Eleen Cai Yi Jie Will Represent Singapore in the World Barista Championships in Japan Later This Year!

The battle for Singapore????s top barista has been determined at the first inaugural Singapore National Barista Championship (SNBC), which took place last Thursday through to Saturday at Suntec City Convention Centre. The event, which celebrated the consummate skill and artistry of Singapore????s top coffee baristas, required 26 competitors to prepare four servings each of espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink, all within 15 minutes. SNBC2007 was organised by the Singapore Coffee Association (SCA).

Eleen Cai Yi Jie, age 22, took top spot in a virtuoso display which impressed the judging panel through her combination of poise, confidence and superior coffee preparation skills. Her winning signature drink was Herbal Infusion ???€?made from home-made ginger syrup mixed with espresso and milk and served at room temperature.

Eleen wins a prize purse of SGD1,000 and goes on to represent Singapore in the World Barista Championships in Tokyo from July 31 ???€?August 2. Eileen????s comments on the award win were as follows: ????ctually when i first entered the competition, i wanted to gain experience and exposure. I was also hoping to learn more about coffee-making through the competition so that I can help improve the standards in the cafe that i am working for. I was definitely shocked. Till now, it still seem amazingly unbelieveable! I did not expect myself to win as the other competitors were very experienced. I sincerely hope that this opportunity will help me in my personal growth in becoming a better barista in the coffee industry. I am truly proud to be able to represent Singapore in the World Barista Championship and I am looking forward to bring Singapore’s coffee culture to the world’s stage.????r

In what is expected to become a regular annual fixture on the Singapore coffee calendar, Victor Mah the chairman of the Singapore Coffee Association said, ????his is the first time Singaporeans have experienced the energy and excitement of a Barista Championship. The event gave the public an opportunity to learn about the high level of skills it takes to prepare an accomplished espresso beverage.????r

The 26 barista contestants were all Singaporeans and they come from various coffee chains and lcoal caf?? operators. The SNBC2007????s organising committee is quick to underscore however that the competition is amongst individuals to determine who has the best coffee-preparation skills.

Ross Bright, Master Coffee Roaster with Spinelli Coffee Company, a certified World Barista Championship judge and member of the organising committee, said, ????NBC is an exciting event in Singapore????s food service industry which serves to raise baristas???? standards and increase customer awareness for what constitutes good coffee. Our 26 competitors at the championship represent the growing passion of Singapore????s young coffee professionals. It????s these dedicated people who are bringing Singapore????s coffee culture to the level of sophistication that is already in place in other countries worldwide.????

The 7 experienced judges for SNBC2007 included Head Judge Justin Metcalf, one of Australia????s most recognised coffee and caf?? consultants. The judges scored the contestants on a combination of criteria including technical proficiency, hygiene, presentation, creativity, and above all, quality and taste of espresso beverages served.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency used the opportunity of the SNBC2007 to issue certificates to SNBC participants who met WDA????s standards and requirements. The SNBC is sponsored by UCC (Presenter), DaVinci Gourmet, EQUAL and GREENFIELDS (Gold Sponsors) as well as a list of other sponsors.

Further information about the SNBC 2007 is available on the Singapore Coffee Association website: www.singaporecoffee.org

Content Contributor: www.chaplinpr.com Media Release 2 Apr 2007

Source: www.chaplinpr.com

The Search is On For Singapore????s Top Coffee Barista!
The Winner of the Singapore National Barista Championship 2007 Will Represent Singapore in the World Barista Championships in Japan

Singaporeans???? enduring love affair with the coffee bean could never have taken off but for the passion and expertise of a small number of individuals called baristas who are widely regarded as ????he sommeliers of the coffee industry????

Now, the Singapore Coffee Association (SCA) has launched its first inaugural Singapore National Barista Championship (SNBC), which will take place from March 29 ???€?31 at Suntec City Convention Centre Room 208 & 209.

SCA????s Chairman, Mr. Victor Mah said, ????arista refers to one who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks. The barista is a professional who is highly skilled in coffee preparation, with a comprehensive understanding of coffee, coffee blends, espresso, quality, coffee varieties, roast degree, espresso equipment, maintenance, latte art and everything associated with delivering that perfect cup of coffee.????

The contestants, who are all either Singaporeans or Permanent Residents, are drawn from all age groups, races and backgrounds and work for many of Singapore????s best known coffee brands and retailers.

However, the organisers are quick to point out that this is not a competition amongst coffee companies but amongst individuals to determine who has the best coffee-preparation skills.
Aside from a prize purse of SGD1,000, the winner of the Singapore National Barista Championship 2007 will also go on to represent Singapore in the World Barista Championships in Tokyo from July 31 ???€?August 2.

The winners and runners up will also receive a considerable boost to their personal careers thanks to the status awarded to the national barista champion.

Said Ms Teo Sio Hoon, Director of Tourism, Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA): ????his competition is an excellent platform to raise the profile of the barista as a professional, as well as promote the idea that being a barista is a viable career option????
All contestants will have to go through a Food & Beverage Workforce Skills Qualifications (F&B WSQ) assessment prior to the competition to evaluate their ability as baristas. Successful contestants will receive a WSQ Statement of Attainment, which is a national certification of their skills.

Ross Bright, Master Coffee Roaster & Wholesale Manager with the Spinelli Coffee Company said the championships would also perk up the food & beverage industry in general by raising awareness that far more goes into the preparation of a good cup of coffee than the installation of an automatic espresso machine.

????ow often have you ordered a pricey coffee in an expensive restaurant only to find that it????s poorly prepared and occasionally even undrinkable? By throwing a focus on professional coffee preparation in line with international standards we????re making a statement to the Singapore F&B industry that Singaporeans are educated in their palettes and won????t settle for anything less than a coffee product delivered with technical competence and know how,????said Mr. Bright, who is part of the organising committee and a certified World Barista Championship judge.

The SNBC has lined up a panel of 7 experienced judges including Head Judge Justin Metcalf, one of Australia????s most recognised coffee and caf?? consultants.

Of those 7 judges, 4 are sensory judges, 2 are technical judges and 1 is the Head Judge).

Each competitor must serve each of the four Sensory Judges a single espresso, a single cappuccino and a single signature beverage of his/her choice (which must be espresso-based and alcohol-free), for a total of 12 drinks, during a period of 15 minutes or less. The four drinks of each category must be identical and served at the same time.

Judges will be scoring the contestants on a combination of criteria including technical proficiency, presentation and creativity, taste, cleanliness and hygiene and overall flair and flamboyance.

Judges will also keep an eye out for those who display the most passion for their vocation! Therefore, competitors may explain their processes aloud during their preparation and speak and interact with the judges and they may also choose their own music soundtrack by which to work.

The Singapore Coffee Association is also working with its official partner, Singapore Exhibition Services (SES), to promote the event. Ting Siew Mui, SES???? Project Director for Lifestyle Events, said there is ????uch synergy????in the partnership, as SES is the organizer of the biennial food and hospitality trade show, Food & Hotel Asia (FHA), in 2008.

????s coffee consumption increasingly becomes a lifestyle in Singapore, it is important to give the necessary impetus and support to develop this industry not just as a business, but also as one of the joys in life,????Ting said.

The SNBC is sponsored by UCC (Presenter), DaVinci Gourmet, EQUAL and GREENFIELDS (Gold Sponsors) as well as a list of other sponsors.

Further information about the SNBC 2007 is available on the Singapore Coffee Association website: www.singaporecoffee.org

Content Contributor: www.chaplinpr.com Media Release 21 Mar 2007