Barista competition curveball
Posted: Jul 06, 2010
Michael Phillips’ victory at last month’s World Barista Championship may have brought the 2009-10 competition season to a close, but it didn’t take long for eyes to turn toward barista competitions for 2010-11—and to the different landscape that lies ahead.
In a press release issued last week, the SCAA announced that because “event expenses ran higher than expected” for last year’s regional competitions, some changes will be made for the coming season. The most prominent one involves reconfiguration and consolidation: There will be six regional barista competitions in 2010-11 instead of the previous 10, and they’ll be divided into the following regions: Northwest, North Central, Northeast, Southwest, South Central and Southeast.
Another notable change is an increase in competitor registration fees. While each barista has had to plunk down $50 to compete in previous years, that fee will increase for this season—the new number has not yet been announced.
The September issue of Fresh Cup will have a full story on the competition changes; in the meantime, read the SCAA’s announcement at usbaristachampionship.org.
—Chris Ryan
