Bean Scene Kelowna Barista Jam
On the auspicious date of February 14th, Kelowna’s Bean Scene coffee house held their first open barista jam/latte art throwdown. Bean Scene’s baristas were on hand, pouring in a head to head format against each other as well as other baristas. While latte art was the draw, this event was more about fostering some community within the Okanagan’s disparate “coffee scene”. Baristas from other Kelowna shops, and even a Vernon cafe (Bean to Cup Silver Star) showed up to pour some art and enjoy a night centred on coffee geekery.
The turnout for the event surprised me, as there were many membersof the general public . It was nice to see something like this attract and hold the attention of people outside the industry, -especially in the Okanagan. The success of this night is a precursor for nights to come, and shows that there is support for such events here.
I was told that Bean Scene Kelowna is looking at holding barista jams on a frequent basis as a way to get their baristas excited about and ready to compete in the Coffee Fest Latte Art Competition, held every few months. There is some interest on the part of at least two Vernon shops to hold barista jams as well.
I had camera in hand at the jam, and was able to get a few shots while I wasn’t busy talking shop or pouring (click on thumbnails for larger picture)…
Open Invitation – Bean Scene Kelowna Latte Art Competition
Great news for anyone looking to throw down some latte art and test their skills locally: Bean Scene Kelowna is holding a latte art competition at their downtown store on Februrary 14th, at 8pm. The competition is open to any barista who has the ability to pour latte art. Each competitor will have three minutes to make a present a beverage to judges. No pre-registration is required and all you need to do is show up and tell them you want to pour.
Bean Scene’s downtown Kelowna store is at 274 Bernard Avenue. They can be reached at (250) 763-1814.
