Chronicle of the 13th National Barista Championship , Coffee Cultural Forum
WE BREAK THE MOLD AND EXCEED EXPECTATIONS AS A BARISTA ACADEMY AND BARISTA TRAINING CENTER.
THE FOUNDATIONS
Our foundation, the base of our coffee academy, the pillars of our barista training. It's based on knowledge, training, and more training . On dedication, countless hours. On experience, years at the highest level. But above all, on humanity. There are no students or teachers, no one better or worse. There is only one family, and as the Barsel family, we all row in the same direction: doing a job well. Therefore, the great successes of this championship also owe a piece to Juan Sanz, Carles Escrivá, Teresa Rodriguez, Xavier Monllor, and Rubén Galiana— baristas who have passed through our center and left their mark, their knowledge, their spirit. They all form one of the pillars of our foundation, along with so many others who have contributed, a list that would be endless. To all of you, thank you, and these results are yours too.
OUR REPRESENTATIVES AT THE NATIONALS
Here we already have one of the successes and rewards of our hard work. Four baristas from our team have managed to qualify among the 16 best baristas in Spain.
Manuel Barragan
A fantastic performance! In those 16 minutes, you could see the culmination of almost three years of hard work: the days of packed lunches, the frustration when things didn't go as planned, the laughter and jokes, the joy of success, the disappointment of mistakes in past competitions, and of course, the joy of the achievements of this past May 18th: second best barista in Spain and best espresso in Spain—quite an accomplishment! Your team asks that you don't leave us on the edge of our seats next time!
Andrea Juan
Although you've won this championship, and won big, as your team we know you're left with a bittersweet feeling. But when some time passes and you look back on what you've achieved, you'll realize that bitter feeling is just an illusion. You came, you saw, you conquered! What you've accomplished is something few baristas have achieved: your first year, your third barista championship ever, and you're already one of the top 6 baristas in Spain! And not only that, you're carving out a place for yourself in the barista world in a big way. The recognition of the people counts for more than any trophy. In the final, you had a small dose of reality to help you humbly face the many successes that surely await you in the world of barista.
Enrique Domenech
Second year among the top 16 baristas in the country, and not only that, you did yourself a world of good. Small details kept you out of the grand final; nobody said it would be easy to compete against the best of the best. As a team, we're left with the smile you had when you came off stage. You gave it your all, and for that alone you should be filled with pride. Even if you can't see it, you improved so much: in stage presence, problem-solving, and of course, in latte art! It was nothing like last year's performance. Step by step, you're climbing to the top. A reward for all your kilometers of training, hours of work, and sleepless nights.
Andrea Mas
A very successful first championship. Besides being one of the pillars supporting the second-best barista in Spain, you proved that you more than deserved to be among the top 16. An impeccable performance, with the nerves of a first-timer, but flawless nonetheless. Keep working just as hard and the trophies will soon follow.
Championship results
The results were exceptional, with Andrea Juan and Manuel Barragan qualifying for the final. Two members of our team among the six best baristas in Spain. Enrique Domenech and Andrea Mas also delivered outstanding performances and demonstrated great professionalism, more than matching the high level of all the competitors. Once in the final, both Andrea and Manuel performed like true champions, competing against the best baristas in Spain. Manuel ultimately secured second place, winning the Best Espresso in Spain award for the Barsel team.
Congratulations to everyone, and also to Majo Garcia and Alejandro Basset, who in addition to helping and training the Baristas, also did a great job in the Aeropress championship by reaching the final and tasting respectively.
