On Tuesday 10 July, the finals were held for the Gather & Gather barista of the year competition. Roxana beat off stiff competition from seven other Gather & Gather regional winners from across the UK and Ireland, to emerge as the 2018 Barista of the Year.
The competition, held to celebrate the high quality of baristas within the company, was designed to showcase the expertise and coffee credentials Gather & Gather offers. Each finalist created a total of six beverages including two espressos, two milk-based beverages such as a cappuccino or latte, and two signature drinks, in under 10 minutes. These were evaluated by a judging panel who marked competitors on skill, appearance and taste as well as serving skills.
The expert judging panel was impressed with Roxana’s signature drink which was a blended coffee with mint infused brown sugar and lime. They unanimously agreed that Roxana’s technique was of the highest standard.
As well as holding the coveted Barista of the Year 2018 title, Roxana has won a trip to La Marzocco’s factory in Florence, Italy, which is renowned worldwide for the quality and craftsmanship of its machines. She was also presented with an Oatley Goodie bag which included a keep cup, branded milk pitcher, t-shirt and hoodie.
The day was a celebration of all things coffee with a host of activity throughout the day including:
- A Latte Art Masterclass from Dhan Tamang, the six times UK Latte Art Champion
- A guide to Cupping by Julia Murray, Head of Coffee for Gather & Gather, Ireland
- A sampling session from Brew Tea
- Iced Chocolate Tasting with Kokoa Collection
Our local roasting partners Extract Coffee Roasters, The Roasting Party, Ancoats Coffee co. and Union Hand Roasted Coffee manned the Brew Bar throughout the day.
