Wonderful Coffee's Copenhagen Barista Party set for an ideal venue

15th December 2007

The SCAE's Wonderful Coffee event in June has found yet another way to attract the coffee sector: the perfect place for the Barista Party on Sunday June 22, event organiser Jens Henrik Thomsen reported in mid-December.

Renowned central Copenhagen speciality coffee bar Café Europa has agreed to open its doors for this traditional celebration of all the competing baristas, their teams and their supporters. The relaxed party will be also be an ideal opportunity for Wonderful Coffee exhibitors and delegates to take a break after four exhilarating days of exhibition, competitions, workshops and educational programmes.

With participating baristas and cup tasters at Wonderful Coffee expected to number about one hundred, the party will host up to 700 guests, inside the café, as well as in front of it, in the beautifully cobbled square Amager Torv. Coffee people from all over the world will enjoy the party in the thriving pedestrianised crossroads of the Danish capital.

Here, the square's Storke Springvandet (or Stork Fountain) is a landmark for any Dane. Built in 1894 to celebrate the King's silver wedding, it has been used as a meeting place, a venue for celebrating victories on the football field, and even the site of nude bathing during the golden age of the hippies! Ambitiously renovated in the 1990s, the square's pavement was designed by artist and sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard--not related, by the way to Café Europa's owner Jens Nørgaard.

Copenhagen's artistically cobblestoned Amager Square and the Stork Fountain, where Café Europa will welcome baristas and tasters for the legendary Barista Party

Jens opened the coffee house in 1989 with the clear vision of creating a timeless look, inspired by the cafes of the European capitals, rather than following the volatile trends and fashions of the industry. As a result, decorating the walls you still see pictures of European icons like Marlene Dietrich, Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka, and a large map of Europe which, through Café Europa's history, has had to be replaced a couple of times, such were the historical changes on the Continent.

After 18 years in the business, Café Europa has achieved a great deal. Besides being a fixture for Copenhagen's coffee lovers, it is also involved in the Copenhagen Coffee Academy, and roasts it own coffee at Kontra Coffee. Lately its owners have published a Café Europa cookbook, and guests at the Barista party will have the opportunity to taste a variety of these innovative dishes during the evening.

Internationally, however, what Café Europa will be best remembered for is a towering achievement in the coffee world: mentoring no less than three of the World Barista Champions during the WBC's seven-year history.

Home of the WBC champions: Café Europa's window on the Square

The timing of the Barista party this year has changed as well. "Initially we had thought of having the barista party on Friday, as in Antwerp this year," explained Thomsen, "because we thought it created a good atmosphere among the participants. But a quick word with Tone [Liavaag] put us in our place immediately. She said 'You just cannot have a barista party before the WBC final is over.' So we've got the ideal time and place for it, and it should really be something special."

You can get more details of the social programme, the exhibition, the workshops, the conference and the competitions of Wonderful Coffee--the top speciality coffee event in the world in 2008--from Jens Henrik Thomsen at the SCAE, by clicking here.