Local Costa barista, Chelsea Geary, 19, has proven she’s a cup above the rest after reaching the global final of Costa’s annual Barista of the Year Competition.
Chelsea has beaten Costa baristas from all over the North West in a competitive knockout stage to battle it out in the ‘Champion of Champions’ final in London in January 2018.
The Tithebarn Street Costa barista, who has worked in the store for two years, said of her regional triumph: “To get through to the finals fills me with the same passion, pride and love I have always felt for the brand, the coffee and our customers. I am extremely proud to be working for a company that is so passionate about coffee.”
The annual competition sees ten baristas from all over the world showcase their passion and flair for coffee for the chance to be crowned Costa’s Barista of the Year 2017. The final involves a series of challenges to create hand-crafted coffee to an exceptional standard.
Challenges include an espresso race, where finalists compete to pour the most ‘perfect’ espressos in a minute. Contenders must also showcase their creativity by inventing and preparing their own ‘signature drink’ for the judges.
Chelsea’s signature drink for the competition is the Cherry and the Goat, a sweet, rich drink, topped off with orange-infused cream. Chelsea’s recipe was inspired by the story of how the coffee cherry was first discovered by a farmer in Ethiopia.
Chelsea continued: “For me, it was a chance to demonstrate to the world how passionately I feel about Costa Coffee and how much I love being a barista.”
The Champion of Champions Final will be held at 8 Northumberland Ave in London on the 23rd and 24th January 2018, in the 12th year of the prestigious, global competition. If Chelsea is crowned the champion, she will win a 10-day trip for two with spending money to a destination with a coffee connection.
Previous winners of the competition have gone on to undertake more senior roles at Costa, including Kat Finch, who won the competition as a Store Manager in 2008 and is now the South-East Asia HR & Operations Manager, living in Singapore.