The barista knows best: We lift the lid on why coffee is an art form in Melbourne
UPDATE: IN Melbourne, coffee is a way of life. Our readers join us in celebrating the clever baristas who know fancy froth can go a long way.
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IN Melbourne, coffee isn’t just a drink.
It’s a way of life. It’s heaven in a cup. It’s something you look forward to as soon as you get out of bed.
And, as expected, Herald Sun readers have come to the table in droves, keen to celebrate their favourite froth.
In fact, we’re the most-addicted coffee state in the country, downing an average 808 cups a year and forking out $1674 annually at cafes.
Scroll down to see more of the best Melbourne barista art - as submitted by you!
A big part of that’s due to your hardworking baristas, who spend hours perfecting the ideal brew to satisfy your tastebuds.
But a cup of coffee is becoming more than just great taste. It’s an art form.
Barista art is a huge industry in Melbourne, and extra flare and creativity is greatly appreciated by coffee connoisseurs.
Rita Zhang from the Home Barista Institute has been working with coffee for 12 years and says the popularity of coffee art has grown considerably.
“Coffee art and any cafe business focus on coffee quality definitely helps their businesses to grow and attract clientele,” Ms Zhang said.
A lady trapped in a capp...Cafe Zen Den - Main Road, Eltham @theheraldsun #MelbCoffeeArt pic.twitter.com/SUKhhFsOgL
— Little Miss Lou Who (@LilMissLouWho) July 2, 2014“This is especially true in Melbourne, where the standards are very high. The quality of coffee is firstly judged by the presentation (the Coffee art skills), then the taste (Barista technical skills). Customer’s perception about coffee nowadays is “if it looks good, it must taste good”.
Any cafes that don’t take coffee or coffee art seriously will be left behind.”
A little bit of coffee art over @Melbourne 😀 #melbcoffeeart What do you think @theheraldsun? pic.twitter.com/Yuk4FGt20W
— Eureka Skydeck (@Eureka_Skydeck) July 2, 2014Elika Rowell has been a barista in Melbourne for five years and says it’s can be a difficult skill to master and something you can always learn and improve at.
“It’s certainly nice to see peoples’ reactions when you bring out a really good-looking coffee to them,” Ms Rowell said.
Do you have an example of great barista art you’d like to share? Tweet us using @theheraldsun, use #MelbCoffeeArt on Instagram or join the conversation on Facebook.
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Working in a high-volume market at the popular Top Paddock in Richmond, their head barista admits some customers may not need the art, but it certainly adds to the experience.
“Plenty of people like to take pictures of their coffee and post on social media so that can be an attractive marketing tool for us,” Ms Rowell said.
Debate is piping hot between fellow baristas about free-pouring vs. using utensils to craft their coffee works of art — with many saying free pouring is a harder skill to master.
“Victoria has a big coffee culture that clearly enjoys latte art. We feel the art lies in the free pour designs, though can appreciate the talent exhibited in other forms,” Coffee Minded manager Jim Velmahos said.
“It took me more than one year to master the art of consistent good coffee and presentation,” Ms Zhang said.
The amount of time that effort that goes into learning the craft certainly pays off – and gives baristas a chance to learn new skills when they get a number of different requests.
“When we get customers ask ‘can I have a latte with love heart today?’, it definitely makes our job interesting and satisfying,” Ms Zhang said.
@theheraldsun we love a little coffee art 😀 #melbcoffeeart pic.twitter.com/fb5eLuCfcD
— Macchinetta Coffee (@Macc_Coffee) July 2, 2014 Managing director at Coffee Art School Australia Steven Fan has been training baristas for seven years - and says the art of communication is key to becoming a real coffee connoisseur.
“You can get the basics down in two days of proper training - but I recommend time to become a real pro is another 3 months,” Mr Fan said.
“And there 3 months must be in coffee shop, so barista can communicate with customers, and find what they really want. This is the soul of barista.”
“There are so many coffee shops in Melbourne, so most customers may feel valued or respected by giving them an artistic-coffee.”
.@BrendoHeraldSun @AnneWardell still maintain this from @ONACoffee in Manuka, Canberra is the best coffee art pic.twitter.com/EaoPGdm5zt
— Shobaz Kandola (@ShobazKandola) July 2, 2014Do you have an example of great barista art you’d like to share? Tweet us using @theheraldsun, use #MelbCoffeeArt on Instagram or join the conversation on Facebook.
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