http:// 2013-05-22T17:04:51Z 2013-05-22T17:04:51Z jen-marks-australian-latte-art-champion-2013-headline-barista-at-mice

Melbourne, Australia, May 2013 –  Jen Marks, Australian Latte Art Champion 2013 and one of Melbourne’s favourite baristas, will pour up some Chemex filter brews in the morning and appear behind the espresso machine in the afternoon MICE visitors may be lucky enough to see some of her beautiful latte art creations, on Thursday May 23 on Veneziano’s stand. Also a roaster, Jen is currently preparing to compete as Australia’s representative in Nice, France, at the World Latte Art Championships next month. Any spare time she has is put towards practicing on the Dalla Corte competition specified machine, kindly on loan to Jen by Zarraffas, in a gesture that demonstrates the true spirit of Australia’s coffee community supporting their own.Jen’s personal preference in latte art is the classic, simple look of a free pour pattern. However, she has been known to do some etchings for her friends from time to time, although more for the fun and enjoyment of it. If combining the two methods, Jen’s says it’s best to complement the free pour art with etching.In choosing a design, it’s particularly challenging to come up with something new to use in a competition. It seems as though everything in terms of patterns and designs has already been attempted, but of course it hasn’t!  Jen’s advice for selecting patterns is that it’s important to be confident whilst practicing the design so that when the time comes to perform it under pressure you are less likely to make any errors.  “When trying to come up with something really creative I look for inspiration in everyday shapes and images, looking for things that incorporate either round, tulip, heart or rosetta shapes because these are the foundation patterns you are more or less limited to,” says Jen. For example, she used a stylised rosetta to create a flowing mane on a unicorn in one of her patterns.In her World Latte Art Championship 2013 campaign, Jen would like to thank and acknowledge the generous support from:-Zarraffas for supplying a Dalla Corte (official World Latte Art machine)-David and Greg from Appliance Maintenance Co (NSW) for the loan of Mahlkonig grinder-D’Ancap cups provided by Antony de Fina of Casa Espresso-Peter from Cafetto for the cleaning clothsContact: Ana Pipunic ana@harvestideas.com.au or Fiona Dickson fiona@harvestideas.com.au for further information, photo opportunities, tours or interviews. Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - Specialty roasters; supporters of direct trade with producers and cooperatives; on site quality coffee training and education by professional baristas; First Pour café espresso bars and coffee showrooms; home of Australian barista, latte art, brewing, cupping and roasting champions; licensed Q cuppers and World certified coffee judge; professional espresso machines, grinders and equipment for cafe and home; recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes.  The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsford, VICwww.venezianocoffee.com.auwww.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoasterswww.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstr

2013-05-22T00:29:02Z veneziano-s-chemex-brew-bar-and-espresso-bar-at-mice-featured-microlots

Melbourne, Australia, May 2013 –  Veneziano Coffee Roasters aim to impress visitors to Melbourne’s International Coffee Expo (MICE) with the chance to try out some exclusive single origins sourced from Ethiopia, El Salvador and Costa Rica.Here’s what you can expect:On the Chemex brew bar - the Chemex brew bar will showcase the exquisite Ethiopa Nekisse and El Manzano microlot coffees, roasted for a stand out filter brew profile.Ethiopia Nekisse - a microlot coffee from Ninety Plus, has consistently scored 93 points. The team has travelled to Melbourne for MICE and can be contacted at Think Tank, stand no. xTasting Notes: lingering berry fruit notes accompanied with citrus bordering on grapefruit, a vibrant acidity and caramelised mouth feel, with a distinct floral aroma.El Salvador El Manzano 2013 – a microlot coffee by producer Emilio Lopez, one of our valued direct trade partners. Come and meet Emilio on Veneziano’s stand (no. 60) on Saturday May 23, from 2.30pm.Tasting notes: sweet, aromatic and complex with prominent notes of cherry and coffee fruit and a clean, velvety mouthfeel. On the espresso bar - the Costa Rica COE 2012 El Roble and Craig Simon’s Ethiopia Hachira competition blend are outstanding through the espresso machine.The Costa Rica COE El Roble microlot offers a dark chocolate, spice and passionfruit  flavour profile with a creamy mouthfeel and is long and well balanced on the palate.Craig Simon’s competition coffee - Craig narrowly placed runner up with this coffee at the 2013 Australian Barista Championship. This Ethiopia Hachira comes from Ninety Plus displays notes of pineapple and mango and has a long sweet finish. Natural processed, it’s scored 95 and above on cupping tables around the world.Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - Specialty roasters; supporters of direct trade with producers and cooperatives; on site quality coffee training and education by professional baristas; First Pour café espresso bars and coffee showrooms; home of Australian barista, latte art, brewing, cupping and roasting champions; licensed Q cuppers and World certified coffee judge; professional espresso machines, grinders and equipment for cafe and home; recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes.  The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsford, VICwww.venezianocoffee.com.auwww.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoasterswww.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstr

2013-05-17T00:56:46Z inker-cups-presented-at-mice-by-veneziano-coffee-roasters

Melbourne, Australia, May 2013 –  Veneziano Coffee Roasters are pleased to bring the New Mocha, the newest range of Inker Cups, delivered to our shores from Europe to feature just in time for the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), May 23 - 26.The Croatian-made, high quality porcelain cups and saucers are available in sets of half a dozen in a beautiful range of colours and various sizes; black, white, grey, blue, green, orange and red, in espresso (80ml), flat white (150ml), cappuccino (210ml) and mug (280ml, available only in grey and white). Sets of half a dozen saucers are also available separately.Veneziano, Australia’s largest distributor of Inker Cups, offer the porcelain cups and saucers to the home and cafe market via their retail online store. They are also taking wholesale enquiries and custom orders, so just name you colour and size and they’ll source it for you.“The Inker Cups are a really beautiful porcelain, with a lovely feel to them, and the colours are so vibrant,” says Craig Dickson, Veneziano managing director. “In addition to that, they are extremely well priced to suit the Australian cafe and restaurant market and provide a quality alternative to some of the more expensive Italian brands out there”.http://www.venezianocoffee.com.au/shop/categories/Inker-Crockery-Cups-and-Saucers/Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - specialty roasters, supporter of direct trade and with producers and cooperatives, onsite quality coffee training and education, First Pour cafés espresso bars and coffee showrooms, home of Australian barista, latte art, cupping and roasting champions, WBC qualified judge and licenced Q cuppers, Australia’s largest distributor of Chemex Coffeemakers, recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes. The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsford, VICwww.venezianocoffee.com.auwww.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoasterswww.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstr About Inker Cups - Inker Cups are a high quality porcelain crockery made in Zagreb, Croatia, supplying cups and saucers to the coffee and cafe industry, with parent company based in Spain specialising in its own range of porcelain hospitality-ware. The Zagreb manufacturing facility is able to produce 12,000 pieces per day and the porcelain is fired at 1200 degrees to ensure colour fastness that will not fade or wear. The high quality raw ingredients are sourced from Germany, England, Czech Republic and Italy with the balance being sourced locally. Inker Cups exports 70 percent of its production output.

2013-05-16T15:47:48Z latte-art-smackdown-and-cupping-us-roasted-microlot-coffees

First Pour will hold a Latte Art Smackdown, preceded by a Cupping event hosted by Cafe Imports and featuring some exciting microlot coffees from respected US roasters such as Mad Cap, Stumptown, Verve, Sight Glass, Halfwit, Coava, Joe NY and more. The Smackdown event will have some great prizes up for grabs, such as $1000 cash (sponsored by Pura Milk), Otto Stovetop Espresso machine, $500 cash (sponsored by Silverchef), Compak K3 Push Grinder (courtesy of 9Bar Espresso Services) and the winner will also receive a year’s subscription to Barista Magazine. In attendance will be the Barista Magazine team, the guys from Cafe Imports and being close to the MICE event you can expect to see some national barista champions as well as some recognised Australian barista names also present. If you wish to enter – get in QUICK!!  As only the first 30 entrants will be accepted. Look forward to seeing you all there!!  Beers and snacks will be provided. Times: — Doors open 6.00pm — Cupping @ 6.30pm — Smackdown @ 7.30pm –

2013-04-07T14:24:51Z veneziano-chief-qualifies-to-judge-the-world

Veneziano Coffee Roasters managing director Craig Dickson is the only Australian currently certified as a World Coffee Judge, qualified to judge in all three categories of Barista, Brewers Cup and Latte Art at international level.World Coffee Events (WCE) conduct Judge Certification Workshops around the globe for the specialty coffee community, with workshops held in March 2013 in Long Beach, USA; Melbourne, Australia; Singapore; and Tolentino, Italy. World judges must have two years’ experience judging at their national competition level, Dickson has over ten including head judge duty (the head judge oversees all of the seven other judges); and they must abide by the WCE Judges Code of Conduct.Australia currently has seven World Barista Championship (WBC) certified judges, two of whom are technical judges (Dickson is a sensory judge), two World Brewers Cup Championship (WBrC) certified judges and two World Latte Art Championship (WLAC) certified judges.Dickson plans to put his certification into practice at Melbourne’s WBC and WBrC campaign in May 2013 and in Nice, France this June at the WLAC where his employee 2013 Australian Latte Art Champion Jen Marks will compete for the WLAC title.He says his role as a coffee judge in the specialty coffee industry’s most valued competitions is one part of the long line of successes behind Veneziano Coffee Roasters, that includes the career development and education of many baristas and cafe owners in the specialty coffee scene that now have successful stand alone businesses. “Judging has been invaluable in helping us prepare our baristas for the competitions that can change their career, and indeed their life”, says Dickson.“In addition to origin visits, cupping and roasting workshops, meeting coffee growers... Judging is definitely an important factor in growing my own, and Veneziano’s, coffee knowledge”, he says.“They’re all forms of education and all the pieces connect together between grower, barista and consumer”.  Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - specialty roasters, supporter of direct trade and with producers and cooperatives, onsite quality coffee training and education, First Pour cafés espresso bars and coffee showrooms, home of Australian barista, latte art, cupping and roasting champions and licenced Q cupper, recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes. The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsford, VICwww.venezianocoffee.com.auwww.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoasterswww.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstr

2013-03-04T05:24:05Z veneziano-produces-2013-australian-latte-art-champion-and-barista-champion-runner-up

Images: (Above) Jen Marks – 2013 PURA Latte Art Champion - pictured here with sponsor representative and Lance Brown of Lion Dairy and Drinks; (Below) Craig Simon being awarded first runner-up in the 2013 Detpak Australian Barista Championship by Detpak’s Marisa Jones, sponsor representative.In an exciting, jam packed weekend that was the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association's (AASCA) 2013 national coffee event, Veneziano Coffee Roasters are extremely proud of barista-roaster Jen Marks finishing in first place as the newly crowned 2013 Australian Pura Latte Art Champion whilst barista-trainer-production manager Craig Simon almost took out the Australian Barista Championship title back to back.Well done Jen and Craig, it was an extremely close competition with the difference between first and second being only a matter of points in both categories.A nail biting finish saw Craig Simon narrowly miss out on winning the title of Detpak Barista Champion of Australia for the second year running, finishing only seven points behind 2011 Champion Matt Perger. Craig suffered a 13 point penalty for going over time. Sasa Sestic from ACT finished in third place, in what can only be described as Australia's finest finalist line up in a national barista competition to date.Veneziano are also extremely proud of Mike Wells, South Australian Barista Champion finishing in seventh place overall and winning the honour of being the calibration competitor for the finals judges, and newcomer Jade Jennings on finishing in tenth place in her first ever AASCA coffee competition - a fantastic achievement and a competitor that has attracted a lot of attention from people within the industry.In the Latte Art category second place went to Ben Morrow from St Ali (VIC) (who was penalised on points for going over the allocated time) and last year's national champion Scott Luengen (QLD) finished in third place. Despite an accidental milk spillage, Jen still managed to maintain her composure, clean up and calmly finish her latte art sets well within time.Jen will now go on to represent Australian in the World Latte Art Championship in Nice, France, June 26 - 28, together with Elisha Mauger (from Gloria Jeans Coffees) in the World Cup Tasting Championship.The Cup Tasting Championship final was dominated by the girls this year, with Lauren Stokes (5 Senses Coffee) finishing second. Jonny Pisanelli (From Scratch Patisserie), last year's winner, finished third. Veneziano's Jack Allisey (VIC) and Andrew Dickson were finalists in the Cup Tasting competition.Veneziano also fielded two first-time competitors in the Brewers Cup Championship, Dale Parker (VIC) and James Thai (QLD), competing in the open heats. The top spots in the finals went to winner Lachlan Ward  second place-getter Jamie Thomson, both from Sensory Lab (VIC).The World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup Championship will be hosted in Melbourne, May 23 - 26 in an Australian first, against competitors from almost 60 countries.Images (top to bottom): Jade Jennings, 2013 Australian Barista Championship finalist (10th place). Photo credit: Syd-low.comMike Wells, 2013 Detpak SA Barista Champion, finished 7th place (just missed out on a finals place) in a repeat of 2012. Photo credit: Syd-low.com Jack Allisey, roaster at Veneziano (VIC), in the 2103 AASCA Cup Tasting finalsAndrew Dickson, roaster at Veneziano (QLD) in the 2013 AASCA Cup Tasting finalswww.venezianocoffee.com.auFollow Veneziano Coffee Roasters on Facebook

2013-02-28T07:07:30Z australian-barista-champion-selected-this-weekend

Media Release - Thursday February 28, 2013The state rounds of the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) coffee competitions are complete with the Australian champions being decided this weekend at the Melbourne Showgrounds, in the industry's most recognised national event during the commencement of Melbourne's Food and Wine Festival.With the World Barista Championship (WBC) being hosted in Melbourne this May, the 2013 competition season has seen the re-emergence of some of Australia’s most skilled baristas out of competition retirement as they all vie to represent Australia. In looking at all the state winners, the Australian competition will no doubt be the most exciting competition that the specialty coffee community has seen in its history.This weekend will decide 2013 national champions in the categories of:- Detpak Australian Barista Champion - Pura Australian Latte Art Champion- AASCA Brewers Cup Champion- AASCA Cup Tasting Champion- DaVinci Australian Coffee-Chain Champion, winner qualifies for the open heats of the Australian Barista Championship.The Australian coffee championships not only showcase the high standard of coffee that Australian roasters are producing, they are a platform for recognising the barista as a serious profession with previous winners fast tracking their careers and branching out in specialty coffee industry. "It's becoming more common to see our Australian champions, inspired by their winning experience and representing our nation at the prestigious world events, move into roasting and even venturing into cafe businesses of their own", says Craig Dickson, AASCA president."Their in-depth knowledge of coffee, the industry as well as their reputation will contribute to carrying the success of a business", he says. "And that ultimately results in better coffee for coffee drinkers, which is one of the reasons that AASCA exists".About the 2013 season* Barista Championship winners, state by state:(*note each season refers to the year of that national final - in some instances the state competitions were held in the previous calendar year)SOUTH AUSTRALIA, September 14 & 15, 2012Mike Wells (First Pour Adelaide/Veneziano Coffee Roasters) Mike's success in previous competition seasons:-Placed 7th in Australia in 2012 -Placed 2nd in SA in 2012 (also 2nd in SA Latte Art)-Placed 3rd in SA in 2011WESTERN AUSTRALIA, November 3 & 4, 2012Juliana Nobre (Five Senses) Juliana's success in previous competition seasons:-Competed in Australia in 2012 -Placed 1st in WA in 2012QUEENSLAND, November 18, 2012Tim Adams (TIm Adams Specialty Coffee) Tim's success in previous competition seasons:-Placed 1st in QLD in 2010-Placed 13th in World in 2009-Placed 1st in Australia in 2009-Placed 1st in QLD in 2009NEW SOUTH WALES, December 1 & 2, 2012Hazel de los Reyes (Coffee Alchemy) Hazel's success in previous competition seasons:-Competed in the World in 2005-Placed 1st in Australia in 2005-Placed 1st in NSW in 2005 (also won Cup Tasting Australia 2006)AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY, December 22, 2012Sasa Sestic (Ona Coffee) Sasa's success in previous competition seasons:-Placed 1st in ACT in 2011-Placed 1st in ACT in 2010VICTORIA, February 2 & 3, 2013Caleb Podhaczky (Five Senses)Caleb's success in previous competition seasons:-Competed in Australia in 2011-Placed first in VIC in 2011-Competed in Australia in 2010-Placed first in VIC in 2010TASMANIA, February 16, 2013Will Priestly (Pilgrim Coffee)Will's success in previous competition seasons:-Placed 2nd in Australia in 2012-Placed 1st in TAS in 2012-Placed 3rd in Australia in 2011-Placed 4th in VIC in 2011-Placed 2nd in the World Latte Art in 2010-Placed first in Australia in Latte Art in 2010-Placed first in VIC in Latte Art in 2010 About AASCA:  The AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) was founded in 2001 by a group of very passionate coffee professionals. AASCA is a not-for-profit, whole-of-industry association, registered under Federal legislation for Australia-wide coverage. The association has over 10 categories of membership and is open to anyone who is interested in specialty coffee. AASCA has formal links to both the American Specialty Coffee Association and the European Specialty Coffee Association.Current President: Craig Dicksonhttp://www.aasca.comhttps://www.facebook.com/AustralAsianSpecialtyCoffeeAssociationhttps://twitter.com/AASCAUpdates will be posted to the AASCA Facebook & Twitter sites

2013-02-28T05:18:57Z aasca-announces-d-ancap-as-official-cup-supplier-australian-coffee-championships

The Australian distributor of Ancap cups, Casa Espresso, and d’Ancap are thrilled to be on board as a corporate sponsor of the Australasian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) in an agreement that sees d’Ancap as the preferred cup supplier to AASCA. D’Ancaps cups are 100 percent designed and made in Italy for more than fifty years and are kiln-fired at 1400 degrees Celsius to ensure a quality product that won’t chip or fade.  “Cup quality is paramount as it can also affect heat retention”, explains Antony de Fina of Casa Espresso. D’Ancaps work in consultation with professional baristas in order to design cups to meet their specifications, for example, Antony tells us, “we know that the quality of the porcelain and even the shape of the cup has the ability to affect the longevity of the crema”. The d’Ancaps Torino range of cups is the official cup for the 2013 Australian Pura Latte Art Championship and the Palermo range, specifically designed for competition use working in with the World Barista Championship guidelines, is the official cup for the 2013 Australian DaVinci Chain Barista Championship. “We are equally thrilled to have these guys on board”, says AASCA president Craig Dickson.  “They are the official cup supplier for the 2013 World Latte Art Championship, so it’s a quite fitting for us, and particularly for the competitors”, he says.Torino   PalermoMore information about AASCA.More information about Casa Espresso. 

2013-02-14T13:08:03Z cafetto-barista-buddy-program-for-the-wbc

The AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) is pleased to announce Cafetto's sponsorship of the Barista Buddy Program, an integral program to ensure a successful World Barista Championship (WBC) event, scheduled for Melbourne in May.  The WBC event, run under the auspices of World Coffee Events, is an Australian-held first with AASCA predicting that more than 54 countries will be represented by their respective barista champions, the most ever seen in a World championship to date.The title of World Barista Champion awards the world's best barista in terms of their technical skill and sensory experience performed to skilled coffee judges.The Barista Buddy Program pairs volunteer Australian 'buddies' with each of the participating countries' barista champions, acting as ambassadors of not only the specialty coffee community but also as ambassadors of Melbourne and indeed, Australia."Cafetto are extremely proud to be involved in this program as it plays a crucial role in the overall success of the world barista event", says Chris Short, chief executive officer of Cafetto. "We've always been a part of the Australian specialty coffee community's events and this is our way of extending our support to the industry", he adds. A barista buddy's role commences prior to the barista's arrival as they act as the main communication channel, providing information about the City of Melbourne, things to do, where to stay, places to visit and most importantly where to source any coffee equipment or produce for the competition, and so on. This continues right throughout the duration of the event ensuring an effortless visit to each barista."Where possible, the aim of the program is to try and match any buddies with the same language and cultural background as their baristas; we want to ensure they have an enjoyable and rewarding competition experience in Melbourne that they'll remember for a very long time", says AASCA president Craig Dickson. "We are very grateful for Cafetto's support with the Barista Buddy Program and it's quite fitting that they help AASCA represent the Australian specialty coffee scene to the world, as they've had a long standing relationship sponsoring AASCA and our events", he says.Find out more and sign up for Barista Buddy Program: http://internationalcoffeeexpo.com/world-barista-championship/baristabuddyprogram.

2013-02-06T03:41:31Z veneziano-coffee-roasters-through-to-its-ninth-national-coffee-competition

Media release - February 4, 2013Immediate ReleaseThe weekend’s AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Assocation (AASCA) Victorian coffee championships, held at Code Black Brunswick, resulted in two category wins and a third place for Veneziano Coffee Roasters, that will see the specialty roaster represented at the national competition for the ninth consecutive year, in March this year.Held across two days Veneziano fielded competitors in each Victorian competition category of: Latte Art (sponsored by Pura), Brewers Cup, Cup Tasting and the highly anticipated Barista Championship (sponsored by Detpak).Veneziano VIC Results:1st place in 2013 VIC Latte Art championship - JEN MARKS (barista/roaster) 1st place in 2013 VIC Cup Tasting championship - JACK ALLISEY (roaster)3rd place in  2013 VIC Barista championship - JADE JENNINGS (retail operations manager)In other results Craig Simon (Australian Barista Champion 2012) placed fourth in the barista championship and Dale Parker (manager at Veneziano’s First Pour) placed fourth in his first Brewers Cup competition.Coffee selected by the Veneziano competitors:Jade, in a surprise third place getting amongst a field of Victoria’s seasoned barista competitors, used a blend of two Hawaiian grown coffees: a Kenyan-style washed (undergoing a series of soak times over two days then washed in clean water, using a Guatemalan typica grown in the Kau district on Hawaii’s big island; the second coffee is from Waialua Estate on the north shore of Oahu, a raisin picked natural (with cherries left on the tree until they’re overripe resembling raisins) and processed as a natural.Craig used the coffee he’s been working with four years in a row, from the El Manzano Estate in El Salvador, a 100% red bourbon and a combination of washed and natural. He heads off to El Salvador together with Jen and South Australian Barista Champion Mike Wells (SA First Pour manager and head trainer) on Tuesday February 5 (today) to look into the new season’s crops.Despite finishing in fourth place in the Brewers Cup, first time competitor Dale’s final score was barely a point behind first place getter and the experienced Remy Shpayzer. He used an Ethiopian Nekisse (natural) 90 Plus coffee, processed via their unique N2 method, which was specifically devised to ensure the sweetness is retained in the finish.The national coffee championships as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival are only a month away, and Veneziano will have a strong representation on March 1 - 3, with the likes of:Jen Marks (VIC) and Ramy Massoud (SA) competing in the Latte Art competitionJade Jennings (VIC), Craig Simon (VIC) and Mike Wells (SA) competing in the Barista competitonJack Allisey (VIC) and Andrew Dickson (QLD) competing in the Cup Tasting competitionVeneziano are hoping that one of their baristas will represent the nation in the World Barista Championships in May. With Melbourne as the host city it certainly promises to be the most exciting Australian lead up to world competition to date.  Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - specialty roasters, supporter of direct trade and with producers and cooperatives, onsite world class barista training school, First Pour cafés espresso bars and coffee showrooms, home of Australian barista, latte art, cupping and roasting champions and licensed Q Cupper, certified World Barista Champion judge, recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes. The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsford, VICWEBSITE: www.venezianocoffee.com.auFACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoastersTWITTER: www.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstrJen's Latte ArtDale in Brewer's CupJade prepping for comp on SundayCraig Simon was the final competitor on Sunday

2013-01-29T06:46:30Z face-of-caulfield-and-jazz-vocalist-hetty-kate-brings-her-string-band-to-the-flying-saucer-club-in-elsternwick

The Irwell Street String Band at The Flying Saucer ClubElsternwick RSL, 4 St Georges Rd, Elsternwick, Victoria. Tickets on sale now.The BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival may have run its last race, but its 2012 Face of Caulfield, Hetty Kate, is looking forward to coming back to the neighbourhood in February to sing at the Flying Saucer Club with her swinging Irwell Street String Band.The vintage voiced Hetty is one of Melbourne’s busiest jazz chanteuses, and when not performing here she can be found on bandstands from New York to Bangkok and Hanoi to Santiago. Gracing stages in Melbourne with jazz luminaries such as James Morrison, Steve Sedergreen and Gianni Marinucci, Hetty has appeared on eight albums in the past six years.This of course includes Irwell Street’s second album, ‘11:60pm’, a catchy collection of classics and curios from yesteryear that is already in its second pressing and receiving airplay around the world.Irwell Street, one of Melbourne’s favourite jazz bands, has continued to develop an enthusiastic following with gigs often standing (or dancing) room only. What fans find so endearing about this swinging combo are the influences of Hawaiian and country/folk music, and a welcome knack of steering away from the usual jazz repertoire to breathe life on little heard gems.Formed in 2008 by vocalist Hetty Kate, and talented guitarist Sam Lemann, the quartet’s audiences are a mix of young swing dancers through to mature-aged jazz aficionados who enjoy a connection with the music of their youth. “I was raised on a diet of show tunes and Doris Day,” says Hetty Kate. “Some of my earliest memories involve listening to these old songs, and so singing this vintage repertoire seems very natural to me. The songs are beautiful, the music composition and poetry of the lyrics really speak to my heart. I love to share them with people.”As well as the in-demand guitarist Sam Lemann, the band includes the familiar Flying Saucer faces of master rhythm guitar of Melbourne blues, roots and cajun royalty Andy Baylor (Honeydrippers, The Dancehall Racketeers, Cajun Combo) and double bassist and composerLeigh Barker (The New Sheiks).Irwell Street gigs always leave audiences with a spring in their step and a song in their heart.When Hetty Kate performs for the jazz-loving folks at Flying Saucer Club, it’s sure to be a nightto remember.VENUE / TICKETING / REVIEWSFriday February 15, 2013The Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick, VictoriaElsternwick RSL, 4 St Georges Roadwww.flyingsaucerclub.com.auDoors open 8pm, Music starts at 8:40pmTickets: $27+ booking fee (Reserved Seating)$20 + booking fee (General Admission)$22 on the doorBand Website: www.irwellstreet.com ! Facebook: www.facebook.com/irwellstreetBand Spokesperson: Hetty Kate - Tel: 0410 622 661 - Email: info@irwellstreet.com- - -“This is easy going jazz, as bright and sparkling as a Summer’s day. Hetty Kate’s voice overflows with a natural musicality. The music is full of invention but always comfortably familiar.”Richard Fields – 3CR Radio Melbourne AUSTRALIA“Hetty has the most gently seductive “little girl” voice I’ve heard since first encountering the (then!) young Ella and June Christy. And she has a masterful way with lyrics, bringing them to vibrant and exciting life as if each were an expression of her own private thoughts.”Brian Harvey, Radio Jazz, UK – www.radiojazz.co.uk“The happy swing of this music is gentle and enchanting – there is never a single note of irony in any of Hetty’s effortless interpretations of these old-time, all-time classic songs. This is a CD which can make any tough day sweet again.”Bill Stine, Turntable For One, Saturday, 10:00 PM, WMNR-FM, Connecticut USA- - ENDS - -

2012-10-23T14:09:11Z veneziano-s-bond-street-espresso-awarded-best-in-australia

Veneziano Coffee Roasters had another very successful result at the weekend’s Golden Bean roaster awards held at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, including a gold medal for the coveted espresso category for its seasonal Bond Street blend. Bond Street is a unique blend created by the roasting team at Veneziano, a team that includes the likes of Australia’s current barista champion Craig Simon, prepared from the finest single origin microlots. The blend changes each season as new green beans are released from around the world. The medal wins bring Veneziano’s medal tally to 32 for various roaster awards since 2004. The Golden Bean roaster awards are particularly significant because the results are determined by coffee industry peers.Veneziano’s weekend’s results were:Gold - Category 1 Espresso (Bond Street blend)Silver - Category 9 Chain Milk Based (Nashi) Bronze - Category 10 Chain Espresso (Nashi)Overall - Coffee Chain Winner: Nashi (by Veneziano Coffee Roasters)Bronze - Category 7 Decaffeinated (Latte)  Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - specialty roasters, supporter of direct trade and with producers and cooperatives, onsite world class barista training school, First Pour cafés espresso bars and coffee showrooms, home of Australian barista, latte art, cupping and roasting champions and licenced Q cupper, recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes. The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsford, VICwww.venezianocoffee.com.auwww.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoasterswww.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstr

2012-10-17T03:23:38Z australian-barista-champion-heads-advanced-barista-training

Australian Barista Champion Craig Simon of Veneziano Coffee Roasters will conduct a series of training roadshows across Australia during November, aimed at serious baristas with 12 months’ minimum industry experience looking to advance their skills and knowledge and enter official barista competitions.The four hour intensive course is designed to help participants understand how to unlock the potential of their coffee and equipment whilst demonstrating just how reliant the end coffee results are on their barista skills. The budding barista champions will also learn the secrets to success in coffee competitions! The seminars are only available to a maximum of eight baristas per session, in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne at the various First Pour and Veneziano Coffee Roasters venues. Participants will receive course certification upon passing.A licenced Q Grader with over six years’ experience in coffee skills and knowledge as a barista, cup taster, roaster and competitor, Craig’s sessions will cover:* Overview of coffee production and regions* Roasting techniques and effects on cup characteristics* Equipment calibration using Australian competition equipment* Advanced barista tips* Analysis of Craig’s winning competition blend* Understanding the process of creating the right blend for competitionsCompetition approved equipment is kindly being provided by sponsors Nuova Simonelli with the Aurelia II espresso machine, Espresso Mechanics are providing the Compact Grinder and Brita water filters are also on board. BeanScene and GRAM are promoting the events online and via print.Details:Brisbane: 19 NovemberSydney: 21 NovemberCanberra: 23 NovemberAdelaide: 26 NovemberMelbourne: 28 NovemberTime: 4pm - 8pm Cost: $300 per person.*book early, a maximum of only eight baristas per class.If you have any further enquiries please email Craig at training@venezianocoffee.com.auOr book at: www.venezianocoffee.com.au/training  Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - specialty roasters, supporter of direct trade and with producers and cooperatives, onsite world class barista training school, First Pour cafés espresso bars and coffee showrooms, home of Australian barista, latte art, cupping and roasting champions and licenced Q cupper, recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes. The First Pours are located at:SA - 111 Melbourne Road, AdelaideQLD - 369 Montague Road, West End BrisbaneVIC - 26 Bond Street, Abbotsfordwww.venezianocoffee.com.auwww.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoasterswww.twitter.com/VenezCoffeeRstr

2012-09-18T01:36:00Z veneziano-s-mike-wells-wins-south-australia-barista-championship

Mike Wells, head barista and coffee trainer with First Pour Adelaide at Veneziano Coffee Roasters, has won the weekend’s South Australian (SA) Barista Championship title held at the Royal Adelaide Show in Wayville, South Australia.Competing for the third time, Mike’s results to date include placing 7th in the 2012 Australian Barista Championship, 2nd in both the 2012 SA Barista and Latte Art Championships and 3rd in the 2011 SA Barista Championship.Hard work and dedication have paid off for Mike who’s been preparing for the 2013 round of competitions since the previous national competition ended back in May in Melbourne earlier this year. He is now eligible to compete for the title of 2013 Australian Barista Champion to be held at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in March 2013. “My favourite part of preparing for competition is by far the process of selecting my coffee and creating the blend,” explains Mike. His blend for the SA competition was an heirloom Ethiopian Tchembe pulp natural combined with a fully washed and sundried Guatemala Santa Clara. The coffee exhibited a floral aroma with hints of clean and juicy cherry, giving it a lovely vibrant acidity; notes of strawberry and grape with a light cocoa undertone and fruity sweetness. “But for me the best part of the blend is the wine-like mouthfeel and long finish,” says Mike.Co-owners of Veneziano Coffee Roasters in SA, Mario Macri and Remo Russo are understandably very proud of their baristas’ achievements. “We are absolutely thrilled with all that Mike has achieved in the short time that he’s been with us and I think it’s important to point out that a lot of his preparation   happens in his own time, which demonstrates the level of commitment a barista must adhere to if he (or she) is serious about succeeding at this level of competition,” says Mario. In other news, Mike’s colleague and talented Veneziano newcomer Ramy Massoud has placed second-runner up in the SA Latte Art and Brewers Cup Championships, his first time ever competing. “They are both fortunate to have the backing of a company as dedicated to specialty coffee as Veneziano is and with a huge pool of talent to draw on to assist with their personal development as a successful baristas, we expect to see even more from them both in the future”, says Remo, adding “No pressure though!”Veneziano’s well-accomplished baristas available for mentoring the newer recruits include Craig Simon (Australian Barista Champion 2012), Erin Sampson (3rd World Latte Art, 2009) and Jean-Paul Sutton (Queensland Barista Champion 2011 and national finalist 2009 - 2012).The Australian state and national coffee championships are run under the auspices of industry body the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) and are the only recognised path through to the World Barista Championship, also to be held in Melbourne in 2013, in an Australian first. Media Contacts: For further information, photo opportunities, tours, interviews or to find out about upcoming specialty coffee events at Veneziano Coffee Roasters and First Pours.  Additional information:Veneziano Coffee Roasters - specialty roasters, supporter of direct trade and with producers and cooperatives, on-site world class barista training school, First Pour cafés espresso bars and coffee showrooms, home of Australian barista, latte art, cupping and roasting champions and licenced Q cupper, recipient of countless awards and proud supplier to over 500 of Australia’s best cafes. The First Pour is located at 111 Melbourne Road, Adelaide, SA.www.venezianocoffee.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/venezianoCoffeeRoastershttps://www.facebook.com/FirstPourAdelaideMike Wells after his win, with Veneziano Coffee Roasters boss Craig Dickson (L) and sponsor representative from Detpak Marissa Jones (R).Ramy Massoud with his Latte Art second runner-up award.L-R: Ramy, happy co-owner of Veneziano Coffee Roasters in Adelaide Mario Macri, and 2013 SA Barista Champion Mike Wells.

2012-05-11T09:54:26Z veneziano-great-results-at-australian-coffee-championships-2012

Veneziano Coffee Roasters fared very well in the 2012 Australian coffee championships, including the highly coveted Australian Barista Championship title as won by their production manager Craig Simon. The event run by the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA) is the highlight of the competition calendar, as it’s the highest recognition amongst industry peers and the prelude to the world competitions, to be held in Vienna this June.Veneziano fielded competitors in each event represented by staff from Queensland, South Australia and Victoria and placed in each category. In addition to Craig’s win in the Australian Barista Championship, the company came out with third place in the other three competitions, being Australian Latte Art, Australia Cup Tasting and Australian Brewers Cup. The results for Veneziano were:Craig Simon (VIC) winner, Australian Barista Championship 2012Jean-Paul Sutton (QLD) finalist and 6th place, Australian Barista Championship 2012Mike Wells (SA), semi-finalist and 7th placeAustralian Barista Championship 2012Craig Simon (VIC), second runner-up, Cup Tasting Championship 2012Patrick Connolly (VIC) open heats, Cup Tasting Championship 2012Jen Marks (VIC),second runner-up, Australian Latte Art Championship 2012Adrian Zwicker (QLD), finalist and 6th placeAustralian Latte Art Championship 2012Josh Tarlo (VIC) second runner-up,Cup BrewersChampionship 2012Dylan Hewitt (VIC) open heats,Cup BrewersChampionship 2012While Craig Simon and Jean-Paul Sutton are seasoned competitors, the rest of the Veneziano team competed in the AASCA competition for the very first time and we look forward to seeing more of them in the future.The results, as with all competitors, are testament to the extra hours and dedication put towards practicing their craft. Jen, an experienced barista and previous manager of the First Pour, Abbotsford, now roaster for Veneziano and winner of the 2011 Pura Latte Art competition, entered the national competition as Victorian Latte Art champion.Adrian, a barista at the First Pour Brisbane also delivers beans to clients by day. Mike, the head barista at First Pour Adelaide finished in second place at the SA Barista Championship, competed in the repecharge in his first national competition and finished a more than respectable seventh place overall. Josh and Dylan man (and we mean man) the First Pour in Abbotsford and produce some superb espresso coffees as well as experiment regularly with the brew bar and the various brewing techniques. Pat is one of a team of dedicated roasters in the roastery next door.