Barista of the Year champion announced

Kamondi convinced the panel of industry expert judges, which included Gennaro Pelliccia, Costa Roastery technical manager, and Charles Metcalf, wine expert and TV presenter, that he is the cream of the coffee crop. During the competition, the 10 finalists were tested on skills such as their ability to produce a technically impeccable cup of handmade coffee and their knowledge and understanding of the industry. They were also judged on their overall performance, flair and passion for great coffee and in the final round of the competition contestants were tasked with creating their own unique signature drink which is judged on its taste, presentation and innovation. Along with Kamondi's signature drink, Pick Mint, which is a blend of Costa's signature espresso with mint, inspired by his love of After Eights, his skill and passion earned him the first prize of a week's holiday for two - including spending money - to a country with a coffee growing region, as well as a custom-made winner uniform shirt to wear in-store and the Barista of the Year Trophy. He commented on his win: "I am absolutely delighted to have won. To be awarded for my Barista skills and to win such a prestigious competition is amazing for me. Coffee is not only my profession but also my passion, and to be presented with this award, by leading coffee industry judges, partly due to my own unique speciality drink, is overwhelming." This year's runners up were Jonathan Scott from Carlisle in second place, with third place going to Elia Burbello from Cork, Ireland. The Global Final of Costa's Barista of the Year competition was held at Costa's London Roastery last month.