Agnieszka Rojewska Is The 2018 London Coffee Masters Champion

There were four, afterwards there were two. Then there was only one. That one is Agnieszka Rojewska, a freelance aspirant from Poland, a 2018 Coffee Masters champion during a London Coffee Festival.

On paper, Rojewska was ostensible to win. She’s a 4 time inhabitant latte art champion, has won inhabitant barista championships more times than we can count, and was a finalist during final year’s New York Coffee Masters. This was hers to win. On paper. (She might have even been a not-so-quiet pick of a Sprudge team.) But things never play out like they are ostensible to. Rojewska had a self-described “rough” initial round, fixation her in a core of a tip 8 cutoff during a finish of a initial day with a second, incomparable day still left to compete. But Rojewska hold on to a sixth place spot, earning her approach to a subsequent round. And after that, it all went according to plan.

Agnieszka Rojewska (right) blind folded during a cupping challenge, with decider Freda Yuan (center) and MC Lem Butler (left).

Rojewska initial had to block off opposite Network Cafe’s Daniel Horbat in a semi-final round. She got off to a quick start by rightly reordering 4 out of 6 coffee cups—the top measure put down all weekend in a discipline—before putting adult 8 of 10 drinks in a Order round, one reduction than Horbat. But Rojewsak eventually prevailed and done it into a Finals turn to face Rob Clarijs of Dasawe Coffee Roasters and Beanspire.

In a Finals, Rojewska fell behind early to Clarijs after he successfully named a origins of dual coffees on a cupping list to her zero. But with a Latte Art round—Rojewska’s best fortify going by her résumé—shortly to follow, she was still really most in it. And indeed, after holding a dual to one feat in Latte Art, it call came down to a Signature Beverage round.

Judges Tim Wendelboe (left), David Donde (center) and Freda Yuan demeanour on.

Rojewska’s winning splash was a take on a solitaire and tonic, regulating solitaire (of course), a tonic syrup—consisting of a zests of a lime, orang, and grapefruit, brownish-red sugar, quinine aromatics, and cold water—and 150ml pour-over of her Ugandan coffee from a Mzungu Project and roasted by Gardelli Specialty Coffees, carbonated and afterwards bottled. Judges would afterwards cocktail open a bottle with their Palace Guard bottle openers, flow suffer a supposing glass, and enjoy.

Then came what might arguably a hardest part: a waiting. Rojewska and Clarijs had to persperate it out for some 30 mins before a proclamation was made. But once a name of a £5,000 esteem check was revealed, there could be no mistaking that a leader was Agnieszka Rojewska.

Rojewska photographed in Shoreditch, London.

It will stirring to see Rojewska, a barista that we have privately seen on a World theatre contest mixed times opposite a accumulation of events never to cranky that ultimate finish line, finally raise a most tough fought and well-deserve prize over her head. On paper it was hers to win. But now it’s on carboard. A large check-sized piece, with “Agnieszka Rojewska” and “£5,000” created on it.

Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of a 2018 London Coffee Festival is upheld by Cafe ImportsAcaiaAssembly CoffeeOatly UKFaema, and Loveramics.

Zac Cadwalader is a news editor during Sprudge Media Network. All photos by Zac Cadwalader for Sprudge. 

Much some-more coverage of a 2018 Coffee Masters contest from London Coffee Festival is accessible during Sprudge Live.