Six baristas who surpassed the 1st Philippine National Latte Art Championship’s preliminary round held at Aloha Hotel on November 27 and 28 competed at the finals on November 29 at SM BF-Parañaque.
Each was given 10 minutes to create an entry in free pour, design pattern, and espresso macchiato.
After the deliberation, the panel of judges came up with the final ranking. Mark Chan of Common Man Coffee Roasters was declared champion. The second place went to Miko Simangan, EDSA Beverage Design Group; third place, Louie Mart Giron, Toby’s Estate Phils; fourth place, Andy Luyugoy, Toby’s Estate Phils; fifth place, Dave Dexter Dource, Philippine Barista & Coffee Academy; and sixth place, Mark Kenneth Santos, Craft Coffee Revolution.
“This event [is] sanctioned by World Coffee Events (WCE) and is recognized worldwide. We follow a certain criteria of how to score because it’s the same criteria we use for World Latte Art Competition, and this is the first time that it is sanctioned by the WCE that’s why whoever wins this competition…will be sent to Sweden to represent our country,” says Desmond Chua, president of Goldbell Philippines Impex Corporation.
Chan, who came back all the way from Singapore, is set to compete at the World Latte Art Championship on June 15 to 18, 2015 in Specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s World of Coffee Expo in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Around 40 to 45 competitors from all around the world will battle for the title. “This will be the first time the Philippines will have a representative next year so this is going to be fun,” says Sonja Bjork Grant, one of the judges sent by World Coffee Events.
Grant, Sunju Julie Chae, Fiona Acool, and Jay Caragay were sent by WCE to judge during the event in Manila.
“Third wave coffee scene in the Philippines is getting ready to explode most probably early to mid-2015. The first batch of specialty cafés are well on their way and a lot more [are] gonna open up next year,” says Chan.
“I’m gonna have to study my score sheets first and see my ‘strengths’ and ‘opportunities’. Make my strong points stronger and capitalize on it, make serious consideration on ‘opportunities’ for improvement,” adds the first ever representative of the Philippines at World Latte Art Championship.
