Victor Vu of Cocobei Docklands has won the 2019 Melbourne Breezey Masters, held at Locale Espresso in Abbotsford on 4 June.
Jodie Chan of Baba Sus placed second, Kien Leoo of Cocobei placed third, and Junnie Huang of Chicken or the Egg placed fourth in the Almond Breeze latte art competition.
“I’m so happy to win. At my café, I don’t just use dairy milk. I also practice with almond milk and other dairy alternatives because everyone deserves nice and good-looking coffee,” Victor tells BeanScene.
“You shouldn’t only practice with dairy milk. Alternative milka can do latte art just as well. Knowing how to work with dairy alternatives really increases your skillset.”
Read more:
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• MilkLab Barista Battle Series winner Victor Vu visits origin
Breezey Masters lets baristas showcase their latte art skills using organiser Almond Breeze’s barista blend almond milk. Competitors are required to make four different patterns – a heart, tulip, rosetta, and swan – and a free pour design. The baristas are judged on the quality of their designs, with the added pressure of completing their drinks within a set time period.
For his free pour, Victor modelled his design after 2018 World Latte Art Champion Irvine Quek Siew Lhek of Malaysia’s hummingbird pattern.
“I’ve been practicing that pattern a lot because it features multiple rosettas and is really appealing as well. So, I thought it would be a good idea to present it to the judges,” he says.
Victor says events like Breezey Masters help him prepare for competitions like the Australian Specialty Coffee Association Latte Art Championship. Victor placed third in the 2019 Southern Regional.
“It helps me practice things like steadying my hand when I’m pouring rosettas or other tricky techniques,” Victor says.
He will use his $1000 prize money from winning Breezey Masters Melbourne to practice for future latte art comps.
“I’ve got a lot of milk to buy,” Victor says.
Victor will compete against Queensland Champion Maiko Morimoto of Extraction Artisan Coffee and New South Wales Champion Enzen Liu of Cuckoo Callay in the Breezey Masters Grand Final in NSW on 30 September.
“I can’t wait to go up against the winners from the other states. Hopefully, I can learn from them as well,” Victor says.
The next Breezey Masters regional will be held at Kinettó Coffee & Kitchen in Adelaide on 18 june.
For more information, visit www.baristasforbaristas.com