Patryk Tomasik of The Hideout Specialty Coffee in Queensland has won an all-expenses paid trip to London in the final of the Milklab Barista Battle Series at the 2022 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) on 29 September.
“I’m excited and so stoked with the results. I didn’t think I’d actually win as I was really stressed during the competition, but overall, I’m so glad to claim the title,” says Patryk.
Joseph Heo of Coffee Supreme in New Zealand placed second and Justin Lee from PowerBrew Coffee in Taiwan placed third in the competition final.
Patryk won the Australian final at MICE on 28 September and was invited to become a Milklab Master Barista, going on to compete in the international final against Milklab Master Baristas from other countries. Having won the international final, Patryk scored a trip for two to London Coffee Festival 2023.
“I’m excited to head back to London. I used to live there, so it’ll be great to catch up with my friends and family again,” says Patryk.
Patryk’s winning latte art was inspired by 2022 Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Latte Art Champion Amy Zhang’s ‘Amybear’ design, which represents the ‘Huggin Bear’ from Toy story, her favourite Disney film.
“Both Amy and I are from Brisbane and know each other really well. I always take inspiration from Amy and the designs she creates. I wanted to give her a little shoutout, a gift from me to her, for giving me all these great tips,” says Patryk.
Patryk also attributes the win to the support from his friends and family in Brisbane.
“I want to thank everyone from Brisbane for wishing me luck and coming here to cheer me on. I especially want to thank the owner of Hideout Eddie Cho, who sponsored my trip here. I’ve been working with him for the past two and half years and he’s always been there to support me,” he says.
For more information on the Milklab range, visit Milklabco.com
