Lancaster baristas showcase skills in coffee making masterclass

Hubert Jasniewski and Sean Van Aswegan from the Lancaster House Hotel joined hospitality colleagues from sister venues The Wild Boar and Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa to display an array of innovative coffee preparations and latte art to judges from Matthew Algie Coffee Roastery.

The idea behind the competition was to underpin the techniques the baristas have learned during their training, as well as reinforcing the highest standards and building team spirit in a fun and innovative way.

As part of the Tchibo barista competition, two members from each venue were selected to create four coffees each - an espresso, a cappuccino, a latte, plus a special coffee of their choice - and present them to the judges.

Unique creations on the day included a 'Smokehouse Coffee', 'Smores Mocha' and a 'Colada Coffee' beautifully presented in a pineapple for an added zing of flavour.

Hannah McQuire from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, who helped to organise the training competition, said: “The baristas were judged on creativity, presentation, the process of making their beverages and of course, above all, taste.

“The standard was extremely high across the board. We’d like to thank Stuart and Andrew from Matthew Algie, not just for delivering the barista training for the group, but also getting involved in the competition to help drive quality standards.

"Selected baristas will be invited for a tour of their roastery in Scotland as a result of their success in completing their training and excelling in the competition.”