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The Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2018 was a blast. Right now it is the morning after the day before and the caffeine has finally left my body. Even though I was at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2018 for just one day, it left a big impression on me.
The Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2018: Five times in a row by Smit Prins Amsterdam Agency.
The Smit Prins Amsterdam Agency did a wonderful job at reeling in the Amsterdam Coffee Festival for the fifth time in a row. Each time the festival gets bigger, better and bolder just like this years event. A lot of the big Dutch roasters and brands were present with their own stand or cooperating with other companies. There were lectures throughout the day and, aside from the Dutch Barista Championships (which was won by Lex Wenneker), there were three more championships at the venue. This year the Amsterdam Coffee Festival attracted over 10.000 visitors and the exact numbers could easily surpass that by another 1000. It did not surprise me to hear that the 2019 edition of this amazing event is already in the making.
The Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2018: The championships.
As I already mentioned, four championships were held throughout the course of the festival. Brave amateurs and highly skilled professionals all tried their best to reel in one of the four titles. Let’s take a look at who went home with a trophy.
The Dutch Barista Championships were won by FriendHats founder Lex Wenneker. Wenneker is starting to become some sort of jedi master by winning this competition for the third time. Speaking to Lex he said the following:
“This is amazing! The feeling that all those months of hard work and training has paid off, is incredible. For months on end you train and put everything aside for this moment. Everything must be perfect to win here, and it was. I will obviously celebrate for now, but in a couple of months I must be ready for my last World Barista Championships. Do not get me wrong, I am elated about winning the title, but this will be my last performance at this level. It takes a lot from a person to participate in these championships and I feel like this is it. But for now I will enjoy every bit of it for sure.
The runner up of this year was 2017 Champion Merijn Gijsbers who did an amazing job.
Third place was claimed by Dagmmar Geerlings who also did an amazing run.
The Dutch Cup Tasters Championships were won by Niels te Vaanhold. In the finals he had to compete with third place latte art winner Marlous van Putten, third place Brewers Cup winner Laurent l’Ortye and professional grader Norman Mazel. During the finals, the contestants were super close and the contest was decided by the last cup reveal by winner Niels te Vaanhold.
Next up is the Dutch Latte Art Championships that were won by Anouk Rodenburg. Anouk managed to stop the supremacy of Barista Nick Vink who had won the previous three titles back to back. Her impeccable performance on stage gave her a well deserved win over the rest of the competition.
Runner up was 2017 champion Nick Vink.
Third place was won by Marlous van Putten who later proved to be a serious cup taster as well by making it to the finals!
The Dutch Brewers Cup Championships was won by Olaf Boom. Olaf managed to shake off Bjorn Aarts and Laurent l’Ortye in a super exciting final. Laurent l’Ortye managed to work his way into the Cup Tasters finals two days later.
Congratulations to all of you!
The Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2018: I can’t wait until next year.
I had a great time at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2018. The WesterGas Fabriek in Amsterdam is the perfect place to set up an event like this because of its size and location. The lectures were compact and interesting and the many professionals that held their presentations in The Lab, did a great job.
There was more than just watching the championships and listening to presentations. There were stands which showcased the latest models of espresso machines and stands that held cuppings every two hours. The Roasters presented their latest roasts for everybody to try and you could shop for barista gear as well.
All in all, I cannot wait until next year!
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