TURNING the standard coffee into an art form, Ballarat’s best baristas lined up on Tuesday to test their skills as part of the Victorian Barista Championships.
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Working on an espresso machine set up at The Lane, baristas prepared four espressos, four milk-based coffees and four filter coffees.
The expert judges looked for a “harmonious balance of sweetness, acidity and bitterness”.
Meg Campana, of Eclectic Tastes, was one of the six competitors who fought for the title of Ballarat’s best barista.
She said she was confident her short blacks would impress the judges.
“My short blacks were good, the others, I don’t know,” she said. “I had fun, that’s the important thing.”
The competition was part of the Golden Plate Awards.
Golden Plate state director Pam Jewson said Ballarat’s coffee was getting better, although filter brews were still gaining traction.
“Ballarat’s come a long way in terms of coffee,” she said.