“I’m very excited, happy and it was an opportunity for me to meet other baristas and reflect on my journey to see ok, at least I’m growing, I’m doing something with my life, I’m not stagnant. Winning the Barista Battle has shown me that I have the potential and I can improve myself”, says this year’s Coffee MM Barista Battle’s Overall Barista Battle Champion, Shalom Chikanya, from Strand.
Topping the win, he adds the competition presented him with a networking opportunity to meet other industry workers and improve upskilling prospects.
Shalom, who was drawn to the coffee industry after seeing some mind-blowing latte art and this interest later grew into a love for coffee he says. He competed with eight other baristas in this year’s Barista Battle Season Two: Local Love, hosted in Stellenbosch on Saturday July 20.
A stint at a speciality coffee shop opened his eyes to how coffee drew people from all walks of life to one space. “It was like a community space, people of different beliefs would come there and I was so inspired by that environment; how a community was built under the banner of coffee and I saw that coffee is doing good things and this is where I fell in love with the industry.
He elaborates on his industry goals. “My goals are to do more courses and someday open my own coffee shop. I would love to be known for building a community where I can connect my two passions coffee and music.”
On the creative side, winner in the Best Latte Art category was Evans Chipezeze, from Stellenbosch, who impressed judges with his artistry of a lion and dog. “The inspiration was just knowing that people love creativity, so on the mocha I made a dog just because people love dogs and they’re beautiful creatures and with the lion I was just showing off my skills,” he says.
He says an innate passion and willingness to learn new things are what’s essential to thrive in the industry. “Naturally there is no trick in making coffee, you just need passion and to love being creative. I love when people smile when I make them my art my own creations, basically it’s just passion,” he says.
Awarded for his expansive coffee knowledge winning Coffee Connoisseur was Austain Zhanota, also from Stellenbosch. A career change landed him in the industry. “I was then fascinated with the coffee culture and later on driven by the spirit of entrepreneurship,” he says.
His favourite coffee is drip coffee. “I am a classic and a busy bee kind of person who values simplicity and familiarity and always in need of a quick and reliable coffee to keep moving,” he explains.
The buzzing, innovative and expressive local coffee culture excites him. “It’s a dynamic, flavourful and socially conscious scene that reflects the country’s complex history, diverse influences and vibrant creativity,” he sums it up.
