2010 Australian Barista Championship

These "AWESOME" photos are by Samuel Ho and compliments of AASCA

At the end of October 2009 I decided to compete again in the AASCA Australian Barista Championship I was helping out with the NSW Barista championship and I guess I got the bug again. I ran it by Jemima and The team at Belaroma and that was it no turning back. The biggest thing for me the whole time leading up to competing again was "what if I make a fool of myself and everyone says"; "he should have quit while he was ahead". I guess this fear drove me to work harder than I ever have before.

If I have any regrets from the AASCA Australian Barista Championship it is that after I won I did not think to thank this young man, Christian Genovese you are a legend, to think that you could have been out doing all manner of things that kids your age do but instead you worked your ass off as a volunteer for the Australian Coffee Championships.

Japan, great coffee, mysterious culture

In July 2007 I was fortunate to represent Australia in the World Barista Championship (this would not have been possible without AASCA and my sponsors Cafetto and ECA) which was an awesome experience, I forged lifelong friendships with people from numerous cultures, learnt a great deal about specialty coffee, I had the opportunity to get an insight into the Japanese coffee culture and the Japanese 'Specialty Coffee' Culture which is drastically under appreciated and my wife Jemima and I spent some time traveling including a climb of Mount Fuji.

Pacing up and down in nervous prep for my WBC presentation, as you can see the amount of equipment us baristas bring to comp is a little MAD

The reason I am here - having a crack (ask an Aussie)

The barista after party, me James Hoffmann and Dean Morgan

Sekiguchisan the owner of Cafe De Lambre in Ginza Tokyo, he is 95 and he has owned and run this cafe where he roasts his own coffee and serves pour over only, this cafe is definitely one of my top 5 cafes in the world, a reasonable coffee and an awesome cultural experience. 

Climbing Mount Fuji you can stop at these huts and have a hot chocolate or soup and a rest next to the fire, don't be deceived by the seaming modesty the hot choc and soup are exy and it even costs $5 AUD to sit next to the fire.

From the top of Mount Fuji with the sun behind the mountain

The movie Memoirs of a Geisha made the Japanese Geisha world famous, here in Kyoto some traditional Geisha still exist.

Dancing Elvis Troupe this has got to be one of the most fascinating things I have ever seen, here on the corner of a park near Harajuku station on a steaming hot and humid Japanese summer day these men, on this day there were 3 (who obviously take what they do very seriously) set up for the day with very load speakers and blaring rock music dress like Elvis with leather jackets and long jeans, play all sorts of heavy rock and dance nothing like Elvis and give themselves a workout that would rival any Olympian. I guess I do not blame them since they attract quite a crowd - definitely worth seeing for yourself.

The famous Harajuku girls

If you ever want to learn how to package or present something ask the Japanese! Need I say more!