Sarah Reynolds is the Bartlett Mitchell Barista Champion for 2019.
Reynolds, who works at the independent caterer's site in Kent, took the title after a hotly contested final at London Fields Brewery.
Baristas from across the United Kingdom entered this year’s competition which was expanded to include a new quarter-final round to accommodate the increasing popularity of the competition since its launch in 2017.
Five finalists were given 15 minutes to produce an espresso course, a milk course and a signature course in order to demonstrate a broad spectrum of barista skills to the judges who included previous Bartlett Mitchell Champion finalists, and leading names from across the coffee sector.
Entrants were assessed on their knowledge of coffee, grinding skills, use of coffee machines and milk preparation techniques.
London-based Nobert Hegyi and Milka Valkanova finished in the runners-up and third places, respectively.
Miguel Camara, Bartlett Mitchell’s coffee brand manager, developed the competition to further strengthen the caterer’s commitment to refining its coffee offer.
This includes premium sustainable brand Perkee which the company introduced in 2016 in collaboration with beverage supplier, Bewleys, and the female-run Soppexcca coffee co-operative in Nicaragua. He said:
"It has been another incredible competition.
We have seen competitors from a very diverse range of businesses enter this year, and the standard is higher than ever.
"It is a pleasure to see our baristas showcase their skills with such finesse and passion.
"Huge congratulations to Sarah and all of the other finalists."
Executive Chairman, Wendy Bartlett, added:
"The Bartlett Mitchell Barista Championship has gone from strength to strength since its launch.
It’s a great chance for the fantastic talent we have across the business to showcase what they can do and we’re immensely proud of everyone that took part."
