Local Boys Do Good. Bay Area Barefoot Baristas Competing In National Barista Championship

Barefoot Coffee Roasters honored to represent the Bay Area in the United States BArista Championship in Altanta, GA April 23-26th 2004.

Santa Clara, CA April 11, 2004--Barefoot Coffee Roasters is honored to have Dominic Taylor and Andy Newbom (Barefoot owner) representing the Bay Area in the United States Barista Championship held in Atlanta, GA April 23rd through the 26th 2004. Taylor and Newbom are the only Bay Area Baristas to be honored to participate in this prestigious national competition. The winner of the U.S. Barista Championship receives an all expense paid trip to Trieste, Italy for the World Barista Championships June 18-20, 2004.

The 2004 United States Barista Championship (USBC) will be held at the SCAA conference over the course of four days. The event is designed to encourage and recognize professional achievement in the art of espresso beverage preparation and service. Fifty-five of the top Barista Competitors from across the country will prepare and serve 12 coffee beverages -- one espresso, one cappuccino and one specialty drink of their own creation, for each of the four sensory and four technical judges, in a space of 15 minutes. The USBC and the awards ceremony are also open to spectators and press. Visit this website for more info on the USBC: http://www.scaa.org/conference/events_barista.asp
Or this site for information on the World Barista Championship http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com/

The Barista competitions are akin to the Iron Chef of the coffee world. Imagine striving to produce espresso perfection twelve times in a row for eight perfectionist and knowledgeable judges watching every move like a harpy eagle in less than 15 minutes. All this while being broadcast on jumbo video screens for all to see and answering interview questions the entire time. I was a chef for six years working in a display cooking kitchen in high end restaurants. Andy Newbom explained. And I never experienced the kind of pressure, stress and satisfaction that I got from my first Barista competition. It is the most stressful, gut wrenching but intensely satisfying and pleasing event I have done.

Andy Newbom competed in the first western regional Barista Competition in 2002 but this is the first time he has made it to the nationals.
This will be Dominics first Barista competition. I have watched a few of the Barista Competitions and now I am honored to be asked to compete at the highest level. I am excited but also really, really nervous. Dominic excitedly expressed. Its sort of like the Coffee Olympics with all the pressure, glory and competitor camaraderie of a great competition.

Barefoot Coffee Roasters is located at 5237 Stevens Creek Blvd in Santa Clara (at the corner of Lawrence Expressway and Stevens Creek Blvd near Bed Bath and Beyond). Barefoot Coffee Roasters is a full-service coffee & espresso bar and artisan wholesale coffee roaster. All coffees are roasted fresh in the cafy skilled artisan roasters using old-world, small batch roasting techniques to coax the best flavor out of every coffee. Barefoot Coffee Roasters serves high-quality coffees, teas, pastries, desserts and chocolates and light breakfast and lunches.

All Barefoot Baristas are extensively trained and are Barista certified before ever serving a single drink. Barefoot Coffee Roasters actively practices and promotes sustainability in both products and practices. Over 80% of Barefoot Coffee Roasters coffees are Organic, Shade Grown and Fair Traded resulting in not only better coffee but better living and working conditions for the farmers and their children for successive generations. Computers are available for internet access as well as Wi-Fi internet access. Live music is hosted every Friday and Saturday night and Open Mic is every Wednesday night.

Barefoot Coffee Roasters is proud to be a participating member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the Roasters Guild and a founding member of the Barista Guild of America. For more information, please call 408-248-4500 or simply drop by!