From an incredible first placing on the opening day of preliminary competition, John Gordon then smashed through the semi-final competition to cement his place in the top six final on June 24 in Amsterdam at the World Barista Championship.
His polished routine was inspired by his trip to Ethiopia, as Ethiopian coffees first attracted him to the industry. Inaccessibility to resources, techniques and technology and the lack of reliable power sources were the motivation behind his theme of ecological sustainability. His coffee, was sourced from the ZB washing station, just outside Mesina town in the Sidamo area, was processed using carbolic maceration.
Roasting the small experimental lot of only six kilos himself, John’s espresso extracted flavours of passionfruit and kiwifruit acidity with a smooth velvety texture and long lingering finish. He used a purifier to distil his espresso shots for his signature beverage. This process eliminated odour, bacteria and impurities from his espresso creating a drink that had lime aromatics and serbert acidity. His milk-based beverage created flavours of melted milk chocolate and pink strawberry marshmallows.
John believes that competing encourages personal growth and knowledge. He recommends that any baristas “should put your heart into the competition to show people what you’re passionate about.”
Well done John, New Zealand is proud.
The World Champion is Agnieszka Rojewska from Poland. Agnieszka, a veteran of multiple coffee competitions across the globe, triumphed over 55 other baristas to become the first woman ever to win the title.
Rounding out the top six rankings were host nation The Netherlands placing second, Switzerland third, Greece fourth and Canada fifth.
Representing New Zealand as WBC judges were Stu Hargie, Chris White, David Huang, and Richard Corney. The international team of judges were led by our World Coffee Events representative Emma Markland Webster.
The next WBC is being held in Boston from 11-14 April 2019. The Meadow Fresh New Zealand Barista Championship 2019 dates will be announced soon.
To watch all the performances: https://worldbaristachampionship.org/world-barista-championship-amsterdam-2018/
photo credits: @echo_lou
