Another successful Coffee Culture Days event chooses champions for London

LITHUANIA 28th February 2010

When Akropolis, the country's biggest shopping centre hosted the Coffee Culture Days 2010 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in late February, National Coordinator Vytautas Kratulis reports, the event chose both Lithuania's best Barista and best Latte artist.

Coffee Culture Days 2010 took place on a Saturday and Sunday and during the two days, the organisers' preparations allowed the shopping centre's visitors to consume several thousand cups of coffee. Meanwhile, the coffee professionals were competing to see who would represent Lithuania in the World Barista Championship and World Latte Art Championship in London this coming June.

This Barista Championship was already the sixth held in Lithuania. This year 17 masters of coffee competed, from various Lithuanian cafes and restaurants. On Saturday, a respected international panel of judges selected six finalists from the participants, and these finalists came back again on Sunday to find the winner. Also on Sunday, three contestants competed to be the best in Latte Art.

The participants were assessed by the international jury, made up of experienced coffee judges from Colombia, Canada, Greece, Belarus, Poland, Russia, Estonia and Lithuania. The event was organised under the official rules of the World Barista Championship.

The results were as follows: in the 6th Lithuanian Barista Championship, Agne Dirsaitė of Sviezia Kava in Vilnius came first, with 455 points; Domas Ivonis from Vero Café in Vilnius achieved 440 points to place second; and Domas Balandis of Paulig in Vilnius was third, with 438.5 points. (The winners are pictured above in a photo by A. Zeigis).

In the Lithuanian Latte Art Championship: Domas Balandis of Paulig, Vilnius achieved 19 points, to become the winner; Ina Poderytė, from Vero Café in Kaunas came second with 18 points; while Laimonas Cepas of Eugesta in Vilnius) was third, with 11.5 points.

Winners Agne Dirsaitė and Domas Balandis will represent Lithuania in London in June.

The annual Coffee Culture Days 2010 events, and the coffee professionals' Championships were organised by the Special Coffee Association (YKA), which is the SCAE's representative in Lithuania. The organisers would like to say a huge "Thank You" to all sponsors, participants and spectators, for helping to make Coffee Culture Days such a successful event once again.