Last week’s Philippine National Barista Assembly was the first for national barista champion, Michael Harris Conlin. The assembly was a full-day event comprised of competitions and talks by industry heavyweights.
They celebrated a love for the craft by sharing their expertise and knowledge in barista competitions, coffee equipment, and even business.
And they battled it out with an ultimate barista challenge, a latte art throwdown, and the first Philippine Comandante Grind ever.
The event brought together big names in the coffee and business industry such as Hidenori Izaki (the first Asian World Barista Champion), Joe McTaggart (2016’s Berlin Comandante Champion), and Francis Kong (2014’s Outstanding Filipino Awardee).
This was a special event spotlighting the barista while paying respect to their craft, promoting camaraderie, and showcasing their skills. It’s also the first event lined up for the Baristas’ Quest campaign, which Michael established with the purpose of empowering Filipino baristas from all over the country.
Follow @baristasquest on Instagram.