Competition time travel.

The most amazing thing about the Victorian Barista competitions held at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds this year was the fact that we managed to skip to the year 2010. No time machine needed. All that aside, the weather was horrific. Way too windy for the epic beehive my mother had created in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

It is all a bit of a blur now, a big mess of tim tams slurping long blacks, polished grinders and folded napkins. I was pretty pleased with my performance, it has led me to be pretty skeptical of the “user friendly” nature of doserless grinders. Oh well, perhaps I can put my knowledge to work for me in January in the open heats. Its on the Gold Coast again. Its a frightening thought, all I can remember is the week pain and third degree burns. This time I might stay clear of the beaches.

In the end Caleb Podhaczky from Five Senses took out the prize (deserving every bit of it too, he is such a sweetheart) and Kris Wood from St. Ali got second. I took out third and got a swell little bronze tamper for my troubles.

Whats happening now? Working four days a week, sleeping more than I ever have and organising a vintage market called Sunday Best at the Order of Melbourne. I am also giving my friends Thom and James a hand with opening their studio in Sommerset Place called The Captains of Industry. Thom makes suits and James makes shoes. They want me to open a cafe and make some coffee too. But I am just not sure its what I want to do.

This evening is also my first ride with Sugar Spokes, an all ladies bike crew. Its going to be rad but hot. A little apprehensive because there is no way in hell my bike is as cool as those gals.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

The Greatest Show of All!

I went to the show today, got a Bertie Beetle showbag and third place at the barista competitions. Look out open heats.

I didn’t take any photos so have a squiz at the dudes flickr.

Will won the latte art yesterday with Kirby on his heels, close behind. Aaron got the cupping and Remy jumped in second. What a weekend. Wild weather. Wild lattes. Giant lollipops. Whoa.

I’ll need it for tomorrow.

Going into the shop for a last minute run through, just to make sure everything is honky dory.

Introduction to jet service.

A suprise in the mail.

Having a car doubles efficiency. Its a fact. These are the things I managed to tackle today:

Pack and organise my competition things in the loungeroom.
See the fellows at Outpost and sample some of Kris’ competition blend on the siphon .
Try the Dead Man Espresso at Dead Man Espresso.
See the folks at Seven Seeds and watch on wistfully as the dudes cupped the most expensive coffee in the world(I couldn’t join in, having a foul cold and all).
Pick up the tray that Dave left at the shop for me.
Go to the pharmacy to tackle said cold.
Organise Kiki’s going away present.
Bank.
Have juice with Kiki, Sam and Reg.
Get my tax organised.
Come home to the most incredible package in the universe from South Africa.

Now, I shall make quiche!

Someone stole the aesop.

You heard it here, someone thought it necessary to jemmy the soap and moisturisor out of their holders and take off with them. Students, huh.

Anyway, the team are now recovering after what was a rather epic weekend. Second birthday in the city, fare welling Kiki and attempting to do some karaoke.

The best bit was walking into Seven Seeds on Sunday morning and seeing a grim faced Gavin, pouring flat whites, covered from head to toe in glitter.

One beautiful spring Friday.

I got to see Luke and Kylies new diggs for the first time today and have a little pourover session with Jason and Fleur from Melbourne Coffee Merchants. Its such a wonderful space, can’t wait for Monday. It’s nice to see friends dreams turn into a reality, makes your own far fetched plans seem a little more attainable.

I got the last miscellaneous shopping done around the old South Melbourne stomping ground and am now spending the evening with steak and mushroom sauce. Also folding a whole truckload of origami napkin cranes. All the skills of primary school Japanese class are coming back into play.

Oh dear.

This evening I picked up my competition outfit.
As I was trying it on to show my housemate, a tiny hole appeared in the zip at the waist. The tiny hole then turned into a big hole.
Oh dear.

Its the final countdown.

Me Mam drove me to Albert Park this afternoon to pick up my cups for my signature drink. I don’t think you can ever really appreciate the speed of an automobile until you are car-less and stuck on the other side of the city in bad weather. So, I walked through the door and was greeted not by Gavin and Peta, as I was expecting, but a great big camera lens, being shoved right in my mug.

What was it all about, well, I wont spill too much, but a reality tv show was being made about their shop and they wanted me to be a part of it. Well, I get a little funny in front of a camera, a little too gummy. I hightailed it. But I am pretty happy with the result of it all, the “cups” are just splendid.

You know what? I almost enjoy running into coffees I’ve poured after I have poured them, gives me a bit more appreciation and an objective point of view when improving latte art.

So its just about three weeks from now. A few setbacks in the way of emergency hospital visits, machines disappearing and running out of the coffee I was using but well, there you go, that’s comps for you. Wouldn’t be real without the drama.

Sneak Peak.

All that hard work resulted in delectable results.