Starbucks names global barista champion after latte art, blind tasting challenges
Nobuki Shimode, a Starbucks store manager in Japan, said his favorite cup of coffee was poured by his mother.
It was the morning before an important test at school, and Shimode's mother walked into his room with a fresh cup of coffee to get him ready for the day.
"She smiled and said, 'Well done, so far. I'm so proud of you,'" he said. "That coffee wasn't perfect, but it was the best cup I've ever had. Why? Because it made me feel warm. Even after I drank it, something stayed with me.'
That experience influenced Shimode's performance at Starbucks' inaugural Global Barista Championship, a three-day competition in Las Vegas where 12 employees from around the world showed off their skills in latte art, storytelling and more for the chance to be crowned champion. Shimode said he wanted to create a coffee that gives his customers the same warm feeling he found in his mother's coffee.
Shimode, who was named global champion on June 11, had just eight minutes during the final competition to craft two lattes topped with art, pour four cups of coffee from a French press and craft his signature beverage for a panel of judges. All the while, a crowd of roughly 14,000 cheered him on, including more than a dozen friends, family members and co-workers waving a banner and customized signs.
Shimode's said his signature drink – the Blooming Yuzu Espresso – is a 'very refreshing beverage' with citrus notes and a long, sweet aftertaste, perfect for both coffee lovers and coffee-averse customers.
'(It's) a drink that makes people say, 'I would love to have that again,' he said.
As global champion, Shimode will have the opportunity to co-create a beverage to be sold at Starbucks stores across North America 'in the near future,' according to the company's website.
Shimode and the 11 other baristas were narrowed down from 84,000 employees who competed in regional competitions, with one representative for each of the company's six regions (North America, China, Japan, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and each Reserve Roastery location (Seattle, Chicago, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Milan).
The baristas faced a number of challenges throughout the event, such as making the perfect latte art tulip or guessing the correct coffee roast based on taste and smell alone, with contestants noting flavors like a 'rich molasses and caramel' or 'hints of nuts and dried fruit" after each slurp.
A number of competitors told USA TODAY the blind tasting was their most challenging test, including Chico Gu from the Reserve Roastery in Shanghai. Gu said it took a while to mail the six microblends in the competition to China, and he had just two weeks to memorize each flavor.
'I spent a lot of time preparing for this competition," Gu said through a translator. 'This is a milestone, and also I think a highlight of my life, talking from the moment I was born to now.'
Ivan Diana, representing the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, said he trained at least three times a week for two hours in the months leading up to the competition, practicing latte art and store rush challenges.
Cali Hegeman from the Chicago Reserve Roastery trained at least four hours each week and dyed her hair a deep red to match her signature drink, a layered drink with espresso and cold milk called the Undertow. Hegeman's creation, which was inspired by cherry pie flavors, was dubbed the 'Fun-dertow.'
Shimode, who was married in April, pushed back his honeymoon to give himself time to prepare for the competition. He also spent three months avoiding spicy curries – his favorite food – to cleanse his palate for the blind taste test.
'That was the biggest challenge for me,' along with writing his script in English, Shimode told USA TODAY through a translator.
Starbucks hiring content creators: Starbucks job offering up to six figures to travel, drink coffee
Now, as the first global barista championship winner, Shimode will have plenty of opportunity to catch up on travel. His grand prize as the winner includes a trip to all six Starbucks Roastery Reserves.
Shimode said he's most looking forward to visiting Milan. But first, he plans to return to his store in Japan.
"I want to go back to my store and work with my colleagues at my store as soon as possible," he said. "Being away from them for three months, I should have given them more support and helped them a lot more. But it was me who was supported by them."
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