Baristi in concert

Hello,

Besides coffee I really like wine.
And in Holland I’m lucky to know some foreign wine importers.
And if there is a wine show or wine exhibition we always try to be there with our coffee.
Because we try to reach the sommeliers. They are very important for the coffee in restaurants.

My son acts like he scored the winning goal in the Champions League!

And sometimes we are very lucky with the location of the wine show. This time it was the Amsterdam Arena. Home of my favorite Ajax Amsterdam. My friend Alain, who is owner of the German wine promotiondesk invited 100 of the best German wine producers. and more than 800 sommeliers and restaurant owners. Barista mate Onno and me acting like we coach Ajax to the champions league final

When we build up our mobile barista unit on Sunday evening we were really lucky, because the touring car with the selection just came back from the match against AZ Alkmaar. And lucky enough they won that match so the players and coach were very optimistic.

I brought my son and his two friends with me and they had the change to make pictures witch all players and coach Henk ten Cate. (Who just left to Chelsea).

My son and his cousin and friend with Henk the Man!

During the wine show we felt like DJ’s. Our bar really looked like a DJ booth. It’s an amazing experience to make espresso’s on top level in a top stadium! Most of the (800) sommeliers were surprised about the quality off our espressi and cappuccini.

Take care,

Jeroen

Milan

Hello all,

Just came back from three days Milan.
After all those beautiful Milan years we had, I now have to say that is was boring.
It was a big show, but at the same time an empty show. And where were all the novelties? All those booths were there with some people and some machines, but it didn’t rock. There was no fun, there were no workshops, just not much interesting.

Mirjam in me in a mirror scene in ‘Zuco in Galleria’

Of course there were some well designed booths. and afer a good search there were some novelties. But not the novelties we were all looking for.
I was impressed by the Rancillio just for you system. The Just4You program offers the possibility to create your favorite espresso machine finished in Animal Safe leather.

I official received the golden amper from Michel, finally

And there was the up and down going groupheads from Vibieme. They also introduced adjustable boiler systems. They couldn’t show it in action yet, but we’ll wait.

We met lots of people from the business, but is seems like nobody has time. We were all running, talking, searching etc.

At the party it was different. On Friday there was the La Marzocco party in ‘café Fingers’.
Funny name… again everybody was there.

We started earlier that afternoon with aperitivo in ‘Zuco in Galleria’. Together with Mirjam, UK Simon Robertson and David Cooper, Dutch friends Michel and Sabine (Alleborgh / La Pavoni) and Menno and Talita (Bocca trader).

Simon and David tried to do normal, but for us it was a perfect persiflage of Hugh Grand, i really had pain in my belly. What a dry sort of humor. Oh my god, I’m still smiling when I think back on that moment!

Under: Willy Hansen, Kees van der Westen and Kent Bakke: loads of espresso knowledge

Fabian Schmidt, supplier of Mirage machines in Germany shows his Magic eyes…

The party was OK, but I drunk too much cocktails at the aperitivo, so we left early.

Tjeerd and Ivo. Our Dutch barista top models. they really rockt on the WEGA booth

Saturday night was Dalla Corte night. In an old factory the placed a bar and a band. And they really rock. The guitar player was from Mick Jaggers live band. Compliments on that.

That was it. I wish I could tell you more of the SIC but I didn’t find more…

take care,

Jeroen

cupping event

all,

During the WBC in Antwerp we where very enthusiastic about the cupping championships. It was funny to realize that a simple event as the cupping competition was so entertaining for the audience. But more important is that we can bring the green coffee world and the barista world together. And that is what we need in The Netherlands.

So we decided to organize a cupping event in Holland. It was a very good event. More than 130 people from the Dutch coffee world where there and 50 people competed.

We started the program with a very good presentation from Dick de Kock from Coffee Company. He explained a lot about taste.

Than Menno Simons from Trabocca coffee traders speeches about his favorite coffee country, Ethiopia. With he did with some amazing pictures and passion.

Now we did this cupping event we are sure that we can find more than 100 competitors for our first official Dutch cupping competition next year!

for the full flickr set click here