Gravity Coffee Barista competes at NZ Barista Championship

News Release

1 March 2013

Gravity Coffee Barista competes at NZ Barista Championship

Gravity Coffee Barista Trainer Alla Heta is getting very nervous as she heads into the home straight before competing at the NZ Barista Championship (NZBC) in Wellington in 7 days’ time.

It’s been quite a journey for Alla to get this far considering eleven years ago she and her family emigrated from Russia to NZ when she was a fresh-faced 16-year-old whose knowledge of the English language was limited to one word - ‘Hello’! Now she’s delivering her impressive presentation in perfect english, preparing to perform in Wellington from 7 – 10 March.

Alla won the Gravity Coffee World Barista Scholarship last year which has given her the flexibility to train for this competition in between her normal ‘day job’ as a Gravity Coffee Barista Trainer in the Auckland/Waikato area. The scholarship builds on the outstanding success of fellow colleague and Gravity Coffee Sales Rep Aymon McQuade, 2012 New Zealand and Asia Barista Champion to enhance the professional and personal development of Gravity Coffee staff.

Alla loves coffee and feels working with coffee is a continual learning curve.

“Like people, coffee has its own individual characteristics, the more you work with it, the more you learn and develop an understanding and relationship with it.” she says.

“As a trainer I love passing on my coffee knowledge to new baristas, helping them to reach their own personal milestones. Having been in the hospitality industry for the past 9 years I have seen the standards evolve as customers increase their appreciation for quality, and the professionals within the industry push the boundaries to create the perfect cup.” said Alla.

Over 36 barista’s will be competing at the NZBC with the winner automatically qualifying to compete at the World Barista Championship in Melbourne from 23 – 26 May 2013.

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