Australian barista champion

Veneziano’s Craig Dickson Certified Coffee Judge in Three Categories

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Veneziano Coffee Roasters managing director Craig Dickson is the only Australian currently certified as a World Coffee Judge, qualified to judge in all three categories of Barista, Brewers Cup and Latte Art at international level.

World Coffee Events (WCE) conduct Judge Certification Workshops around the globe for the specialty coffee community, with workshops held in March 2013 in Long Beach, USA; Melbourne, Australia; Singapore; and Tolentino, Italy.

World judges must have a minimum of two years’ experience judging at their national competition level before they can try for the qualification. Craig has over ten years’ experience, including head judging duty (the head judge oversees all of the seven other judges, being sensory and technical) as well as having judged at New Zealand’s national competition in 2012…

Veneziano Produces 2013 Australian Latte Art Champion and Barista Champion Runner Up

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In an exciting, jam packed weekend that was the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association’s (AASCA) 2013 national coffee event, Veneziano Coffee Roasters are extremely proud of barista-roaster Jen Marks finishing in first place as the newly crowned 2013 Australian Pura Latte Art Champion whilst barista-trainer-production manager Craig Simon almost took out the Australian Barista Championship title back to back.

Well done Jen and Craig, it was an extremely close competition with the difference between first and second being only a matter of points in both categories.

A nail biting finish saw Craig Simon narrowly miss out on (… read more…)

PURA backs Craig Simon’s training seminars

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A huge thanks to the ever-dependable folk at PURA milk for their unwavering support of the Australian coffee industry, including their most recent backing of Craig Simon’s training roadshow for Veneziano Coffee Roasters. Their contribution is always appreciated! PURA provide milk that’s permeate free and just ideal for the perfect milk-based coffee.

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Brita Water Filters on the Road with Craig Simon

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Brita water filters are lending their support to Craig Simon’s training roadshow. Water is nearly all of the preparation of water based coffee beverages and water quality impacts aroma, flavour, crema stability and even appearance.

The folk at Brita say that mineral-rich water is required to make a good coffee, however water hardness is detrimental to aroma. Brita offer a water filtration system designed specifically for coffee machines with reduced carbonate hardness yet retention of the all important minerals required for flavour potential.

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Disave Latest Sponsor for Craig Simon Training Series

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The participants of Craig Simon’s training seminars will be able to road test a Compak coffee grinder, kindly being supplied by our latest sponsor, Disave.

Compak grinders pride themselves on producing equipment designed to achieve the perfect grind for whatever coffee the barista is preparing, without altering the properties of the coffee ensure it ends up in the cup as intended.

For more information about Disave and the Compak grinders they supply, visit

Nuova Simonelli on board with Craig Simon

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Veneziano Coffee Roasters and Craig Simon are thrilled to have Nuova Simonelli’s support behind November’s training seminar roadshow.

Nuova Simonelli are providing the Aurelia II T3 machine, also the official espresso machine for the World Barista Championships, meaning that participants will benefit from practicing on the competition machine whilst being guided by a competition barista and trainer. Handy, because an aim of the roadshow is to find potential barista champions!

More information about the cool features of this machine can be found

BeanScene and GRAM sponsor Craig Simon’s training seminars

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Prime Creative’s media outlets BeanScene and GRAM give support to Craig Simon’s training roadshow for Veneziano Coffee Roasters. Demonstrative of their commitment to Australia’s coffee industry the roadshow by Craig, aimed at discovering and inspiring future barista champions, is one of the latest ventures that has been lent their support. BeanScene also support CoffeeSnobs, AASCA and MICE2013 amongst others. See more…

How to advance your coffee skills and career

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In the wake of Craig Simon’s Australian Barista Champion win he’s back in demand for his training expertise. SCAA-accredited Coffee Logic International have engaged Craig to run their internationally recognised courses in Melbourne on October 5 and 6 at the First Pour Abbotsford, covering:

- Introduction to Cupping
- Sensory Skills Test
- Triangulation
- SCAA Cupping Form & Peer Calibration

A qualified Q Grader, Craig will also conduct a series of training roadshows, coming to Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne in weeks two and three of November at the various First Pour and Veneziano Coffee Roasters venues.

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Veneziano’s Mike Wells wins South Australia Barista Championship

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Mike Wells, head barista and coffee trainer with First Pour Adelaide at Veneziano Coffee Roasters, has won the weekend’s South Australian (SA) Barista Championship title held at the Royal Adelaide Show in Wayville, South Australia.

Competing for the third time, Mike’s results to date include placing 7th in the 2012 Australian Barista Championship, 2nd in both the 2012 SA Barista and Latte Art Championships and 3rd in the 2011 SA Barista Championship.

Hard work and dedication have paid off for Mike who’s been preparing for