Surprise Win at NZ Coffee Festival plus results

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Press release

August 19th, 2007

Surprise Win at New Zealand Coffee Festival plus NZ Coffee Awards Results

An unknown barista from the tiny Manawatu town of Sanson was the surprise winner of the inaugural EQUAL New Zealand Latte Art Championships at the New Zealand Coffee Festival in the Auckland over the weekend.

Andrew Feldon, who operates a coffee cart on SH1 in Sanson, took home the $2,000 first prize in a tough barista battle which included Christchurch barista Carl Sara, who was placed third at the World Barista Championships in Tokyo earlier this month.

Andrew, who is at 6ft 7in is understood to be the world's tallest competition barista, prepared a near perfect array of designs on his coffees. Carl Sara and Auckland barista David Huang shared second place, with barista and master roaster Scott Peppler of Auckland relegated to 4th place.

In the other major events at the festival at the former Alinghi Base on Auckland's Viaduct Harbour the Australian barista team, the Aussie Baristaroos, defeated the New Zealand team, The Cafetto Black Cups in two face-offs. The return match will be held in Adelaide in the first week of October, with the winning team overall sharing the $4,000 first prize.

And in the annual New Zealand Coffee Awards, which attracted a record 210 entries, Auckland coffee company Toasted Espresso won the Supreme Award for the highest scoring coffee with its AA7 blend. Other Gold medals went to NZ Roasted Espresso – Wildcat Coffee (New Plymouth). Filter/Plunger: Altezano (Auck). Flat White: Toasted Espresso (Auck). Organic: Hawthorne Coffee (Havelock North). Decaffeinated: Jungle Coffee Auckland. Supermarket Plunger: Gourmet Coffee Works (Chch). Supermarket Filter: Gourmet Coffee Works: Chch.

There was a record 4,000 visitors to the three day festival which featured freshly roasted coffees, coffee related products, and wine tasting.

Full awards details:
NZ Roasted Espresso:
Gold: Wildcat (New Plymouth). Silver: Atomic, Zee, Orb (Auck), Tiger Mountain (Kaeo). Bronze: Zeke's (Auck), Fixation (Tauranga). Aurum (Hastings).
Flat White: Gold: Toasted Espresso (Auck). Silver: L.B.Pounds (Kerikeri), Burton's (Auck). Bronze: Celcius (Lower Hutt). Essenza (Morrinsville), Coffee Workshop, Gourmet Coffee Works (Chch).
Filter Plunger: Gold Altezano (Auck). Silver: Urge (Hamilton), Hawthorne (Havelock Nth). Bronze: Zeke's, Burton's, Coffee Lab, Grants (Auck), Switch (Chch).
Organic: Gold: Hawthorne (Havelock Nth). Silver: Aurum (Hastings). Essenza (Morrinsville). Bronze: Hik (Gisborne), Laroma (Hamilton), Altura, Altezano (Auck).
Decaf: Gold: Jungle (Auck). Silver: Robert Harris, Altezano (Auck). Bronze: Coffee Lab, Karajoz (Auck). Hik (Gisborne).
Supermarket Plunger: Gold: Gourmet Coffee Works (Chch). Silver: Revive (Wgtn). Bronze: Hawthorne (Havelock Nth), Tiger Mountain (Kaeo), Caffe Prima (Chch), Robet Harris (Auck).
Supermarket Plunger: Gold: Gourmet Coffee Works (Chch). Revive (Wgtn). Bronze: Caffe Prima (Chch), Jungle, Robert Harris, Karajoz (Auck). Ariki (Okaihau).

ENDS

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