Baristas put New Zealand on world stage

New Zealand’s Barista Champion Luciano Marcolino makes the seventh best coffee in the world.

Luciano, who owns a Christchurch espresso bar, has just competed at the World Barista Championships held in Copenhagen.

New Zealand Coffee Roasters Association president Chris Dillon says Luciano performed exceptionally well on the world scene and his seventh placing out of 51 international competitors was a fantastic achievement.

“We are very proud of Luciano and this result reflects the high standard of New Zealand coffee compared with other countries around the world,” he says.

His ability to make great coffee saw Luciano awarded 683 points, not far behind Ireland’s Stephen Morrissey who took out the top spot with 738 points, but one place short of making the finals.

New Zealand was also represented at the World Championships by Carl Sara who was the master of ceremonies for the four-day event and judge Chris White.

Carl, who is also from Christchurch, was placed third in the World Barista Championships last year and has several New Zealand titles to his name.

Chris White is founder and director of Altura coffee company in Albany. It was his fourth consecutive invitation to officiate the World Barista Championships demonstrating his knowledge and reputation in the coffee industry.