewed confidence and better skills. The competition was intense and the whole exercise is intended to up the level of professionalism within the industry, to encourage competition between coffee shops and roasters and open avenues for new businesses in the country.

“For the last two years, the UAE has retained a 46th position among the 52 participating countries and we're using this reference as a yardstick for the UAE representative in 2012. Given the performance and clearly visible improvement this year, we believe we should prepare ourselves for a higher ranking, with a 10-notch increase, at the very least."