Tested on their coffee knowledge, grinding skills, coffee machine use and milk preparation techniques, Floyd beat the other six finalists after impressing judges with her “level of preparation and attention to detail.”
Open exclusively to Bartlett Mitchell baristas across the UK, the competition, which is designed to strengthen the company’s “commitment to refining its coffee offer,” comprised two heats and a final, and was structured in three stages: an espresso course, a cappuccino course and a freestyle course , allowing competitors to present their signature drink.
Floyd said: “It’s still a shock to have won, I still can’t believe it. It was a great challenge. I did stress about the competition all the way through, but I’ve noticed how much I have improved. This journey has pushed me to do more, learn more not just about coffee making, but where it comes from and why it tastes different.
“The support from my co-workers, managers and other competitors has been overwhelming. Maybe in time I’ll look forward to doing a National Barista Competition.”
Executive chairman Wendy Bartlett added: “We are really pleased with our first championships. We’ve seen some fantastic talent on show and we’re incredibly proud of all our finalists, and competitors in the previous heats.
“The standard was very high, which is testament to the way Miguel Camara. our coffee brand manager [and who developed the competition] drive and leadership has inspired all our baristas so that they felt ready to enter the competition.
“Coffee is a fundamental part of our growth strategy and programmes like this play an important role in helping to recognise and develop the people who are delivering it.
“Laura was fantastic. She demonstrated a great level of engagement with the judges, explaining her drink and where it came from. Laura also won best espresso, which is the essential building block to a good coffee based drink.”
Also impressing the judges, which included: Dayana Coppini (trainer for Bewley’s), Vince Spadaro and Nicolay Rangelov (both trainers for Bewley's), and Lara Hunter-Rodwell (head of training for Bewley’s in the South), were other winners:
- Best customer service: Petra Camara
- Best espresso: Laura Floyd
- Best cappuccino: Maria Guillen
- Best signature drink: Billie Bushmeier