Scott Conary, Owner of Carrboro Coffee Co. (Chapel Hill & Carrboro’s only coffee roastery) & Open Eye Café completed & passed the World Barista Championship Judges Certification course/workshop which took place January 12th in Long Beach, CA.
Scott became 1 of only 13 judges that passed in this U.S. & Canada training and is now one of only 7 judges from the U.S. Certified to judge the World Barista Championship (WBC) held this April 2009 in Atlanta, GA.
30 judges participated in the intensive two-day course that put the entrants thru rigorous testing, both written and practical/hands-on, to evaluate their ability to use these skills & knowledge and apply them to the competition format.
Scott has judged at the last 3 WBC competitions and functioned in all possible roles (sensory, technical & head judge). He has been active in Judging since 2003 where he judged at the first Southeast Regional copmpetition that took place at A Southern Season’s cooking classroom in Chapel Hill.
Those that might be interested in learning more about coffee and related subjects should consider taking either one of his training courses, or coming to the monthly free classes at the Open Eye Café, called The Learning Series; where topics will cycle thru various aspects of the coffee/tea industry and beyond. visit the Open Eye Cafe website for topics & dates (http://www.openeyecafe.com/) .
You can also contact him directly at scott@openeyecafe.com .
All Barista competitions worldwide reward demonstrated excellence in the art and skill of preparing and serving espresso. Entrants must make 12 beverages, including four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation within 15 minutes in front of a panel of accomplished & certified industry judges. Competitors are judged on taste, beverage presentation, technical skills, coffee knowledge & passion, and overall impression.
WBC Certification Program Description (adapted from the WBC website – link below):
The program for the regional workshops have been developed by the WBC Judges Certification Committee and the WBC Board of DirectorsThe workshop builds upon and tests the experience of those who have been judging in regional and national barista competitions. It includes a variety of training methodologies and includes a series of tests. There is an intensive written exam focusing on the WBC Rules & Regulations, sensory judge responsibilities, technical judge responsibilities, overall scoresheet familiarity, as well as general coffee knowledge (growing regions, processing, varietals and how all those relate to cup quality).
Hands-on practical tests involve coffee tasting exercises for sensory judges, and technical skills for technical judges… all the skills and knowledge required to be successful as a judge.The goals are to drive participation in the national competitions and to continue to build and develop the expertise at the world competition level. The certification tests are designed to be reviewed objectively regardless of experience, reputations, or backgrounds. Certification will be based on a "pass or fail" determination.Each workshop is 2 days long and requires full participation. By conducting the workshops in multiple regions, we will have certified judges in different regions and encourage increased national judging representation at the annual WBC.
http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com/judges.htm
Past WBC Champions from its inception:
Year – Location – Champion, Home country:
2000- Monte Carlo,Monaco - Robert Thoresen, Norway
2001- Miami, U.S.A. - Martin Hildebrandt, Denmark
2002- Oslo, Norway - Fritz Storm, Denmark
2003 -Boston, U.S.A. - Paul Bassett, Australia
2004 -Trieste, Italia - Tim Wendelboe, Norway
2005 -Seattle, U.S.A - Trouls Overdahl Poulsen, Denmark
2006- Berne, Switzerland - Klaus Thomsen, Denmark
2007 -Tokyo, Japan - James Hoffmann, U.K.
2008- Copenhagen, Denmark - Stephen Morrissey, Ireland
2009 - Atlanta, U.S.A.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Local Coffee Professional served as the Head Judge to oversee America’s Best Barista's as they Competed for Title of United States Barista Champion.
Scott Conary; owner of The Open Eye Cafe and Carrboro Coffee Company served as the Head Judge at the US Barista Championship (USBC) in Portland Oregon, March 5-8 2009.
In Portland, top Baristas in the country competed for the national title in this four-day competition . The winner of the USBC will represent the United States in the World Barista Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, April 16-19, 2009 (www.usbc2009.com), hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in conjunction with its annual exposition, which is the largest gathering of coffee professionals in the world.
Out of the original 61 competitiors from around the country, Michael Philips from Intelligentsia coffee in Chicago was the National Champion for 2009.
Competitors are required to make 12 beverages, including four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation within 15 minutes in front of a panel of accomplished industry judges. Seven USBC-certified judges, including one head judge, two technical judges and four sensory judges, carefully evaluate and score each of the contenders. Competitors were judged on taste, beverage presentation, technical skills, coffee knowledge & passion and overall impression.
About Scott Conary
For the last 14 years Scott has worked in the coffee industry in everything from green coffee buying to coffee roasting & in the cafe making drinks. He travels extensively to work with coffee farmers in their own country, to train them and also learn from them, working toward a sustainable model of coffee consumption. He has served on the Roaster/retailer committee in the SCAA, and is currently on the USBC Committee in an attempt to further the barista and coffee industry. He judges coffee competitions around the world as a USBC & World Barista Competition (WBC) Certified judge.
About the SCAA
The SCAA is the world’s largest coffee trade association dedicated to creating a vibrant specialty coffee community. We recognize, develop and promote specialty coffee by setting and maintaining quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee, equipment and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for members. Celebrating 26 years of success, the strength of our organization is reflective of our members who represent more than forty countries and every segment of the Specialty Coffee industry, from coffee growers to coffee roasters and retailers. Together, we ensure our industry continues to thrive. Visit www.scaa.org.
In Portland, top Baristas in the country competed for the national title in this four-day competition . The winner of the USBC will represent the United States in the World Barista Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, April 16-19, 2009 (www.usbc2009.com), hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in conjunction with its annual exposition, which is the largest gathering of coffee professionals in the world.
Out of the original 61 competitiors from around the country, Michael Philips from Intelligentsia coffee in Chicago was the National Champion for 2009.
Competitors are required to make 12 beverages, including four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation within 15 minutes in front of a panel of accomplished industry judges. Seven USBC-certified judges, including one head judge, two technical judges and four sensory judges, carefully evaluate and score each of the contenders. Competitors were judged on taste, beverage presentation, technical skills, coffee knowledge & passion and overall impression.
About Scott Conary
For the last 14 years Scott has worked in the coffee industry in everything from green coffee buying to coffee roasting & in the cafe making drinks. He travels extensively to work with coffee farmers in their own country, to train them and also learn from them, working toward a sustainable model of coffee consumption. He has served on the Roaster/retailer committee in the SCAA, and is currently on the USBC Committee in an attempt to further the barista and coffee industry. He judges coffee competitions around the world as a USBC & World Barista Competition (WBC) Certified judge.
About the SCAA
The SCAA is the world’s largest coffee trade association dedicated to creating a vibrant specialty coffee community. We recognize, develop and promote specialty coffee by setting and maintaining quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee, equipment and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for members. Celebrating 26 years of success, the strength of our organization is reflective of our members who represent more than forty countries and every segment of the Specialty Coffee industry, from coffee growers to coffee roasters and retailers. Together, we ensure our industry continues to thrive. Visit www.scaa.org.
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