Calgarian heads to World Barista Championship

Jill Hoff has been making specialty coffees at Monogram Coffee in Calgary for the last sevenyears.

Now, she's ready to face the best baristas in the world.

She first entered the competition at a regional level, then went on to nationals. From there, she was chosen to represent Canada at the prestigiousWorld Barista Championship in Milan.

The competition includes making 12 coffee drinks during a 15-minute performance in hopes of impressing four judges.

Hoff says she's hadextra time to prepare for the international competition after several delays thanks to the pandemic.

"You do the same movements over and over again,so you get it really down pat,so you don't really think about it when you are there."

Still, she says she feel pressure to do well for Canada, noting that Calgarians have represented Canada as finalists for the last five years.

"I'm the first woman who gets to go on behalf of Canada, so that's also something that's really important to me," says Hoff,"and I think is something that is really important for the Canadian coffee industry as well."

Agnieszka Rojewska from Poland understands thepressure of the competition well. She was the first woman to win itin 2018.

"It feels very special to be the first to win it," Rojewka said. "Kind of like becoming the role model. So now you're kind of representing not only yourself, but there is like a wider group of people, which you're kind of leading."

Rojewska points out most of the championship finalists have been men.

"I just became suddenly a female ambassador for baristas around that world."

Male-dominated industry slowly starting to change

Ben Put, co-founder of Mongram Coffee in Calgary, is well-versed in the competition.

He's finished in the top six in the world three times and says it's a great way to hone skills.

"They put a stamp of recognition on you and you are the master of your craft."

Calgary coffee crafter off to the world championships

3 years ago

Duration 2:34

A Calgary-based barista is headed to Milan, Italy to flex her skills on the World Barista Championship stage, becoming the first woman to represent Canada at the prestigious coffee competition

Put is also aware that it's a male-dominated industry, but that it starts at the regional level of competition, where many invest money, time and resources too.

"I think historically, the problem has been that most of the owners of coffee companies have been white men and they've decided to enter themselves," he says, "and I think that that's slowly starting to change, both in the fact that there are more women that own businesses in coffee.

"But I also think that more coffee companies are putting women into these coffee competitions."

Put will be part of the team to help out Hoff during the competition in Milan.

The World Barista Championship runs from Oct.23 to 26.