It’s official! Cape Town’s Willem Pienaar (Origin Coffee Roasting) and Ishan Natalie (Woolworths Café) have scooped first and first runner-up prizes respectively at the finals of South Africa’s first national Barista Championships held at the Good Food and Wine Show® (GFWS), CTICC, Sunday, 27 May, 2007.

After a grueling four days of roasting, grinding, frothing, and everything else it takes to whip up that winning cup of speciality coffee to impress both the panel of acclaimed international judges and GFWS visitors, South Africa’s baristas battled it out in SA’s very first ‘Battle of the Bean’ National Barista Championship. The competition was narrowed down to six finalists on Friday, 25 May, all of whom had further opportunity to demonstrate their skills on Saturday, 26th in a three hour marathon to perfect the winning cuppa.

Pienaar and Natalie will both be jetting off to Tokyo to the World Barista Championships (WBC), courtesy of Swiss International Air Lines, with Pienaar representing South Africa. This is the first time South Africa has competed in the World Championships. Both Pienaar and Natalie will receive training and mentorship in Tokyo by John Sanders, current Technical Judge WBC, and his team, prior to the competition.

An initiative of the Cape Gourmet Festival, the National Barista Championships held at the Good Food and Wine Show, has been introduced to highlight the barista profession and to acknowledge South Africa’s talented, dedicated and passionate baristas without whom many coffee shops would not be the hive of social and business activity that they are, amid distinctly pleasant aromas of freshly roasted coffee beans

“Congratulations once again Willem and Ishan. You have demonstrated the passion and innovation that sets our industry apart!

For further information, visit www.gourmetsa.com or call (084) 565 0069.