Foodco crowns this year’s barista champion
21 year old Penrith local won the title.
The Grand Final of the annual Foodco Barista Championships was held last 5 June in Sydney. Out of the hundreds of competitors, Melissa Hall, stood out and proved her skills at making the best coffee.
Hall was declared 2013 Muffin Break Barista Champion, and was also awarded the 2013 Foodco Barista Champion title.
“To even make it to the Grand Final is an incredible feat and I am truly proud of all six competitors. In addition to freshly-baked foods, coffee is a key element of the Muffin Break product mix. Our Melbourne-roasted proprietary coffee blend is award-winning and all Muffin Break baristas undergo hours and hours of training on a regular basis, so it was really rewarding to see the upshot of all their hard-work put into practice yesterday.
“As Melissa demonstrated however, one of the keys to being a champion barista is the ability to adjust your technique to swiftly serve-up premium-tasting coffee in-spite of external pressures,” said John MacPhail, Brand Manager of Muffin Break.
With six years of experience as a barista at Muffin Break, Hall was able to create 12 cups of coffee in a span of 15 minutes and present it to a panel of judges.
Hall was able to impress the judges with her Signature Beverage called, ‘Tropical Piccolo,’ which contained maple and coconut syrup, and fresh lime over a 30ml shot of espresso.
“I’m so happy I won! I didn’t make it to the Grand Final last year so to have come back to win the title this year is an achievement I’m so proud of! It was definitely a nerve-wracking experience but part of me knew the judges would like my signature drink. It’s memorable and delicious and now I can’t wait to make more of it!” shared Hall.
Along with the titles, Hall was also awarded a number of prizes which included an Apple iPad mini, a state-of-the-art coffee machine and grinder, and a ‘money-can’t-buy’ mentorship from qualified industry experts in the lead-up to next year’s M.I.C.E competition.
