Close to 30 baristas competed across nine heats to be crowned the overall champion. Participants demonstrated their latte art skills using Restaurant Associates’ own roast ‘Blend 53’ coffee and Victoria Arduino espresso machines and grinders, with just two minutes to craft the perfect coffee.
Dragowska, a barista at Restaurant Associates in Slough, won a trip to visit Victoria Arduino’s espresso machine factory in Italy. Paulo Pestana and Salvatore Russo finished in second and third place.
Commenting on her victory, Dragowska said: “This was my first-time taking part in the Barista Championships. It was my manager who told me about it and said I should enter. I thought, ‘let’s give it a go, life is short.’ Winning first place is so surprising and I am really excited to visit the factory. For anyone thinking of taking part in the future – it is such good fun and a great way to meet up with fellow baristas.”
Held annually, Restaurant Associates believes in the power of creating great things together, and events like these demonstrate the vital role every team member plays within hospitality.
Organiser of the Barista Championships and head of coffee at Restaurant Associates, Jack O’Keefe was incredibly impressed with the talent displayed across the event. He added: “We hosted the event in Victoria Arduino’s training room in Camden, which certainly provided an inspiring backdrop, and we were blown away by the energy in the room.
“Marta, our winner, entered the competition with confidence and excitement, and her artistic ability really shone through. This event is all about giving a platform to our coffee teams and celebrating the individual baristas – it was a fantastic afternoon.”