I've been loving Costa Coffee since they got their London-ish kind of brew here in the Philippines - and by far, my most favorite item on their menu is the Flat White. This doesn't come easy because aside from assuring the ingredients are at par with the world's best, it takes proper skill to whip up an ingenious cup of coffee. It takes years too to get to that level and perhaps sheer talent and I'm glad I've seen that first hand in their branches.
They also are holding competitions for their own baristas called Barista of the Year (BOY) which I covered too in the past and recently, our very own country representative Justin Dela Fuente bested countries from Southeast Asia and India. That says a lot about the quality that we're getting in Costa Coffee Philippines and he also shared a couple of things about how to get that perfect cup!
He's a skilled barista so he deems a couple of things to be the criteria one should have in order to achieve great coffee.
PATIENCE - It takes time to be an expert. It takes tons of spilled coffee, burns in the machine and cups for willing test subjects if you want to concoct the perfect cup! All you need to do is practice and don't be disheartened if you fail at times, because we all have to begin somewhere right?
STAY HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE - Make sure you are always thirsty for knowledge. Learn from your mistakes, know the best practices from experts and apply it to your craft. Anything could be a learning opportunity.
OVERFLOW WITH PASSION - There's nothing more miserable than a half hearted attempt on anything. Take that passion to heights and conquer your fears. Though I must say, always know when to edit. That is the key.
STAY FUN - A cup would be pleasing enough but make sure you still make it fancy. We all have that dream of the perfect cup and a little art never hurt anyone right? Take tons of unfamilliar flavors, introduce it to people and make it fun. There are ways to experiment and it doesn't have to be boring. Right?
SERVE YOUR BEST - Keeping the quality of your coffee and properly doing the process is the key. Make sure it's also the best cup you can make because people use hard earned money to purchase it. It's going to be a reason they'd come back. A good thing to do especially if you're building relationships and not just rapport. Who wouldn't want their perfect cup?
Those are just some of the nice things Justin shared about his goal of getting the championship this January in London. Make sure you support him by posting your Costa Coffee drinks online and use the hashtag #JustinForTheWin as he makes the country proud as he vies for Costa Coffee's Barista of the Year!
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