On Friday, 7th March, Vacherin held its inaugural Latte Art Slam Down competition, at La Marzocco on a buzzing Friday in Shoreditch. With 20 talented contestants stepping up to the challenge, the competition showcased impressive artistry, precision, and a passion for brilliant coffee from across the business.
Contestants were tasked with creating one of five latte art designs, randomly chosen by the audience. These included: heart, rosette, five leaf tulip, three leaf tulip, heart with layers.
The competition heated up as semi-finalists faced the added challenge of crafting freestyle designs and mastering non-dairy drinks.
We were privileged to have three industry icons evaluating the competitors:
- Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood - Three-time UK Barista Champion and World Finalist
- Tim Sturk - Q Grader, WBC Sensory Judge, and Coffee Masters Head Judge
- Dhan Tamang - Six-time UK Latte Art Champion and two-time world finalist
The competition saw outstanding talent from across the entrants but there could only be one winner…
Nikola Wroblewskawho claimed first place and has won a trip for two to the incredible Amsterdam Coffee Festival. Second place went to Chelsea Pryor who has won a slot at the London Coffee Festival Latte Art Stand and lunch with the Sproud CEO. Third place went to Elizabetta Giganti who took home an enhanced goody bag.
Vacherin’s Head of Coffee, Marc-Pierre Dietrich said ‘Latte Art Slamdowns are always great competitions to run. They're fast-paced, punchy, loads of fun and a brilliant way to bring baristas together....and this one was all of this and more!
Having a live DJ, amazing food and world class judges certainly had a big impact but the best bit of all was seeing smiling faces everywhere and a group of baristas building relationships and a community. Cant wait for the next one!'
This fantastic event couldn't have happened without our incredible headline sponsors and supporters: Sproud, Cotswold Dairy, and La Marzocco for providing the venue for the day and machinery. And of course, to our new Head of Coffee Marc-Pierre for organising such an energy filled and DJ sound-tracked event that left everyone buzzing, and not just because of the espresso martinis.
