SIAL Middle East hosts coffee championships

THE 2017 UAE National Coffee Championships will be held at SIAL Middle East, the region’s fastest growing professional exhibition for the food and beverage industry, which takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, from 12-14 December 2017.

The specialty coffee scene in the Middle East is growing fast. At the 8^th edition of the trade event, there will be three official competitions, certified by World Coffee Events (WCE) and sanctioned by the Specialty Coffee Association will at the championships, bringing together the region’s most passionate and talented baristas.

“We are delighted to host the 2017 UAE National Coffee Championships at our exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The specialty coffee industry is a key part of the region’s rapidly expanding food and beverage industry, and hosting the competition is a natural partnership between SIAL Middle East and the Specialty Coffee Association,” says Joanne Cook, Managing Director of SIAL Middle East.

Khalid Al Mulla, National Coordinator of the SCA’s UAE Chapter added, “Bringing the regions’ most exceptional baristas together and showcasing their talents to 16,000+ trade visitors is an incredible step towards increased awareness and knowledge of the specialty coffee industry. SIAL Middle East is now a key partner for the Specialty Coffee Association and the UAE Chapter, and we’re very excited to see this partnership grow.” 

National Cezve/Ibrik Championship

One of the oldest forms of coffee preparation that have existed throughout history in the Middle East, the Cezve/Ibrik employs traditional heated sand or a modern burner to heat a small pot with a distinct elongated handle to brew coffee. The UAE National Cezve/Ibrik Championship competition highlights the skills and talents of the barista to showcase this traditional coffee preparation technique to produce an amazing cup of specialty coffee.

National Brewers Cup Championship

The UAE National Brewers Cup Championship competition showcases coffee preparation in its purist form as baristas demonstrate their high level of skill through filter coffee brewing, done entirely by hand.  In this exciting competition the competitors are tasked with preparing and serving three individual coffee beverages for a panel of judges.

National Cup Tasters Championship

An expert at tasting and distinguishing levels of quality and flavour differences in specialty coffee is called a cupper. By far the most exciting of all coffee competitions, the UAE National Cup Tasters Championship judges’ cuppers on their ability to exhibit accuracy and speed when drawing on their superior palate, sense of smell, attention to detail, and experience in choosing the cup of coffee that has an almost imperceptible difference in taste, out of three cups of almost identical coffees.