Donut King takes on Coffee Chain Championships in Sydney
The brand’s baristas will be joining the upcoming 2015 DaVinci Gourmet Australian Coffee Chain Championships in Sydney on 3-5 September.
The Sydney based team of four will be competing in three different categories - Latte Art, Signature Beverage and Service.
Donut King Barista Trainer Daniel Lombardi said his team has been training hard and believe they have a good shot at winning the championships.
“My team has some really strong competitors with exceptional coffee making skills, my barista Cindy won third place in the National Final of Retail Food Group’s Espresso Perfecto Barista Championships last year over 210 competitors, I definitely think we have a great chance of taking home the title.”
Lombardi said there is no real secret to making a great cup of coffee, but that it is all about practice and perfection. He tries to teach his baristas to compete as if they were working in store making coffees for their everyday customers.
“There aren’t really any secrets to becoming a latte art champion, you just need to become obsessed with perfection. All of your attention needs to be in the milk and the cup of coffee, the moment you lose focus on these two points is when you begin to stress and fall apart and worry about not getting the job done,” he said.
“One of the most difficult things I have come across in teaching a barista for a competition is to be calm and to make coffees as if they are working in a store like they do everyday.”
The baristas will be competing against other coffee chains including fellow Retail Food Group brands, Gloria Jean’s Coffees and Michel’s Patisserie.
Retail Food Group’s Learning Operations Manager Peita Laws said all of the teams have an equal shot of winning and that preparation will play a big role in the outcome.
“They’ve been training really hard and I can certainly see a bit of internal competition between the coaches,” she said.
“The biggest thing for the teams will be pulling all the training together on the day to showcase their skills. Remembering to remain calm, enjoy the amazing experience and most of all do what they do best, make some awesome coffee!”
