Glenn Bailey of Grinders Coffee will travel to Colombia to compete as the Australian contestant in the reality show Barista & Farmer, starting 1 June.
Glenn secured the last of 10 spots on the show after winning the cupping and latte art competition at this year’s Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), and says the opportunity to live on a coffee plantation in Colombia is “every baristas dream”.
“It’s such an exciting opportunity, literally a dream come true,” he says.
Glenn, a coffee training specialist at Grinders Coffee Roasters, will travel to the world’s third-largest coffee producing nation to learn about the entire coffee processing cycle using the latest production techniques.
Seven-time Italian Barista Champion Francesco Sanapo created the competition, an event dedicated to the promotion of specialty coffee. Contestants will live like producers on Colombian coffee farms in the Meta and Huila region. After picking the cherries, competitors will harvest and roast beans to create their own personalised blend.
Sonja Grant and Scot Conary of World Coffee Events, and Australian Coffee Roasting Champion Ben Toovey of Genovese Coffee will be among the industry experts guiding contestants before they showcase their signature blend.
Two hundred and fifty coffee professionals worldwide competed for the chance to partake in the prestigious reality show. Glenn will face strong opposition, including dual Columbia National Competition winner Diego Campos and top baristas from Brazil, Italy and Russia.
For more information and to watch Barista & Farmer, visit www.baristafarmer.com, or follow Grinders Coffee Roasters on Facebook.
Image: Adam Genovese, Glenn Bailey and Clint Hendry.