At the 34th SIGEP a large area dedicated to coffee culture, from the plant to the end product…
At the 34th International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Confectionery and Bakery production (Rimini Fiera 19-23 January 2013), coffee will confirm its role as one of the key players of the show on the world of artisan confectionery.
SIGEP Coffee (in Hall A1) is the event dedicated to the promotion of the culture of coffee and its entire production chain, from the plant to the served end product, and will be animated by the world’s top baristas. This space will become a reference point for trade members to learn and increase their professionalism.
Above all it will be a showcase in which coffee will put on a great show, by means of truly unique competitions between baristas:
CIBC/ Italian Cafeteria Barista Championship (from Saturday 19th to Monday 21st January 2013), in which 24 professionals selected in contests held throughout Italy during the last year will take part. The competition, valid for admission to the World Barista Championship, consists in preparing in a maximum time of 15 minutes, 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 personalized non-alcoholic beverages based on espresso, to be served to a panel of judges formed by expert tasters. The event has the patronage of the SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association of Europe) and the SCAA (Speciality Coffee Association of America), and is organized by Rimini Fiera in collaboration with A.C.I.B., Association of Italian Barista Championships.
CILA/ Italian Latte Art Championship (from Monday 21st to Tuesday 22nd January 2013). This championship enables access to the World Latte Art Championship. The ten contestants will have to pass various tests of skill and creativity to qualify for the finals (on Tuesday 22nd January), during which the six best contestants admitted will be invited to prepare in eight minutes two identical cafés au lait, two identical hot milks with a dash of coffee and two identical personalized beverages to submit to two visual judges, a technical judge and a jury chief;
CICS/Italian “Coffee in Good Spirits” Championship (Tuesday 22nd January 2013). Valid for the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship and divided into two parts: in the preliminary phase, participants will have 5 minutes at their disposal for preparation and 8 minutes to make four beverages: two (identical) alcohol-based hot coffees and two (identical) alcohol-based cold coffees. The beverages must be based on a theme connected with the nation hosting the Championship. The six best contestants will go forward to the final stage, in which they will be required to prepare two Irish Coffees and two hot or cold alcohol-based coffees.
As well as the Championships, the calendar includes various initiatives for getting to know and tasting coffee and the art of preparing it: there will be daily demos, workshops and seminars with “Rimini Caffè”, which will take the form of short meetings with seminars going in depth into matching, experimenting and tasting coffee.
These appointments will include the outstanding “Coffee Chat”, a space in which Italian Barista Champion Elisa Molle, the first lady to win this title in Italy, representing her country at the World Barista Championship, will propose curiosities and suggestions, as well as giving demos and hosting tasting sessions.
Elisa Molle stated, “SIGEP is the scene of my victory, my success in my profession and as a woman. It is an event that I have seen grow year by year and I grew along with it, so I’m honoured to be a testimonial. The real victory of these competitions is the procedure necessary to reach them – training done aiming for perfection and applying all your knowledge to the work. In fact, professional baristas are people who first and foremost spread the culture of coffee, starting from an in-depth knowledge of the plant, through to the preparation of the beverage and the care taken when serving it, on order that an apparently simple act such as sipping an espresso becomes a unique rewarding sensorial experience that reveals the passion and experience of the person who prepared it. The real victory for baristas is when they consider every client they have as a judge!”
Training sections include, on Sunday 20th January from 11.30 am (organized by Pasticceria Internazionale), the professional seminar on Coffee’s Investment in Pastry making and Food Service from the point of view of Quality and Creativity, on the topic “Coffee to eat”, a practical meeting on recipes, tasting and original ideas on coffee as a beverage and as an ingredient, shown by three professionals: a barman will present coffee-based hot and cold beverages, which will be mixed with cacao, milk, spices, liqueurs/spirits and other ingredients; the pastry-chef will show how to use coffee in a creative manner in desserts for table, counter and take-away service; the chocolatier will make original sweets.
www.sigep.it – www.abtechexpo.it