Last Thursday, we hosted our barista championship at Hej Roastery in Elephant and Castle. The purpose of the event was to call out service excellence and the fastidiousness with which we brew, pour and craft our excellent coffee. The way in which we serve coffee is a gateway into how we explain the care and passion we have for brilliant hospitality and service. Very often, the care in which the coffee is crafted can create reassurance and optimism for the service that lies behind the perfect pour.
Our winners of the three categories are Joao Claudio from Hej winning the foundation level; Alexis Olmedo from Havas winning the intermediate level and Barista trainer Nicolas Menegon winning the expert level.
This year’s judging panel including James Wise - Coffee Master Champion 2017; Imogen Davis - Director of Native Restaurant; Mat Keech - Managing Director of Hej Coffee; Chris Stern - Managing Director of Stern Consultancy and Sonia Carvalho - Head of Coffee and Community - Restaurant Associates. They were overwhelmed by the energy , enthusiasm, spirit, and care that went into the execution of our drinks. It is with real excitement that for the first time in a long time we see our business volumes return and our teams desire to do great things together.