2008 New Zealand Coffee Festival & Awards, June 6-8
The 2008 New Zealand Coffee Festival is again underway June 6-8 at the Viaduct Harbour Marine Village (135 Halsey St, Auckland), drawing thousands of Aucklanders, from coffee professionals to those who just love their daily hit of espresso, to the country’s biggest coffee event.
Festivalgoers get the chance to taste the best espresso, and watch New Zealand’s best baristas compete for the country’s richest barista prize, the New Zealand Latte Art Championships worth NZ$2,000. Last year it was won by a rank outsider, Andrew Feldon, who runs a coffee cart in the Manawatu town of Sanson. He beat champion barista Carl Sara who was placed 3rd in the World Barista Championships in Tokyo last year.
According to Festival Director Michael Guy.
The aim of the festival is to create a gigantic café with lots going on on-stage for those who enjoy the theatre of coffee. This is the 5th annual festival and we’re aiming for it to be the best yet. It’s just NZ$10 to get in so it must offer the best value for money of any festival, plus you can drink as much coffee as you like.
Festivalgoers will also be able to see the latest commercial and domestic coffee machines, and attend seminars from making a great coffee at home to setting up a café. Leading gourmet roasters such as Jungle Coffee, Altura and Coffee Lab will be at the festival. Even McCafe is there.
Also judged at the festival are the New Zealand Coffee Awards, which last year saw 65 coffee roasting companies enter more than 250 blends of coffee to win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Takapuna roastery Toasted Espresso last year won the Supreme Award for the best coffee blend in the Flat White category with its James Bond inspired 007 blends.
Filed under: Awards, Coffee, Events, New Zealand | Tagged: awards, Coffee, June 2008, New Zealand