Brett Peterzim (17) and Eva Drugmans (17) represent the hotel schools of Herck de Stade and Hasselt in the Barista Competition (Tongeren)

On Wednesday 8 March, Koffie Rombouts will be looking for the best junior barista in Belgium for the 12th time. 17 students from different hotel schools at Ter Groene Poorte in Bruges will compete for the coveted title. Young coffee lovers—one for each school—will judge four espressos, four cappuccinos, and two Slow coffee (filtered coffee) according to the rules of Art. In addition, candidates are also subject to Taste the cup, where they have to taste and distinguish different coffees. The judging panel is made up of local and international Michelin starred business champions and experts. The main prize is a trip to Brazil, the country of coffee par excellence, for the student and the teacher.

Clean coffee maker

“At the beginning of this school year I haven’t had coffee yet,” surprised Eva Drugmans (17) from Tongeren. She is representing Hotelschool Hasselt at the Barista Competition in Bruges. Eva prepares under teacher Kathleen Cerdons. And this is an advantage that should not be underestimated, because Kathleen won the Belgian Barista Championship in 2010 and even participated in the World Cup in Colombia. So she knows all the tricks of the trade.

“Mrs. Cerdons taught me to appreciate coffee. When I used to drink it, it had a lot of sugar in it. Now I dare even drink my own black coffee,” Eva laughs. She participates in the competition at the request of her teacher. “When I saw her working the coffee machine at the beginning of this school year, I knew immediately that Eva was the right candidate. She works with such precision,” Kathleen Cerdons nods. And that rigor is essential to a barista, because, as it turns out, a lot can go wrong. According to Eva, what are the most important things when it comes to making good coffee? “A clean coffee machine, freshly ground beans, and the right grind size.”

correct temperature

Britt Petersem, 17, from Herck-de-stadt, has dreamed of having her own café since she was 10 years old. “I’m really passionate about coffee,” Brett says. “There are so many different beans and flavors, you can do so much with them. Of course I’d love to win this barista competition, but for me it’s mainly about experiment.”

To get a good figure in the final, the candidates have to practice, practice and practice again. Britt and her mentor, Nicole Waters, left nothing unturned to prepare well for going to Bruges. This past spring break, they were at school almost every day to practice. “There’s very little time for this in the classroom, so it should be done after school,” says Nicole. “Brett and I recently took an espresso and latte art course together in Holland. It was also very beneficial for me.”

What is a good coffee for Brit? “It shouldn’t be too soft, but also not too strong. The coffee should be drinkable for everyone. The right temperature is important too.” When I go somewhere for coffee, I notice that it’s often served very cold.