Bringing the world of Coffee together
The Good Food & Wine show held in June at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre was enhanced when the BeanScene team presented the inaugural Coffee Experience. With thanks to major sponsors: Pura, Natvia, Expresso packaging, Vitasoy.
It was a spectacle of all that coffee has to offer - roasting, blending, cup tasting, barista expertise, personalities, suppliers, stories and competitions. An entire pavilion was dedicated to the humble bean, with a centre stage featuring a top line-up and the aroma of fresh coffee attracted a constant stream of consumers.
The Natvia Stage quickly became a sought after destination and was abuzz with activity including:
- Exclusive appearances by World Barista Champion, Gwilym Davis of the UK.
- Celebrity Chefs interviewed on stage included George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan, Tobie Puttock, Manu Feildel, and Peter Evans.
- In-house roasting with Green Bean Coffee.
- The Gloria Jeans Coffee, Taste Challenge – Cupping Demonstration.
- Grand Barista Championship demonstrations.
- And last but not least, the inaugural PURA Invitational Latte Art Smack-down - featuring some of Melbourne, and Australia’s leading baristas, which was won by Remy Shpayzer of Eclipse Espresso Bar in Melbourne.
It was a who’s who of coffee with some of the biggest names in the industry on hand to discuss world and local trends, including:
- Gwilym Davis - The outgoing World Barista Champion - in his first and only visit to Australia – brought a wealth of experience and knowledge about Specialty Coffee. How the very best coffee is being sourced, roasted and delivered around the world.
- David Makin - Former two-time Australian Champion, and runner-up world champion, David has trained some of Australia’s leading baristas and has competed around the world.
- Paul Jackson - Founder, Grand Barista Championship (one of the leading barista competitions in South East Asia), Paul has pioneered barista competition and his GBC team have set new standards of excellence and expertise that have helped to drive quality levels in the coffee industry in Australia and throughout South East Asia. In Melbourne to showcase this premium barista competition, Paul made for a fascinating interview and provided an in-depth insight into coffee quality, roasting profiles and training standards.
- Will Priestly – is the current Australian Latte Art Champion. Will is a young man on a mission. His creative skill with coffee has given him the opportunity to represent Australia at the World Latte Art Championships in Europe, earning him second place in the world. An expert in his field, he provides fascinating insights into the art of coffee making.
These were some of the highlights of this amazing event and they were a part of what made the Coffee Experience an experience like no other. Don’t miss it as part of the 2011 Good Food and Wine Show.
