Laila Ghambari Wins 2014 U.S. Barista Championship at The 26th Annual SCAA Event
LONG BEACH, Calif. U.S.A. (May 1, 2014) — Laila Ghambari of Cherry Street Coffee House in Seattle, WA has been named the winner of the 2014 United States Barista Championship, which took place April 24-27, 2014 in Seattle, WA at SCAA’s 26th Annual Exposition. The annual U.S. Barista Championship recognizes achievement in the art and skill of espresso drink preparation and service. The 2014 Official USBC Host is Espresso Supply.
The top six U.S. Barista Championship competitors for 2014 are:
1st Place – Laila Ghambari, Cherry Street Coffee House, Seattle, WA
2nd Place – Charles Babinski, G & B, Los Angeles, CA
3rd Place – Trevor Corlett, MADCAP Coffee, Washington, DC
4th Place – Cole McBride, PublicUS & Velton’s Coffee, Seattle, WA
5th Place – Camila Ramos, Panther Coffee, Miami, FL
6th Place – Nora Brady, Blueprint Coffee, St. Louis, MO
During the 4-day competition, the most skilled baristas from around the country showcased their skills and professionalism. Each of the 30 competitors prepared and served 12 orders, including four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation, all within a 15-minute timeframe. As they created their coffee beverages, contestants engaged the judges and explained their actions and selections while expertly working the competition’s official espresso machine, Nuova Simonelli, Aurelia II, and the official grinder, Mahlkoenig K30 Vario. Seven USBC-Certified Judges, including one head judge, two technical judges and four sensory judges, carefully evaluated and scored each of the contenders. Judges focused on station cleanliness, taste, beverage presentation, technical skills and total impression.
Laila Ghambari will represent the United States at the World Barista Championship in Rimini, Italy, June 9-12, 2014 courtesy of USBC travel sponsor DaVinci Gourmet. The World Barista Championship is organized by World Coffee Events (WCE), the premier producer of events for the coffee community worldwide, and engages the specialty coffee community to promote coffee excellence. WCE is founded by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) and the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). For more information, visit www.worldcoffeeevents.org. To learn more about the United States Barista Championship or United States Brewers Cup, visit www.usbaristachampionship.org.
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About Espresso Supply
Espresso Supply is a longtime supporter of the U.S. Barista competitions and is the Official USBC Host for both the 2014 and 2015 Competition cycles.
For over 20 years, Espresso Supply has been dedicated to serving the needs of the specialty coffee industry. Espresso Supply is committed to providing cafe operators with commercial grade espresso smallwares, as well as a wide variety of cafe operational tools and accessories. www.espressosupply.com
About SCAA
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), is a non-profit trade organization and the world recognized leader in coffee knowledge development. With over 9,000 members located in more than 40 countries, including member companies and their employees, SCAA members represent every segment of the specialty coffee industry, including producers, roasters, importers/exporters, retailers, manufacturers, baristas and other industry professionals. For over 30 years, the SCAA has been dedicated to creating a vibrant specialty coffee community, recognizing, developing and promoting specialty coffee by setting and maintaining quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee consumption, brewing and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for its members. Visit www.scaa.org.
