Also known as … getting my own back.
After the Home Barista Comp there was a very spontaneous call for a professional bout; and who better to face off than our judge Hazel and last year’s HB-champ-cum-1000-shots-a-day-superstar-barista Dan.
By ’spontaneous’, I of course mean, ‘neither of them had a clue what was about to happen’. Well, Dan would have, had he not been giggling with Renzo during the team meeting in the morning 
I volunteered to put my judges accreditation to good use and taste their submissions.
Dan v. Hazel
Both of them were exceptionally good sports about it, and served up some über tasty shots for me to drink. Even though both are exceptionally skilled baristas, jumping on a random machine, dialling in a grinder and punching out some sweet shots in only five minutes is no small feat. Dan jumped back on the Bezzera Domus Galatea he’d had pumping all day and clearly had the speed, serving up a cracking espresso in no time at all. Hazel was a bit slower on the Minore III but soon placed a reddy-brown delicious doppio ristretto on the judges table.
Lattés came next, Dan’s super speediness meaning he had time to not only serve me a latté complete with tulip, and then pull himself a shot to steady his nerves whilst he waited for Hazel to serve her latté. Here, Hazel drew on her years of competition experience and took the performance up a notch, approaching the judge’s table to pour her rosetta clad latté.
It was a tight finish, but it was Hazel who came out on top, mostly due to the amazing syrupy sweetness she coaxed out of her espresso.
It was, however, all in good fun, and I think they’re both great sports having been put on the spot like that, and still managing to serve up some delicious ’spro.
Many, many, many thanks to Sanchia for her permission to use the lovely shots she took of the day.
Heh. ‘Dan’s super-speediness’.
Yep. He works at pablos.