London Latte Art Smackdown 2014 - #smackdown14 - Round One

There is already a waiting list. Forty- eight baristas have entered and we already have a waiting list of about five people. What are we going to do next year? Think we will worry about that when we get to it.

In the meantime, we had a fabulous night on Tuesday as about 35 people crowded into Kaffeine to watch the first heats. For those who know the shop, we move all our sandwich grills, cash register, retail products and decaf grinder off the bench top and move all our stools downstairs to make more room. Chef Jared had made some of his famous savoury scrolls and sweet muffins and we have some beer in the fridge that was available to calm peoples nerves if required, or make them more rowdy (as if that was needed).

The obligatory fixie wheel bikes were parked out the front and at 7:30 pm we started with the first heats. We had people standing at the bar, people standing on the benches, Kate Beard from Barista magazine taking photos, loads of other cameras and camera phones going off all over the place with judges Glenn, James and Oli behind the bar deliberating and being very, very serious.

The first round started and our own Bianca stepped up to be the first off, very much like taking the first tee in golf in the Saturday tournament in front of an expectant crowd. (I know what that’s like…) and so here are the results of Round one

Bianca from Kaffeine against Ross from Browns – Winner Ross

Oscar from Artisan against Simone from HMC – Winner Oscar

Jakub from Kaffeine against Samuel from Artisan – Winner Samuel

Robin from Prufrock against Elin from Curators – Winner Robin

Tim from Curators against Marek from Taylor Street – Winner Tim

A person whose name I can’t remember from Browns against Piotr from Prufrock – Winner Piotr

So in the second round we had

Ross v Oscar – Winner Ross

Samuel v Robin – Winner Samuel

Tim v Piotr – Winner Tim

So these three go through to the final on the 18th at SQM.

This week it is on again with cafes being represented:

Elliots

Nude

Artisan

Kaffeine

Taylor Street

Curators

Iris and June and

Prufrock

Judges are Ben Townsend from Espresso Room and London School of Coffee and Phil ‘Bass Player’ Wain.

Entry from 7 pm, heats start at 7:30 pm, all done by 9 pm.

We have some photos here from the legend that is lead judge Glenn Watson