Cornish café wins 2008 UK Barista Championship and will represent the UK in world competition.

Hugo Hercod of Wadebridge café Relish Food & Drink will represent the UK in the World Barista Championship following his victory in the country’s most prestigious speciality coffee competition last week.

Hugo kept his nerve through three days of stressful competition, out-scoring the field of 24 finalists to win the 2008 UK Barista Championship at the Hotelympia exhibition in London on Thursday 21st February.

Competitors each had 15 minutes to make four cappuccinos, four espressos and four ‘signature’ drinks of their own creation. As well as the flavour and texture of the drinks, the baristas were judged on their speed, professionalism, attention to detail and knowledge of their coffee’s provenance.

“Making a dozen coffees in a quarter of an hour may not sound that difficult, but it really is an incredibly high-pressure experience,” said Hugo. “If you get even the smallest thing wrong it will be noticed by the judges, and the standard of the competition was so high this year that there just wasn’t any room for mistakes.

“I make around 1000 coffees every week at Relish, and it was very satisfying to be able to take the coffee I use every day in the café, Origin’s Triple Certified espresso blend, to the UK championships and win. It shows that our customers consistently get coffee that’s as good as any in the country.”

“The standard of espressos and cappuccinos made by baristas at this level is almost unrecognisable to anything you’ll find on the high street. Cappuccinos are small, the coffee taste is strong and rich, the milk foam is silky smooth and latte art is obligatory. Espressos are short and sweet with thick crema and deep, complex flavours, while the beans are fresher and higher grade than anything you’ll find in a supermarket.”

Hugo is no stranger to the championship format, having competed in the national finals of the UK competition for the past three years.

He also won the South West qualifying heat, organised by Cornish company Origin Coffee, in 2007 and 2008, and went into this year’s national final as the highest-scoring competitor from all of the regional qualifying heats.

“We’re immensely proud of what Hugo has achieved,” said Tom Sobey of Origin Coffee, who supply Relish Food & Drink. “It is fantastic that two independent companies, based in Cornwall, have worked together to achieve success at the highest level in a national competition.

“When Origin first held a regional qualifying event for the UK Barista Championship five years ago we didn’t get one person through to the final; that Hugo has gone from fundamental training at our barista training school to develop his craft to the highest level is just fantastic, and a great reward for the hours and dedication we have put in to educating the people who sell our coffee.”

As well as using Origin’s Triple Certified blend for his cappuccinos, Hugo worked with the Cornish company’s roasters to create a bespoke espresso blend especially for the competition, which he also used in his ‘signature drink’.

Named ‘Turkish Delight’, Hugo created a layered drink of rose water syrup, Origin’s Fair Trade chocolate and a single espresso - all topped with a pink coconut and rose water flavoured foam.

The result was a drink that impressed judges by balancing the bitterness of the chocolate and the acidity of the coffee, with the syrupy, floral sweetness of the coconut milk and rose water. Turkish chai serving glasses emphasised the drink’s exotic origins, and judges were introduced to the unusual flavour by being asked to smell dried Iranian rose petals before tasting.

“One of the hardest things about the barista competitions is coming up with a signature drink that is original, and actually tastes nice,” said Hugo. “I like to make drinks that relate to something I have experienced in my life, and I got the inspiration for a Turkish Delight drink from when I worked in Turkey as a windsurfing instructor in my 20s.

“We used to take guests to a ‘lokum’ shop where you could taste the Turkish Delight as soon as it was made. It was delicious - as fresh as it could be - and I got a real taste for it then, so it seemed like an appropriate challenge to try and capture the syrupy chewiness of Turkish Delight in a drink.”

Hugo now has a few months to refine his signature drink before he faces his next challenge: representing the UK at the 2008 World Barista Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June.

ENDS

Images
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Notes For Editors

Relish Food & Drink opened in December 2006 following a £75,000 refurbishment of the Foundry Court premises, which includes a 40 seat café and courtyard, and separate grocer with a well-stocked delicatessen counter. The Relish logo, a fern, is a representation of latté art: the mark of a quality cup of coffee. Barista and co-proprietor Hugo Hercod is the 2008 UK Barista Champion. Says Hugo: “If you are drinking a cup of coffee which the barista has taken the trouble to make look nice, then you know it’s going to be good.”

Relish Food & Drink, Foundry Court, Wadebridge. Telephone: 01208 814214.
Winter opening hours (until Easter): 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Origin is a small, innovative independent coffee company based in Cornwall. With a purpose beyond profit, Origin is a small group of highly experienced and passionate coffee people who continue to strive to raise coffee standards throughout the UK. Origin’s ‘Triple Certified’ espresso blend uses beans from Sumatra, Honduras and Columbia, and is certified organic, Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance.

Media Contact - PR on behalf of Relish Food & Drink.
For more information and images contact: Jim Michell at Barefoot Media.
Telephone: +44 (0)1208 895089 Email: jim@barefootmedia.co.uk