On November 11th, Gastrónoma , a leading trade fair in the Valencian Community for the hospitality sector, opened its doors at the Valencia fairgrounds .
And there we were, not only participating as a STAND but also as Co-organizers of the IX Barista Forum Championship of the Valencian Community.
Three intense days packed with activities. At our stand, we offered a tasting of our best coffees to everyone who visited and showed interest.
We also organized several workshops on the stage in the coffee area, which proved to be very interesting, and thus brought the audience closer to this great unknown of gastronomy that is coffee.
1- FIRST DAY
- INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF COFFEE
To begin, on the first day we held an open workshop on the stage: INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF COFFEE. Participants learned more about coffee, its journey from the plant to the brewed coffee we drink in one of its many forms, and the flavors we can discover through a tasting of espresso coffees from the two main varieties, Arabica and Canephora (Robusta). During this tasting, the audience was surprised to discover that coffee is not just a black, bitter, and caffeine-laden beverage, but rather a pleasant drink with countless different nuances.
- TASTING OF DIFFERENT EXTRACTION SYSTEMS
After a break, we enjoyed a demonstration and tasting of the different coffee brewing systems currently available. With the new wave of specialty coffees and cafes striving to offer a high-quality product, we've felt the need to go beyond espresso and explore its many variations. To demonstrate this, we brought four well-known methods: V60, Chemex, Kalita, and Aeropress. These methods can easily be used anywhere and combined with different types of filters. We prepared these coffees with two of our specialty coffees: Brasil Daterra Masterpiece Laurina and Kenia Thunguri AA, both of which you can find in our online store. And what a pleasant surprise the attendees had when they tasted these coffees!
- LATTE ART
That same afternoon, our barista, Carles Escrivá, runner-up in the Spanish Latte Art competition, offered a LATTE ART workshop where the attendees ended up going up on stage and putting their artistic skills to the test for this modality.
2- SECOND DAY:
On the second day, we began with the evaluation of the baristas representing the Canary Islands, who were vying for a place in the final of the Barista Forum Coffee Championship to be held in May 2019. Once their performance was over, we started the IX Barista Forum Coffee Championship for which we have helped and trained 4 of our baristas hard for months: Andrea Mas, Andrea Juan, Manuel and Rubén.
- THE AWARDS:
An exciting day with a great feeling, where we saw our efforts rewarded. We won 5 out of the 6 prizes we could have won!
- Best Espresso in the Valencian Community: Andrea Juan with Guatemala Finca La Bolsa.
- Specialty Drink: Manuel Barragán
- Latte Art: Ricardo Torres
The three qualifiers will have another opportunity to represent us and demonstrate their skills at the National Barista Forum Coffee Final to be held in May.
4 - THIRD DAY MORNING:
On the third day, we continued to bring specialty coffee closer to the public, this time pairing it with a wide array of alcoholic beverages to create cocktails where coffee remains the star. Our baristas, Manuel Barragán and Andrea Mas, were on hand to help. The public eagerly sampled the cocktails, including the competition's Best Specialty Drink, and even tried out different combinations with other beverages. A whole world of options awaited!
- ARABICA AND ROBUSTA TASTING
And to conclude, we closed the fair by offering another introductory workshop to the world of coffee. This time, we delved deeper into the different varieties, Arabica and Robusta, and the processing methods coffee undergoes at origin; always offering a taste of the different flavors available through espresso.
We haven't had time to get bored. We hope everyone who visited us enjoyed a great CAFÉ BARSEL, and for those who couldn't make it, we're sure you'll find more opportunities in our schedule.
On our Facebook page you can watch the live streams of the "Latte Art" and "Coffee Cocktail" workshops.
