Public Day At The NBC Venue

The Swedes are crazy for the Nordic Barista Cup! Thanks to a lot of sunshine, the people of Gothenburg are out and about on this lovely Saturday afternoon, and they’re coming in droves to see what this barista thing is all about.

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The five Nordic teams have done a tremendous job putting together their cafes in record time. Team Finland’s Cafe Avec is a big hit with customers. One of my favorite things about it is the chocolates they had specially made and brought all the way from Finland for this exact reason.

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Team Denmark’s cafe, called Value Chain, has an incredible assortment of food and drink; I especially enjoy watching Troels Poulsen walking around the room like an old fashioned cigarette girl selling his wares.

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Team Iceland has a very unique approach: they did not spend money from their business plan on an espresso machine, but rather, on two Clovers. Their cafe, the Spot, is quickly becoming a destination — well, spot.

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As for creativity, we can’t forget the decisions made by Team Norway: they have invited special guest baristas — Scott Lucey, Tim Wendelboe, and James Hoffman — to make espressos in their cafes. Also, they are hosting cuppings of both tea and coffee for the public.

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We can’t forget Sweden, whose cafe Local Globe offers very interesting taste combinations. They designed a menu that actually pairs espresso beverages with preferable sweet treats and sandwiches.

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The scores are tight — last I checked, Finland and Iceland were neck and neck! The cafes will be open for another two hours, and anything could happen!