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Last Friday baristas from across the Restaurant Associates portfolio gathered in Camden to showcase their latte art skills at the Barista Championships, making it a true celebration of talent and creativity.
With 27 participants competing across nine heats, using UCC’s Blend 53 and state-of-the-art Victoria Arduino espresso machines and grinders, it was an exciting and visually stunning event for all involved, bringing out the best in each competitor.
The winners of the event were Marta Dragowska, who took first place and will experience an incredible trip to visit Victoria Arduino’s espresso machine factory in Italy, and Paulo Pestana and Salvatore Russo, who secured second and third place.
Marta Dragowska, a barista at Reckitt in Slough, was thrilled to be crowned the winner of the Barista Championships. Reflecting on her achievement, she said: “This was my first-time taking part in the Barista Championships. It was my manager who told me about it and said I should enter. I thought, ‘let’s give it a go, life is short.’ Winning first place is so surprising and I am really excited to visit the factory. For anyone thinking of taking part in the future – it is such good fun and a great way to meet up with fellow baristas.”
It was a proud moment for all the baristas involved, as they displayed their latte art and technical abilities to both an audience and a judging panel. Jack O’Keefe, Head of Coffee at Restaurant Associates had this to say about the event: “We were incredibly impressed by the talent here today. Marta came into the competition full of confidence and enthusiasm, we were very impressed with her artistry. This event is all about giving a platform to our coffee teams and celebrating the individual baristas – it was a fantastic afternoon!”