Events: Costa Coffee Barista of the Year

I was recently invited to the Barista of the Year event organized by Costa Coffee at the Marina Walk branch in Dubai. Being my first invite to such an event, I was pretty excited for it. After getting lost for a bit, I managed to reach the branch just about in time.

As I entered the Costa premises, I was guided by cheerful baristas, to the room where the event was to take place. I sat down on my table and was told to order whatever I liked to drink whilst being served with some delicious Costa sandwiches.

The event started with a brief talk on how important the Baristas are and the need to award them for all their hard work.

Before prizes were distributed to the winning Baristas, the Costa Customer Winner was announced. The lucky and loyal Costa customer grabbed herself, a one year supply of Costa Coffee (unfortunately I couldn't grab her name).

Costa Customer Winner

Then began the fun session of distribution of awards, clicking of photographs and loads of smiles and laughter.

The following is the list of the winning Baristas:

- Kasaf Sanillka Perera - Mall Area

- Lasantha Chamara Pigera - Abu Dhabi Airport

- Joan Ilagan - Airport Area

- Feb Casinillo - Office Area

- Lauraine Atatar - Kiosk Area

- Anthony Ofilandra - The Nation's Favourite Barista

The winners were cheerful and happy with what they had managed to achieve. The celebrations continued for a while and I managed to dig into another irresistable Costa sandwich in the mean time. I am pretty sure that the Baristas would have partied hard that night, celebrating their achievements. Where? That I have no idea about ;)  

The winning Baristas

A big thanks to Wendy (from Mcollins Media) and Costa Coffee for the invite. It was a short and fun event with happy faces all around.

Coffee please !!

That amazing feeling of stepping out of your bed and having a cup of coffee sitting pretty in the breakfast tray with some egg and croissants to savor. What about that post lunch cappuccino that relaxes your senses during a tiring day at work? Yes, we all love that, don’t we?

Coffee for many of us is not only a beverage but also a friend that comes to our relief when we need it most. Over the years, we have a number of brands who have come up with their coffee stores or as some say coffeehouses. We often argue about which coffeehouse is the best? The question being is there a coffeehouse that is actually the best or it just comes down to personal preferences.

In this post we talk about 7 different coffeehouses that I recently visited and what I think about each one of them. Which one of them will be crowned as the best? Let’s find out!

     1.  Caribou Coffee (USA)

Whenever one enters Caribou, you get the feeling of an old cottage. It feels like a cozy place, which you can call home. It’s a place where you sit all day long sipping from your cup. The coffee is decent and the smoothies are good. Answer the Trivia question for the day and get a buck off. Yes, they do have some delicious sandwiches that you might want to dig into.

My picks: Strawberry Banana Smoothie, Chocolate Cooler

Favourite outlet: DIFC

     2. Costa (UK)

Costa gives a different feel altogether. It looks like one of those more sophisticated coffeehouses where working men or women would drop by to have a quick cup of coffee. It could also be a good place for short one-on-one business meetings. I would prefer to grab my breakfast along with some coffee from Costa while hitting the office.

My picks: Iced Caramel Latte, Mocha

Favourite outlet: City Tower 2 (Sheikh Zayed Road)

3.  Dome (Australia)
Dome is nothing but an Australian version of Costa. It might not be as big as Costa but the feel is the same. The ambience is as sophisticated as in Costa. However the menu options available apart from coffee are vast. It wouldn’t be wrong to state that Dome actually has the widest range of options available as compared to other coffee houses. It is a place where you would like to spend a couple of hours munching something, while having a coffee by the side.

My picks: Café Vienna, Latte

Favourite outlet: Burjuman (Next to Burjuman Metro Station)

4. Gloria Jeans (USA/Australia)

Some would argue Gloria Jeans is from USA, while the others would say Australia. It did originate in USA but is an Australian owned coffeehouse.  The ambience at Gloria Jeans café is a mix; a mix of the homely feel and the sophisticated one. Personally I prefer the feel since it allows me to visit the place with friends or with an office colleague for a meeting. Additionally I like the sandwiches at GJC. In short, out of the lot, GJC is my favourite.

My picks: GJC’s Original Iced chocolate, Mixed Berry Chiller

Favourite outlet: Burjuman

     5.  Starbucks (USA)

Who doesn’t know about Starbucks? The biggest coffeehouse chain in the world, Starbucks operates like no other. Visit a neighbourhood and you shall find plenty of stores. It’s more like “we are there for you”. Once you walk into a Starbucks, you tend to get a friendly feel. The coffee is good and the ambience friendly and comforting.

My picks: White Chocolate Mocha, Java Chip Frappucino

Favourite outlet: Near Financial Center Metro Station, 21^st  Century Tower (Sheikh Zayed Road)

     6.    Tim Hortons (Canada)

    Referrred to as 'Timmies' by fans, Tim Hortons is a recent addition to the coffeehouses in the country. Timmies offers more food options to its customers as compared to other coffeehouses. Bagels, Timbits, Panini, Sandwiches etc. are some of the items Timmies has to offer. The ambience of Tim is more relaxed and the coffee a few bucks cheaper.

     

     My picks: French Vanilla, English Toffee

     Favourite outlet: Jumeirah (Jumeirah Beach Road) 

    

    7.    Seattle’s Best Coffee (USA)

   Ever felt like you are at Starbucks, when you are actually at SBC? The reason is quite clear; SBC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks. The feel is the same, the coffee might taste a bit different but the difference isn’t a huge one. However, I would prefer to grab a bite from SBC. It is one of those places where you would like to spend a good time with friends.

My picks: SBC Mocha, Cookies & Cream Java Kula

Favourite outlet: Al Ghurair Centre 

What this coffee spree of mine taught me is that there is no one coffeehouse that stands out from the rest. One does have this inclination to a certain brand of coffee, for me it has always been Gloria Jeans. However the reason is not coffee, the reason is the ambience and the settings in which I feel more comfortable.

If someone else were to write the same post, their choice would be maybe Costa or say Starbucks, and I would not say that their choice is incorrect. All these coffeehouses have brilliant coffee and good snacks to dig into. At the end of the day, it comes down to every individual or group and their preferences. So which coffee would you like to have?