Do we need another coffee competition? Here’s why the answer is yes.
Competitions have long been the backbone of the specialty industry in the UK. As a young barista way back in 2006, competitions were one of the main ways of connecting with fellow coffee obsessives and an opportunity to get out from behind the bar and develop new skills and knowledge whilst having fun. Not much has changed.
Nationally, there is a coffee competition for everyone, from the UK Barista Championships, to the Northern Filter Championships to The Barista League. There’s plenty of opportunities for baristas and brewers to show up and throw-down all year round. Roasters however, get a slightly harder deal with only one annual competition hosted by the SCA (correct me if I’m wrong). And whilst all of the competitions do a sterling job at celebrating our skills and knowledge to each other, it all becomes like a bit of an echo chamber when we don’t include the coffee consumers that we all heavily rely on.
We saw a gap in the competition scene to create a coffee competition for baristas and roasters that also appeals to an audience of inquisitive coffee consumers. This competition must also align with the values we hold at Cup North including:
Accessibility - all baristas and roasters should feel welcome to apply and should feel that their individual access needs are catered for during their experience of competing
Environmental - we will promote good environmental practices throughout the process of competing, from preparation to the delivery of the routine
Fun - this should be an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy sharing their skills with each other and the audience of festival attendees whilst having fun
Value - the competition should demonstrate the value of working in a cafe and roaster environment to the audience
Engaging - offer an opportunity for roasters and baristas to engage and learn from one another. And to give our audience the chance to engage with competition in a new way.
Introducing Extracted Development! A brand new competition for baristas and roasters designed with both competitors and the audience in mind. This competition seeks to demonstrate and push true behind the bar skill sets, create a culture of skill sharing and networking and celebrate individual competitors' real personalities and talent, while never losing focus on the values we hold close at Cup North.
We love working collaboratively with folks in the community and this competition concept including the rules and regulations have been created with input from our industry connections who have experience of competing, competition rules and the real life setting of working in a cafe and roastery.
Roasters are invited to participate in this competition which actively supports the growth of the specialty industry by offering themselves and baristas an opportunity to connect with industry peers outside of the roaster and cafe setting. Additional benefits to competing include:
Widen your network by engaging with a new barista and cafe
Showcase your roasting skills as a roaster and the high quality of your coffee on stage
Opportunity for knowledge sharing and learning from industry peers
Take advantage of our digital marketing benefits including: tags and features in social media posts, mentions in regular event newsletters and logo on the event website
Have your coffee featured at the event – used in the competition and available for attendees to try on the competition brew bar during your team’s allocated brewing slot
Align with a coffee competition that has a strong sustainable focus
Extracted Development, Birmingham edition will be the first of many regional competitions set to bring the community together and have a good old coffee time. Roasters and baristas can apply to compete by clicking below – we can’t wait to hear from you!