Accor Barista's Brew Up a Hot Finals Series for Judging
It's heart-starter magic -- when the going gets hot the baristas get going.
Australia (PRWEB) November 29, 2007 -- Shannon Starr from All Seasons Oasis Alice Springs, has edged out the competition in the Northern Territory and Northern Queensland finals of the 2007 Accor "Barista of the Year" award -- and will head to Sydney for the December 17th finals and national judging.
Shannon was formerly from Coffs Harbour, but has now been with Accor in Alice Springs since April and would like to thank Novotel Coffs Harbour who let her go in and practice when she was there on holidays after she was announced a finalist.
Says Shannon, "Tips for making the perfect milk based coffee is -- that the consistency of the milk when it's frothed needs to resemble wet paint, be free of bubbles and poured correctly, as it creamier."
As the Food and Beverage supervisor at All Seasons Oasis -- she doesn't spend much time these days behind the coffee-machine.
According to Wikipedia the term barista refers to one who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks. Within certain circles, its meaning is expanding to include what might be called a coffee sommelier; a professional who is highly skilled in coffee preparation, with a comprehensive understanding of coffee, coffee blends, espresso, quality, coffee varieties, roast degree, espresso equipment, maintenance, latte art.
Adhering to the rules of the Accor Hotels National Barista Competition, the finalists had to make a brew from Andronicus Roast & Ground coffee or Alpen Blend that satisfies the palate, and show that they know their theoretical knowledge (20% of the final score) -- about the humble coffee bean and it's modern day uses.
They were required to make four espresso coffees in five minutes (practical test represents 80% of score) -- this is a feat many coffee shops could learn from and then they can choose any other style of coffee they would like to make. The judges will also order others including a short blacks and a cappuccino
Initially, the competition that was mooted to improve the awareness of the importance of coffee to Accor's hotel and Resort guests amongst food and beverage staff, but also proved an incentive for baristas to perfect and hone their coffee making skills. Which can only be good for guests in the future.
Judging also took into account the following:
Presentation and cleanliness of the machine and work area : 20
Ability and proficiency on the machine : 20
Taste and presentation of coffee : 40
Coffee knowledge : 20
Total possible points : 100
About Accor:
Accor, the European leader and a major global group in hotels, the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 170,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:
- Hotels, with the Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, All Seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing more than 4,000 hotels and nearly 500,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lenôtre.
- Services, with 23 million people in nearly 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in human resources, marketing services and expense management.
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