Coffee Heaven, the Colombian drip trip

PUBLISHED: 28/02/2005

Residence Rhenen te Rhenen will be transformed into coffee addict Walhalla
on March 7th because exclusive coffee brand Peeze is hosting their annual
Barista Contest. On behalf of Hotel Wyswert this year, 1st year IHM student
Niels van Felius (23) will compete with a few of the very best to make his own
delicious creation with this dark drink.

When waking up, there is only 1 real important thing... COFFEE. Once called the new sweet, mellifluous drink of the gods but in fact made from little black (green) beans. From the manufactured Colombian drip to the machine caffeine trip, coffee has
many different names. People become more enthusiastic and what would this world be like if there was not a contest in which people try to make the BEST coffee, espresso to beexact.

Niels van Felius didn’t exactly start out in the Horeca business but when he did, it was like slipping in a glove that fits exactly. One of his colleagues actually introduced him to the idea of making coffee into an art. “Making coffee was actually
pushed into one corner until a few years ago.” He smiles, “At home, near the stove was the most typical place to serve your coffee, created by an upcoming brand, which now holds a large portion within the market. Nowadays espresso is making its
comeback because of all the new possibilities. Because of this, a few of the largest espresso brands decided to create this competition.”

But what is a Barista?
“A Barista is actually an Espresso Master, a true Italian bar man, it’s about the 4 M’s. Melange, Mill, Machine and the Master. Have these perfected, you’re good to go.”

The competition is as follows:
before you start, you have to get picked. Everyone will present their arts but if you are in the beginning or in the end, that depends on the judges. The further you are on the day, the more you have to watch your mill. Due to the steam and the
water in the air, the more difficult it will be to make a good ‘mean’ cup.
“You get 15 minutes to make 4 equal Espressi, 4 equal Cappucinni and 4 equal specialty coffees and next to this you are also watched from every side. A camera follows your every move and will show this on a large white screen.

You give your presentation through a microphone and with this it is important, if not imperative, that you present yourself as a host, that you are in control, that you know what to do and that you understand what you are working with. Not many men can do more than one thing at a time, but luckily a lot of things can be taught! After the new Dutch
Barista is chosen, this person will accompany Donar Theunisen in Seattle, and will also work his/her magic in Japan. These are the World wide Championships.”

A specialty coffee is a coffee which is original, different, tasty and most of all unique! What Niels’ specialty coffee will be, shall remain a mystery but for those who know the name El Buli*, this would give a small impression of what it will be
like.

Last year Niels already competed for the same title. Unfortunately he didn’t win but he has learned a few important lessons.
“I think what I learned was to have better knowledge about my products, more interest and attention to my presentation, not just the cups and the saucers but also that I should become more peaceful with my presentation skills. Being prepared
is what I think counts most.”

Enthusiastically Niels shows some videos which present some of the techniques used in the year before and explains that from watching these tapes and making mental
notes, he improves his skills as well as he learns from the mistakes of others.

“I aim to impress this year.My ultimate goal is of course to reach first place but I would be satisfied with a second place as well. I am expecting a third place but this is because a former ‘Latte Arte’ champion is competing as well.

‘Latte Arte’ is a technique with which you ‘pour’ your milk in beautiful shapes into the cup, allowing the milk to make a white figure through the dark crème layer.
Difficult is a word that springs to mind and it is!”

So why represent Hotel Wyswert?
“Of course the brand Peeze is used by our Hotel. It gave me instant access to the company and the options of training with them to better myself and prepare for the
competition. Furthermore I think that there are still a lot of students who have no real skills in making good coffee. When I am a second, and eventually third year student I would like to be able to transfer my knowledge onto them.”

A good goal indeed and so Niels has big plans. Next to that he considers Coffee as a fun hobby, he is not completely sure what he plans to do with it in the future.

“Let’s just say that if I end up in a hotel, there you will be able to get one hell of a cup of coffee. If I end in any other brand, I will make sure that my business partners and friends will always be served the best coffee.”

Even though the world does not exist of coffee lovers alone, it would still be a treat to visit the competition.

If you can’t wait to give your eyes a feast and have a great coffee lesson, this would be Coffee Heaven indeed. Coffee will no longer be considered a sin, nor will it ever be forgotten from people’s minds after having this small moment of felicity.
And be aware, Niels is making his jump towards the Espresso Kingdom.

*World renown chef from Spain. Known for his special combinations of products in dishes.

More information on the
competition:www.peeze.nl/barista