Some hard grind ahead for the nation's best baristas

National title-holder Carl Sara came fourth at the world champs. Picture / Brett Phibbs

New Zealand's finest roasted coffees and the cream of the country's baristas come together this week at the second New Zealand Coffee Festival and Awards in Taupo.

About 6000 coffee lovers are expected to converge on Taupo's Great Lake Centre from Friday to Sunday to taste freshly roasted coffees from many of the country's leading coffee roasters.

A judging panel, headed by the former executive director of the World Barista Championships, will taste more than 100 coffees entered by the coffee roasting companies.

This year's festival, sponsored by Wild Bean, also features the national finals of the Robert Harris New Zealand Barista Awards.

Nine finalists chosen from the regional semifinals held in Auckland, Wellington, Napier and Christchurch will compete to be named New Zealand's best barista, earning a place in the 2006 World Championships to be held in Berne in Switzerland.

This year, Carl Sara of Christchurch, NZ barista champ for the past two years, came fourth in the world championships in Seattle.

- NZPA