Sustainable Harvest’s annual event, Let’s Talk Coffee ”which brings together roasters, producers and baristas in a coffee growing country ”kicks off in just a few days! But some hard-working coffee professionals are already in this year’s focus country ”Peru ”working, and playing, hard.
Here are the details…
What: Ten world-champion baristas travel to the other side of the supply chain to learn what it really takes to produce a flawless cup of coffee – from the ground up. Five days. No electricity. No hot showers. No espresso. Plenty of adventure.
When & Where: October 8-14, 2010. The northern jungle of Peru, on the edge of the Amazon basin. A land as fertile as it is remote, where some of the world’s finest specialty coffee is grown. Finca La Encañada- a rustic, family-owned farm fed by a winding river.
Who: Ten World Barista Championship finalists, transported thousands of miles away from their modern cafés and urban clientele into an unfamilar green paradise. They’ll be divided into two teams and compete against one another reality show-style, facing challenges in harvesting, processing, transporting and roasting their own lots of specialty coffee. Every activity will be filmed, and viewers will watch the drama unfold as the baristas stumble along in the unfamiliar shoes of their supply chain counterparts, Peruvian coffee producers.
Why: These baristas are the undisputed masters of coffee preparation, expertly pulling shots of espresso and creating whimsical latte art. But some have never even laid eyes on a coffee plant! The Seed to Cup Barista Origin Adventureâ„¢ is a chance for baristas to learn firsthand about the challenges facing coffee farmers in developing countries. When they finally return to their home cafés, they’ll be able to tell a more complete story about the product they serve. And maybe that’s the secret to a truly great cup of coffee.
This is all going on RIGHT NOW! Stay tuned to these baristas’ daily activities HERE.
Once the Seed to Cup Origin Adventure is over, Let’s Talk Coffee begins. Barista Magazine Publisher Ken Olson will be on the ground in Peru to report on the event (fingers crossed that the internet will be good enough for him to blog, so stay posted. And regardless, he will write an article about the whole experience for the December/January issue of Barista Mag).
Ken is also going to Peru to be part of the first ever World Barista Forum, where baristas from around the world will engage in a state of the community/industry summit. Participants include Heather Perry, Colin Whitcomb, Mike Strumpf, and others.
More information about the Let’s Talk Coffee event taking place in Peru beginning October 15 can be found HERE.
Ken and the hundreds of other lucky coffee professionals on their way to Peru are in for a real adventure: Let’s Talk Coffee is taking place in Tarapoto, Peru, at the edge of the Amazon. Stay tuned for details of the journey ahead!
