You thought the 2015 coffee competition season was over? You thought wrong! The 2015 World Of Coffee event happens this June in Gothenburg, Sweden, gathering national champions from the Cup Tasters, Latte Art, and Brewers Cup disciplines all around the world. We’ll be profiling some of these national events in the coming weeks on Sprudge.
The 2015 New Zealand Latte Art Championship was on the 19th and 20th of March in Wellington, in conjunction with Caffeination—a major Kiwi coffee trade show—and the New Zealand Barista Championship. The winner this year, Sam Low of Atomic Coffee Roasters, is no stranger in the World Latte Art Competition circuit, placing 6th in the world back in 2013. This year, Atomic Coffee dominated the competition at NZLAC, with Wayner Stalen, another barista at Atomic, placing third and Louise Chapman of Atomic wholesale client L’Oeuf placing second.
From left: Sam Low, Louise Chapman and Wayner Stalen
Let’s learn more about the top routines from this event.
3rd place – Wayner Stalen – Atomic Coffee Roasters
This is Wayner Stalen’s first national coffee competition and already he is proving to be one to watch at future latte art events. Stalen’s free pour was an inversion on stacked tulips, and his designer pour featured two etched “love birds” on top of an inverted six tiered tulip. Latte art fans here wowed at Wayner Stalen’s clear contrasting lines and steady free pour. Really great stuff!
2nd place – Louise Chapman – L’Oeuf Café
Louise Chapman’s latte art echoes the house style found at Atomic Coffee Roasters, where super clean tulips are revered. Her free pour was a five-tier base with two diagonal two-tier tulips on top. For her designer pour, she built a tulip base with a flower-like pattern on top featuring some very edgy angles. Lastly, her macchiato was a clean five-tier inverted tulip. All three of these drinks showed great contrast.
Winner – Sam Low – Atomic Coffee Roasters
As mentioned, Low is an experienced barista in the circuit. His free pours were dubbed “Tulips all around”; his designer pour resembled a bouquet of roses; and his macchiato sported a design that looked positively bug-like. Moth-esque, even!
Congratulations to Sam Low for winning the 2015 NZ Latte Art Championship! Coffee competitors with previous experience are favored at the international level, from barista comps to brew-offs, and most certainly when it comes to latte art. Sam Low has been to the big stage before, and so he’s definitely one to watch in Sweden.
Albert Au is a Sprudge.com contributor based in Auckland, New Zealand. Read more Albert Au on Sprudge.
Photos by Michael CY Park, used with permission.
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