An amazing Cup Tasters Championship

10th April 2008

In Austria, the SCAE chapter and its sponsors really understand what the Cup Tasters Championship is all about: raising knowledge and skills among cup tasters, and raising the status of cup tasters to the level of wine tasters.

The event took place in early April in a film studio decorated as a classic Austrian theatre. On the stage at first were all 22 cuppers, from all walks of coffee life. They came from roasters, from coffee shops, and, even more originally, from catering schools that had organised their own qualification round among teachers and students. But there were more surprises to come.

Cupping champs: Franze (third place), Stingel (first place) and Klager (runner-up)

Things got off to an early start with the 22 cuppers (four of whom were women) competing for a place in the final. Twelve single origin quality coffees from around the world were used in the triangles, all brewed according to the SCAE Gold Cup standard. Three finalists finally emerged for an event later the same evening. And what an event!

More than 200 guests filled the studio to watch the final, plus a real crowd and media pleaser: the organiser had invited a group of celebrities to take part in a cup tasting competition of their own. There was a politician, an opera singer, an international football player, a media celebrity, a wine taster—and even the church was represented.

A hard-fought competition under intense media scrutiny

Needless to say, there was huge media coverage—huge! The competition among the professionals was won by 45-year-old Walter Stingel from Graz. A finalist last year, with more than 20 years experience in his varied coffee life, he had an impressive semi-final, correctly identifying 7 out of 8 cups. But it was a close race in the final.

17-year-old catering student Maria Klager came within a sip of first place

Up against him was 17-year-old natural talent Maria Klager, who had won the qualifying competition at the Gastgewerbefachschule in Judenplats, Vienna. That was no accident. Last year she also won the student championship and ended up as number three in the final. This year she aimed to move up one place to second, and she was a tiny sip away from taking first place. For me, the inventor and godfather of the competition, it was a great pleasure to see that a natural talent like this, who could have been my granddaughter, did so well. It gives great hope for the coffee future!

Number three was Nicolaus Franze, 30, a self-educated coffee geek and also a natural talent, who was also number four last year. Now taking into consideration that last years World Cup Tasting finalist got sick just before the competition, Austria really has a strong team of cup tasters. May be this will have an influence of the coffee future in Austria—a county with a long coffee tradition of fine cafés, an interesting and bold coffee history, but currently some doubtful mainstream coffees; a quick look at the import statistics speaks for itself.

The final for the professionals was followed by a simplified event for the celebrities. It was an eye opener for all, because coffee tasting is not easy: it takes natural talent, skills and training. The celebrities’ competition was won by opera singer Birgit Sarata.

Winners' circle: Sponsor and organiser Steger (l) with celebrity cupping champion Sarata and professional winner Stingel, who now goes to the World Championships in Copenhagen

After the competition heavy networking and media interviews took place, and rounded off the nine-hour event.

The main sponsor and chief organiser was Gerald Steger of Café+co, while SCAE Authorised Trainer Johanna Wechelberger took charge of the all backstage quality functions, ensuring that the competition was fast, fair and entertaining.

The rest of the speciality coffee community should take some lessons here: in involving the entire coffee community; in involving catering schools; in involving other parts of the quality food and beverage sector and in making the event a show to watch, while at the same time getting the message across to the media.

Congratulations Austrian organisers, crew, sponsors and the SCAE chapter!—Alf Kramer