'The atmosphere was electric': Moncton barista wins seat in national coffee competition
A Moncton barista recently got to show off his coffee expertise at a qualifying event in Toronto.
Conor Conway finished in sixth place and will represent New Brunswick at the National Barista Championship in Vancouver in August.
The owner of Epoch Chemistry Coffee House in Moncton competed in the espresso, milk beverage and signature beverage categories for a panel of judges and had to serve 12 beverages in 15 minutes.
“The atmosphere was electric. It was at the Restaurant Canada Show and it was a very hype event,” says Conway.
“It was a lot of fun to prepare for that and getting to meet some new people from across the country. Some of our coffee idols were there and we got to compete against them.”
Conway was the first ever barista from New Brunswick to make it to the qualifiers, and said there was a certain stigma against specialty coffee makers from the east coast.
“I was so proud to go and fly the Atlantic Canadian flag in these competitions,” he says.
“There was a competitor from Halifax who is a good friend of ours. Unfortunately, he did not move on, but we were both really excited to be there and promote what we do. There’s excellent things here, but people don’t realize it.”
He’ll be competing against Canada’s best in Vancouver this summer, but you can pop in and try one of his signature drinks anytime.
“A lot of our latte art here is highly regarded. Our whole team here is good at providing an Instagram moment with coffee. We want to take our customers on a journey. Wherever you want to go we want to meet you there. If you’re a triple/triple Tim’s drinker or if you’re an experienced coffee drinker, we’re going to meet you where you are,” says Conway.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.