SprudgeLive’s coverage of the 2015 United Kingdom Barista Championship is made possible by direct support from La Spaziale UK. All of SprudgeLive’s 2015 barista competition coverage is underwritten in partnership with Square and Urnex Brands.
We’re proud to serve as official media partners of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe–UK Chapter, who produce these extraordinary events.
We reached out to each of the 2015 UK Barista Championship competitors prior to their routines, to learn a bit more about them as competitors and coffee pros. We hope you enjoy these interviews!
Name: Wes Bond
Company: Bean Loved Coffee Bar and Grumpy Mule Coffee Roasters
Number of years behind the bar: 7
Number of competitions: 2
UKBC 2013
Finished 9th
Competition Coffee: Costa Rica Las Lajas, Perla Negra Natural and Las Lajas Black Honey
Competition Milk: Cravendale
Signature Beverage: I will be adding a orange and lime rind syrup and a bitters inspired custom blended tea. Using the three main flavour components of a bitters, a dried fruit, herb and bark. I have blended my tea with orange blossom, kaffir lime leaves, lemon verbena, chincona bark. I will be chilling my espresso and tea over an ice bath then pouring over ice to create a soft dilution before serving to the judges.
Secret Weapons: Yes, but it wouldn’t be secret if I told you.
Playlist: It’s forever changing. So you’ll have to wait and see.
Routine Theme: I have two themes to my set. Firstly aroma and sensory experiences with coffee. Secondly, the simplicity of coffee and how over 7 years of being a barista I’ve learnt it’s the initial basic interactions that happen at origin with terroir and processing that truly effect it’s character and flavour.
Total Practice Hours: A lot.
Coach(es): My dad who is also my business partner, best friend and coach. All the team at Grumpy Mule, specifically Howard Barwick who roasted and sourced these coffees and Catherine Clark who is my account manager for Bean Loved but has gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure I have had everything needed to do well in competition.
Fashion: I’ve not thought that far ahead yet.
Additional notes: I’ve been in business with my dad for over seven years running an independent coffee bar in Skipton, North Yorkshire. I feel that we have truly grown as a business in the same way the coffee industry has but have always kept an eye on our commercial market. We are always looking to keep up to date with brewing methods and equipment and through competition and our passion for coffee believe we can raise the profile of our business and ourselves in the speciality coffee industry.
Social Medias: @beanloved
