Thomas Keller, Richard Rosendale, and Jay Caragay…Lessons in proper focus
As far as I know now there are five Baristas from Indiana competing in the Great Lakes Regional Barista Championship…and possibly USBC. We also have a couple guys from Vecinos competing in the M illrock Competition in NYC.
As for the GLRBC…there are 3 from Vecinos in Muncie, IN (Myself, Chris DeMarse, And Sarah Leslie) and 2 from Grey House Coffee in West Lafayette, In. This is VERY exciting.
In fact I will be helping to train the baristas from Grey House Coffee tomorrow afternoon. In the hurried and full day to day of a new shop training others is the perfect opportunity to train myself. Working on the details of the work-a-day…or “real” barista craft leave little time to plan and dream for the barista showcase that is the USBC. In the past months I was feel more rusty than ever but being at the cafe practically every day I start to see the efficiency, speed, mind set etc come back. I think it is dangerous not to be behind the bar, especially if you are a consultant or trainer. It is obvious that the kind of information that helps baristas is not the same information that helps owners. If you train baristas you must come from a place of knowing through doing or be currently doing. Other wise the old adage becomes true…”those who can’t do, Teach”..That will eventually be true when you are too old…but how tragic to exemplify this when you are able bodied. I hope to be behind a bar for as long as I am in the coffee world.
Pontification has it’s place (a blog being one of them)… and as many of you know I have had my fair share of opinions…many of which were all about me complaining, putting my foot in my mouth….or, as in recent history, both! I thank God that He is gracious to me but I hope to be embodying more of what I see from three people I have recently been impressed by…
First fellow barista, Jay Caragay I will quote him from a thread on BX…
This is to say that he has little time to argue about the little things because he is busy DOING the big AND little things that it takes to pursue the vision of excellence he has. Props to Jay.
Second, Chef Richard Rosendale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33b8dxOTAnI
Although he and his team has won the worlds most prestigious culinary competition…Chef Rosendale, still works in the kitchen and is grounded in the reality of what it is all about.
And Third…and still in my mind the epitomy of being grounded with humble perspective yet is most accomplish and respected is Chef Thomas Keller
Re-listen to his closing statment at 1:40 in to the video. Picture what it would be like if every barista, owner, rosater, trainer etc had that drive in their gut. To elevate, maintain, set an example, mentor…
Here’s to a great competition season…but more than that lets make this a great season of real life competition where, USBC, or not…we are achieving higher degrees of excellence where it counts the most…in our shops!
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