Grinders Coffee Roasters coffee training specialist Glenn Bailey has represented Australia recently in the reality TV show, Barista & Farmer, and flew to Colombia.
The coffee maker said in a statement Bailey is among 10 of the world’s best baristas selected to compete in the fourth series of Barista & Farmer, being filmed in Colombia, in the world’s third largest coffee producing country, between 1 and 10 June.
Grinders Coffee said one of around 250 coffee professionals from around the world to enter the competition, he booked his spot with a victory in the coffee cupping and latte art competition held as part of the 2018 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Bailey will be up against stiff competition, against leading baristas from Italy, Colombia, Ukraine, Croatia, Brazil, Russia, Iceland, China and Japan.
“What a once in a lifetime opportunity! I am excited to be representing Grinders and Australia taking on nine other baristas from around the world, and especially to get to origin. Living on coffee farms in Colombia and really getting that first-hand immersion in the starting point in the coffee journey is every barista’s dream. It’s such an exciting opportunity, literally a dream come true!” said Bailey.
Grinders Coffee said it was created by seven-time Italian Barista Champion Francesco Sanapo. The event is dedicated to the promotion of specialty coffee. Contestants will live like producers on Colombian coffee farms in the Meta and Huila region. As well as experiencing the entire coffee processing cycle, from picking the cherries to processing and roasting them, through the Barista & Farmer Academy, they’ll be tested to the limit on the latest production techniques, technologies and taste tests, before creating their own personalised coffee blend.
Among the teachers they’ll learn from are World Coffee Events’ Sonja Grant and Scot Conary, and 2018 Australian Coffee Roasting Champion Ben Toovey of Genovese Coffee. The event is being hosted by founder Francesco Sanapo and the Speciality Coffee Association and run in collaboration with Italian Exhibition Group, Sigep.
