A Taylors of Harrogate barista has beaten 40 rivals from across the UK to secure a place at the World Coffee Championships in Milan this October.
Will Woodhouse-Banks (36), Innovation Developer at Taylors of Harrogate, clinched the UK title at the country’s most prestigious coffee competition in London earlier this year.
By winning the UK title, Will has now qualified to represent their country at the World Coffee Championships in Milan, from 17th-21st October. Spotlighting global talent, the premier competitive coffee event is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Each participant will have 15 minutes to wow the judges, with one barista being crowned the best in the world.
This was Will’s fourth time competing in the UK Championships, having previously placed 2nd and 3rd. Each competitor meticulously crafts a series of standout beverages around a certain theme, judged on taste, cleanliness, creativity, technical proficiency, and overall presentation. To prepare, Will made over 1,000 coffees, with over 100 full event run-throughs.
Speaking on their achievements so far, Will said:
It’s been a really intense process training for these championships but I’m super excited to represent everything we’ve worked on and everything we stand for at Taylors on the world stage.
My theme was all about the importance of trust in relationships in the world of coffee. I talked about the trust in relationships with coffee producers that we at Taylors have worked with for many years and what it means to us.
I need to say a special thank you to my manager and coach Nicola Peacock. Without her support, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of this.
Hannah Eatough, Head of Coffee Buying at Taylors of Harrogate, said:
We’re all so proud of Will – they’re undoubtedly a coffee legend! Will’s win is testament to their hard work, dedication and passion for coffee and we’re excited to see Will on the world stage.
