Coffee expo to host World Barista Championship in Melbourne
The World Barista Championship will return to the Melbourne International Coffee Expo in 2022 after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Melbourne International Coffee Expo secured the prestigious World Barista Championship for the 2020 event prior to the event being thrown into disarray by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thankfully, MICE will retain the right to host the event following the announcement that the championship would be held at the 2022 event, from September 27 to 30.
“We are overjoyed to have secured these prestigious World Coffee Championships,” said Lauren Winterbottom, show director for MICE.
“We were already aware that Australia was a world-famous coffee destination, and now we have the opportunity to share our coffee culture with a global audience.”
World Coffee Event, a subsidiary of the Specialty Coffee Association, produces the preeminent international coffee competitions each year.
Both competitions require baristas to perform within a set amount of time in front of a live audience and judges.
There are two rounds, the first of which requires competitors to complete two coffee services, one compulsory and one open. For the mandatory service, competitors must prepare three beverages using whole bean coffee supplied by the competition.
Competitors must use any whole bean coffee and create a presentation for the beverage preparation portion of the competition.
The six competitors who earn the highest score from the judges advance to the finals, where they will compete for the title of best open service.
MICE was forced to cancel the 2021 event due to an alarming increase in local COVID-19 cases.
