If there’s one person who knows everything there is to know about being a barista, that would be Justin Dela Fuente from Costa Coffee, who just won the Southeast Asia and India leg of the brand’s annual Barista of the Year Competition.
From Singapore, we caught up with him after one of his barista courses in Sydney, as he was preparing to face baristas all over the world for the finals in London early next year.
We asked for some juicy things that not a lot of people know about baristas, and here are some surprising things he told us:
10. We have a different meaning for the terms “bad shot” and “good shot”. If a shot “dies” from a variety of reasons, that’s a bad shot.
9. Not all baristas drink coffee (!)
8. Coffee language is not universal, and can vary from place to place.
7. It takes a very long time to perfect that latte art.
6. Baristas compete in coffee competitions too!
5. Your baristas don’t just make perfect coffee, they make your sandwiches delectable too.
4. Baristas are immune from getting burnt. Burns are just…normal to us.
3. A “bar” for us isn’t a bar with dancing and drinking.
2. Don’t ask for extra hot coffee! If a coffee is extra hot, the milk and espresso will be burnt.
1. Nothing is worse than making a soy decaf Flat white.
A disgrace!
If all goes well in London, Justin will be bagging the Barista of the Year title, not just for the Philippines but for Southeast Asia and India too! Join us as we wish our kababayan all the best! #JustinForTheWin
Anything else we can add on this list?
