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
The last qualifying competition for the best barista in the region, organized by Franck, was held yesterday in the Lovran City Café yesterday. The contestants tried to win over the expert jury with their skills in preparing top-quality espresso and other coffee drinks, thus winning the title of the best.
The winner was Boris Nevrly from Pula (caffe bar Dvojka), who proved himself in the masterful preparation of coffee and thus qualified for the finals of the Franck Barista Contest, which will be held in the fall in Zagreb.
"I have always enjoyed coffee and discovering new ways to prepare it, and competitions like this motivate me to become even better at it. I am extremely happy about the grand final in Zagreb, which will certainly enable me to acquire additional skills, and of course, I also wish to win," said Boris Nevrly.
Second-place finisher Vilim Kalokira from Lovran (Gradska kavana Lovran) also made it to the finals, and all finalists have a unique opportunity to win the title of the best barista in the region and an attractive award - professional education and certification at SCA Premier Campus in Matulji, the only SCA certified center in this part of Europe.
In a qualifying competition conducted according to the rules of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), sensory judges judged the preparation of one espresso and one cappuccino, with the contestants having to strive for a harmonious balance of sweetness, bitterness, acidity and aroma. The competitor's technical knowledge was evaluated, as well as the visual presentation of drinks and beverage presentations.
It is by organizing competitions of this kind that Franck strives to systematically raise the bar in the quality of espresso and other coffee and tea beverages and to support the development of the barista profession, which is becoming increasingly popular day by day.
About 40 baristas from almost 15,000 restaurants in the region, with which Franck cooperates, took part in this year's qualifications held in Šibenik, Zagreb and Lovran, and the grand finale 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 prestigious title.