Lexington Catering, one of the leading contract caterers in London, gave the team the chance to battle it out at their fourth annual BariStar competition. The live final was held at Knight Frank on 16th March 2017, where Artur Kukuryk, General Assistant at Lexington, was crowned BariStar of the Year 2017, after a competitive battle.
The judging panel, included Lexington’s CEO, Mike Sunley and Chef Director, Rob Kirby, Kerry Lawrence from Union Hand Roasted, illy coffee legend, Aniello Manfredonia, and James-Lee Campbell, Specialist Barista for UCC Coffee UK & Ireland.
Mike Sunley, CEO of Lexington and Elior’s B&I City Business, says, “The competition has gone from strength to strength. We had so many entries from the team this year and we’re immensely grateful to Kerry, Aniello and James for investing their time in coaching our team and for judging the competition. It was fabulous to see the baristas in action on the night and a huge congratulations to Artur, who was crowned BariStar of the Year”
This year Lexington’s BariStar competition was open to anyone who works in Lexington and the Elior City B&I business. Over 100 individuals attended the training and nine baristas went head to head at the live final where they had to show the judges they not only have the technical capabilities to make fabulous coffee but also creativity. The winners were:
– First Place: Artur Kukuryk, General Assistant at Lexington
– Second Place: Dionisio Ramos Cano, General Assistant at Lexington
– Third Place: Alvaro Bozzi, General Assistant at Elior
Arthur`s signature coffee was named ‘Caldo & Freddo’, which he made with hot chocolate and two shots of coffee, blended with iced cubes and liquid sugar – he poured the hot chocolate in first, followed by the iced coffee, which enhanced the ‘cold & hot’ taste experience.
Commenting on his win, Artur Kukuryk, General Assistant at Lexington says, “I am very happy and proud to be the winner of BariStar 2017. It was a fabulous opportunity to be trained by some of the very best and hear from some of the leading experts in the coffee industry.
“Now, more than ever, I feel that I am giving my very best as a barista and winning the competition has given me great confidence in my role. I would like to thank my manager’s Valeria and Anthony, my brilliant trainer, Aniello, our Head Chef, Simon, and all my colleagues for their help and support during this amazing journey. I am really excited about the future!”
Kerry Lawrence, Judge and Account Manager at Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, said, “The Lexington BariStar 2017 competition really was a pleasure to be a part of. The energy and talent of all those involved, particularly the finalists was awesome and very impressive. It was truly inspiring to watch the finalists create and deliver their signature. The finalists should all be very proud of themselves – they all did an amazing job. I am particularly proud of both of the Baristas who represented Union Hand-Roasted Coffee in the final especially as Damjan from Omnicom who came second place. I am already looking forward to BariStar 2018!”
Click here to view our short film featuring the 2017 BariStar competition with our coffee partners Union, illy and UCC.
