HUNGARY 5th May 2010

Last year’s 6^th ranked barista in the world, Attila Molnár, became Barista Champion of Hungary for third year in the row, in late April, when he showed his professionalism to the judges and audience who attended the first Csodálatos Kávé (Wonderful Coffee) exhibition, reports Tibor Hajcsunk of the Hungarian chapter.

Sándor Tóth ranked second in the Championship, and Miklós Gál came third. 

Alongside Barista Champion Attila Molnár, Hungary will have Adam Török competing in Latte Art, Sándor Tóth competing in Coffee in Good Spirits and Szabolcs Temesvári competing in the Cup Tasters World Championships in London, following their wins at the competitions in Budapest. (The champions, pictured (l-r): Attila Molnár, Barista, Sándor Tóth, Coffee in Good Spirits, Adam Török, Latte Art and Szabolcs Temesvári, Cup Tasting).

The Hungarian chapter would like to thank Brasilia for the coffee machines, Mahlkönig for grinders, KSW for milk, Pincér and Cafe & Bar magazine for media support, Csodálatos Kávé Exhibition for providing wonderful working conditions, and of course the volunteers and staff who helped in execution of the event.

Special thanks go as well to the judges: Pauline and John Sherwood, Marc-Pierre Dietrich, Luigi Lupi and Romeo Lambaša, who, despite travel difficulties, never questioned coming to the event. We were also glad to have SCAE Past President Colin Smith with us in Budapest.

The Hungarian Chapter congratulates the winners and very much looking forward to meet coffee friends in London.

Colin Smith, making his first visit to Budapest, reports: "The event attracted around 50 stands, many of which were very well appointed and offering a great range of coffees, machines and associated items for the coffee industry. The import of Italian brands is very prevalent and there seems to be very little filter or cafetiere coffee sold. A few entrepreneurs and small roasters were offering speciality origins, showing an interest in developing the profile of coffee in the country.

A lot of advertising had preceded the event, but the lovely weather may have kept the crowds away. I was assured though, that the visitors that did attend showed a real interest in the products, and had made the show worthwhile.

The three-day programme of SCAE competitions to choose the Hungarian champions for London had a lot of support, both from competitors and audience. Judges, including Membership and Chapter Development Chair Pauline Sherwood, had managed to fly in thanks to the lifting of the embargo on air travel all over Europe. 

The presentation of the drinks and the standard achieved by the competitors showed that a lot of work had been expended in preparation for the event. Once again, the Cup Tasting Championship resulted in an exciting finish, with two tasters getting equal points, and only a few seconds being the deciding factor.

Overall, the organisational work by Hungarian National Coordinator Robert Soti, along with Tibor Hajcsunk and Janos Szongoth, produced a very successful and entertaining event."