Making a good coffee is both an art and a science. Julian Thorpe watched some of the region’s best baristas perform at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. SMILING is strictly forbidden for judges in the national coffee brewing championships. It’s not that they’re miserable people, assures the compere; they’re told to act that way to ensure a fair competition. Indeed, the seven judges have no reason to be miserable - they’re experts in their field. One of them is James Hoffman, last year’s reigning world champion barista (that’s Italian for coffee bartender), and another is his partner, XXXXX XXXXX, the world champion coffee taster. They’re surely a match made in heaven, but God only knows what breakfast must be like at their house. “More coffee dear?” “Yes, but could you ensure that you grind quicker this time, because oxidisation has left a hint of a rancid aftertaste in that last Guatemalan blend.” The 13 competitors at the sculpture park have a long way to go before they can reach James’ level. If they make it through today, they’ll go to the final in London, and if they become the UK champion they’ll have the chance to go to Copenhagen to take part in this year’s world championships. The competition, which started as just a bit of fun between some Norwegian café owners, is now in its eighth year and has become a major international event. Winning is more about prestige than cash, but there are prizes to be won and victory can be rewarding. James and XXXXXX are now planning to open their own café in London, and one can only assume, that with their reputation and expertise, it will be a success. BCUK boss John Sherwood mentions that one of the competitors, a young lady from Leeds, can get so nervous she is barely able to serve. Meanwhile, in a backroom, another two contestants are doing deep breathing exercises to prepare for their forthcoming ordeal. The competition is designed to recreate a busy café environment, and to that end, baristas have a strict 15 minutes to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four of their own special blend. There’s even a tinny stereo pumping out cheesy music in the background to make it seem more authentic. That’s where the café similarities end, however. Aside from the punishing time limit, the hardest part of the contest is dealing with the pressure of extreme scrutiny. The baristas perform on a small stage in front of an audience of industry figures, as well as the seven judges. Four of the judges sit, stony faced, in a stern line next to the barista. As contestants prepare their drinks, another two judges are hovering over them with clipboards marking every minute aspect of their technical abilities. The head judge, also armed with a clipboard, is never far away. While all this is going on, the compere is describing everything the barista does and padding it out with background information about the contestant. On top of that, the barista has to be measured, courteous and extremely knowledgeable about their product and the philosophy behind their coffee. “Standing there with all eyes on, the judges scrutinising your every move while some bloke talks about you on a microphone is a humbling experience”, says Dino Orsolini, owner of Alto Café in Barnsley. The key elements to a good cup of coffee, he says, are a strong natural sweetness, a balanced acidity and a hint of bitterness. To that end, his special blend contains a subtle infusion of caramel, orange and ginger, “to point the tastebuds in the right direction”. This is achieved by putting a small amount of each ingredient in a tea strainer and stirring it into the milk, which then goes into the cappuccino. Being able to detect such miniscule differences in flavour is where XXXX’s skills come in to their own. While technical ability and presentation are important, it is the coffee’s taste which will garner the successful barista the most points. The aroma of coffee pervades the auditorium throughout the day, but the atmosphere is far from relaxing. During each performance the compere is counting down – “30 seconds to go” – and the tension is almost palpable. Even between performances, people are rushing around preparing, and those who aren’t taking part are networking, jumping from one guest to another in a frenzy of cheek-kissing pleasantries. Barely a conversation goes by without an interjection of “darling!” from a third party. “some quotes”