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: William Pitts
Company: Origin Coffee
Number of years behind the bar: 5
Number of competitions: This is my first.
Competition Coffee: Fully washed Ethiopian. Called Suke Quto.
Competition Milk: Trewithen Dairy from Cornwall.
Signature Beverage: Best of Suke Quto:
Single espresso
5-6 grams of peach syrup depending on water quality in Glasgow.
12.5 grams of kafir lime leaf and lemongrass tea. (2 grams lime leaf, 8 grams lemongrass, 100ml hot water, brewed for 3 minutes.)
Grapefruit skin soaked in jasmine oil – flamed.
The idea is it is flavours I found in other extractions, reintroduced. My ‘best of’ all the flavours I found in my coffee.
Secret Weapons: Just my trusty EK43.
Playlist: Hope you like hardcore punk.
Routine Theme: It ties in with my signature drink.
All about coffees diversity of flavour. How you can extract a variety of flavours from one coffee by manipulating it in certain ways. For example, my espresso and cappuccino courses are roasted on different roasters.
With my sig drum compiling all of the best flavours I found.
Total Practice Hours: I’m not sure but I’ve certainly slept less.
Coach(es): Joshua Tarlo. He is our recent (Canadian) coffee development manager. Over the last few months he has helped me through the whole thing. His brain is brilliant and I have learned a lot from it.
Also Dave Jones has helped a lot. And Tom Sobey. And just everyone at origin.
Fashion: Whatever is clean and minimally scruffy.
Additional notes: I used to be a chef and I’m really good at handstands.
