The 2021 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) will introduce a new competition titled Australia’s Richest Barista, with a prize pool of $50,000.
With a first-place prize of $35,000, the competition is designed to exhibit Australia’s barista talent to the public and wider coffee industry.
With second place winning $10,000 and third place winning $5000, the competition is a way for MICE to support these incredible baristas and the coffee industry, says Lauren Winterbottom, MICE Show Director.
Taking place over the course of MICE2021 from 9 to 11 September, the competition is designed as a fast-paced, knock-out style event that see each barista’s sensory and practical skills put to the test.
Day one will see baristas competing two at a time, for 10-minute periods, preparing espresso, lattes, and alternative milk drinks. Each barista group will be judged by the same group of judges using a scoring system that allows a winner to be immediately declared from each round.
Half of these baristas will progress onto day two: the latte art smackdown.
On this day, each barista pair will compete across three rounds, displaying a mix of traditional latte art and their own creations. The coffee will be judged blindly and the best winner in two out of three rounds will proceed to the finals.
The final day will be a three-round cup tasting competition. Competitors will have to accurately and quickly identify which coffee out of the three groups is the odd one out.
Full rules will be released on 1 July when registrations open as well.
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