In MICE 2019 showguide: A coffee lover’s guidebook, the Australian Specialty Coffee Association’s (ASCA) top ranked barista, latte artist, brewer, and cup taster reveal their favourite coffees and career highlights.
The ASCA 2019 Australian Coffee Championships will be held from 7 to 9 February at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE).
No. 1 Australian Barista
Name: Tilly Sproule
Company: Tim Adams Specialty Coffee
Age: 28
Favourite origin:At the moment, it is without a doubt Panama. I have had the opportunity to work with this breath-taking origin quite intensively over the last two years.
Favourite way to drink coffee: At the moment I can’t go past a simple espresso. Although there is nothing simple about an espresso! Competition training definitely brings this out in me more. I love the complexity and texture you experience in the cup.
Career highlight: Meeting Jorge Jr. and Maria Lanza in Melbourne before the 2016 ASCA National Championships. Words can’t explain how truly special this moment was. The Lanza family owns the stunning farm La Huerta in Honduras and produced the coffee I was using to compete with the following day. I have been fortunate enough to have my producers in the audience three years in a row. These relationships and the opportunity to represent everyone from the farm to my team at Tim Adams Specialty Coffee on stage is what drives me to compete year after year.
ASCA Top 12 Australian Barista rankings:
- Tilly Sproule
- Jack Simpson
- Angus Mackie
- Hugh Kelly
- Anthony Douglas
- Matt Lewin
- Kirk Pearson
- Todd Souter
- Matthew Philben
- Joshua Robertson
- Callum Jubb
- Ziggy Varamulia
No. 1 Australian Latte Artist
Name: Zhao Ting Wu
Company: Cote Terra
Age: 29
Favourite origin: Ethiopia.
Favourite way to drink coffee: A small flat white in a porcelain cup.
Career highlight:I’m the Founder and head trainer of the Cota Terra Coffee Academy. I’ve won several smackdown events in the past few years as well as coming first in the 2019 ASCA Southern Region Latte Art Championship, and of course ranking No. 1 in the 2019 #ASCATop12 Latte Artists.
ASCA Top 12 Australian Latte Artist rankings:
- Zhao Ting Wu
- Jibbi Little
- Alice Park
- Phattra Phithakphon
- Li Tao
- Ha Ram Gang
- Quoc Vuong Do
- Dusit Moo
- Victor Vu
- Timothy Song
- Louis Cheung
- Junnie Phyu
No. 1 Australian Brewer
Name: Yanina Ferreyra
Company: Project Origin
Age: 29
Favourite origin: Please don’t make me choose one. I’m a green coffee buyer!
Favourite way to drink coffee: With good company. All coffees taste great to me when shared, and if it’s while at origin, even better.
Career highlight: My first MICE in 2012 changed my career and way to see coffee forever. I haven’t missed one since.
ASCA Top 12 Australian Brewers Cup rankings:
- Yanina Ferreyra
- Harry Ko
- Jamie Thompson
- Devin Loong
- Yechan Kim
- Chanho Hong
- Ju Yeob Lee
- Michael Wells
- David Train
- Ning Chi Cheng
- Shen Choy Ong
- Mark Knapp
No. 1 Cup Taster in Australia
Name: Fred Lullfitz
Company: Birdsnake Chocolate
Age: 28
Favourite origin:Colombia, 100 per cent.
Favourite way to drink coffee: When someone else makes it.
Career highlight: Setting up a dry mill in Ecuador, and winning the 2012 ASCA Australian Cup Tasters Championship.
ASCA Top 12 Australian Cup Taster rankings:
- Fred Lullfitz
- Juwon Jung
- Matthew Smithies
- Ru Teow
- Nuno Park
- J. Kim
- Poyun Cheng
- Chanjoo Kim
- Callum Jubb
- Alicia Feng
- Frankie Shi
- Yuki Saito
The MICE 2019 showguide: A coffee lover’s guidebook is available in cafés around Melbourne andat MICE.