Nicola Peacock, who owns the Perky Peacock cafés on Gillygate and under Lendal Bridge, is taking part in the finals of the UK Barista Championships in London on April 27 and 28 – the culmination of a nationwide competition.
She will have 15 minutes to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four speciality drinks for a team of seven judges. They will then assess the coffees on their technical and sensory qualities – how they taste, smell and look.
Nicola, 29, came third in the regional round of the competition earlier this year and was rated as the best newcomer. She is currently ranked as the 19th barista (coffee maker) in the country.
“When I opened my first coffee shop under Lendal Bridge three years ago, I never imagined I’d be in the running for a competition like this,” she said. To finish in the top ten on the day would be a dream come true.”
York is gaining a reputation as a city of top coffee makers. In November 2012, Dan Fellows from Bishopthorpe came fourth in the World Coffee In Good Spirits contest held in Seoul, South Korea. Dan worked at The Attic bar above Harlequins Café in King’s Square, York, which won the Beverage Standards Association’s award for best espresso in the UK in 2011, and also produced the northern heat winner of the 2012 UK Barista Championships, Gordon Howell.
Steve Dyson, of Spring Espresso in Fossgate, came third in the overall competition. Meanwhile Sadie Hopkins, of York Coffee Emporium, was made a judge in the UK Barista Championships for 2012 to 2013.