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The biggest weekend in the Australian specialty coffee scene has just finished. With countless hours of training and preparation culminating in just one shot at success in front of the judges at the Australian Barista Championships, excitement ran high. Held on 3-4 May at the Docklands in Melbourne, the Championships are the high point of the national specialty coffee year.

Saturday saw the start of the open heats, with a large group of talented baristas vying for the one spot available to get them onto the big stage with the State finalists.

The open heats were a mixed bag. Some competitors were just there to get more experience, while a few seasoned campaigners were looking for another chance of podium finishes, after their respective State heats. A strong field of 18 competitors made for a long day for all concerned.

At the completion of the open heats, the crowd were entertained by a latte art competition with a small, but talented field. First up was 5 Senses’ very own Kim Godleman making his debut on the big stage. The combination of an unfamiliar machine and first-time nerves meant that Kim didn’t produce the freakishly good latte art that we know he is capable of. But, if an award had been given for ‘entertainer of the day’, Kimbo would have won hands down. He quickly had the crowd more involved than they had been all day, and the upbeat vibe he created continued for the rest of the competition, with NSW’s Habib Maarbani eventually being crowned the winner.

Then they announced the winner of the open heats – and despite a less-than-perfect run, Con Haramabopoulos prevailed. He looked very pumped and determined when his name was announced.

‘Super Sunday’ – the day we’d all been waiting for – dawned bright and fresh in Melbourne. Con’s inclusion bolstered what was already a very strong and even field. Previous winners David Makin and Hazel De Los Reyes looked the obvious favourites, both having great track records. Hazel was returning after a couple of years off. After a resounding victory in the New South Wales heats, she looked great. David Makin had left no stone unturned in his quest for back-to-back victories after a world tour, spending time with past World Barista Championship winners Klaus Thomsen and James Hoffman, amongst other industry heavyweights.

Some of the lesser-known contenders also had strong victories in their home States, and there was some hope that the NSW/Victoria stronghold would be broken.

After a calibration run from the Open’s runner up, Jesse Hind, the finals got underway. Con was first up, and gave an impressive trouble-free performance, looking confident and composed. As usual, Con’s latte art skills were impressive. His signature drink contained a ‘coffee soil’ composed of coffee grinds mixed with ground almond, cocoa and a variety of other ingredients. Con finished within the time limit, setting the tone for a great day’s competition.

Experienced Queenslander, Anne Cooper, had obviously prepared well, with a stunning table setting and an eloquent performance. She started by preparing a caramel-like mix of heated sugar and ginger which she poured into portafilter baskets to seal the base and then cooled with the aid of ice packs, before filling with coffee. Anne completed a solid performance within the allocated time and looked very happy at the completion of her run.

Jennifer Murray, manager of 5 Senses’ Coffee school, the Western Australian Barista Academy, was up next, and took a slightly different path with a single origin, El Salvador, as her chosen coffee. Despite having only two competitions under her belt, Jenny looked calm and in control, and appeared to have plenty of time throughout her performance. Her signature drink added a reduction of fig, pear and maple syrup to espresso. She was simple, concise and in with a real chance.

Ian Callahan from South Australia had the support of a vocal band of loyal followers. In an interesting approach, Ian had assembled four single origins from different roasters to complete his blend. This routine was not without mishap, but Ian is a very relaxed and compelling performer who has plenty of potential.

The parochial local crowd were in full voice when David Makin hit the stage. David’s twin BNZ grinders were built into a custom-made tamping platform that illustrated David’s meticulous approach to his swansong ABC performance.

David is totally at home on the competition stage, and was measured and precise throughout his flawless performance. His espresso blend of El Salvador and 2004 Daterra Estate Reserve was designed to create a more ‘European and Brighter’ type espresso and was bolstered by the addition of a Monsooned Malabar for his cappuccinos. It looked to be a world-class performance.

The final performer was Hazel De Los Reyes, whose eloquent and ethereal performance transfixed the crowd. Ever the purist, Hazel commenced with a traditional cupping for the judges before effortlessly working her way through a polished routine. Utilising two BNZ grinders with custom-grind to order hoppers, Hazel demonstrated her considerable experience and coffee knowledge.

As the judges collated the scores, an entertaining cupping competition was held with Catherine Ferrari from Western Australia prevailing in a tight finish, with Toshi coming a close second.

The large crowd then gathered expectantly to learn who would take out the 2008 Australian Barista Championship. In third place with 740.5 points was WA’s Jenny Murray, much to the delight of the strong WA contingent. Second place went to Con with 741 points. Con looked disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to represent Australia, after a number of determined bids. Hopefully Con can regroup and give it one more shot next year, as it seems he is close to the breakthrough performance that will catapult him onto the world stage.

This meant that one of the two big favourites had missed out and a murmur ran through the crowd. The decisive winner on a massive 848.5 points was David Makin. A clearly emotional David was ecstatic about his win and gathered himself enough to thank his loyal supporters.

It was later revealed that Hazel’s traditional cupping had breached the WBC guidelines, and meant that Hazel’s entire espresso offering was given a zero. It was sad to think this could be Hazel’s last performance, as her professionalism and generous nature make her one of the most respected figures in the Australian specialty coffee scene.

All in all the weekend was a huge success, with three strong competitors selected to represent Australia on the world stage in Copenhagen.

It was clear that the bar has been raised and winning the coveted ABC title takes a single-minded approach and a cohesive team effort. Competitors worked harder than ever and more innovatively to source true specialty coffee and this trend is expected to continue in 2009. Much thought was given to tailored grinder set-ups, stripped back performances prevailed – and the coffee was the true star.

The 5 Senses team extends our very best wishes to Australian team heading to Copenhagen.