HBI Staff | Hyderabad 
International flavor giant, MONIN, recently hosted the first-ever MONIN Coffee Creativity Cup (MCCC) — a competition that was designed to find the most innovative, progressive, and creative coffee mocktail made by industry professionals.
The competition to find the best Barista in India kicked off with a bang on July 19 in Delhi for the first round of the regionals. The next part of the regionals was held in Mumbai on July 27 and Bengaluru on August 1. The participants were required to create an innovative espresso-based mocktail that enhances and appeals to all five senses — sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. Each contestant was then marked based on how well they were able to incorporate the experience into their drinks.
The esteemed jury, including some of the biggest names in Coffee, picked a total of 10 Competitors three/four from each region, out of a total of 30+ Participants. And these lucky Baristas got a chance to compete in the Nationals.
The crowning glory of the competition was the Finale held on August 3 in Bengaluru. The 10 chosen participants performed and presented their recipes in front of the esteemed jury consisting of Felix Daniel, Mithilesh Vazalwar, Kruti Malgi & Akanksha Gupta. Soudh Abubakar Ibrahim emerged as the grand champion of the MONIN Coffee Creativity Cup 2023 and is all set to represent India at the Global Finals in Malaysia alongside getting an all-expenses paid trip to Malaysia.
“This feels surreal. First of all, having a competition for baristas in the country and then getting to win is an overwhelming feeling. I am so grateful to MONIN for hosting this and giving us coffee connoisseurs a platform. And I cannot wait to go and represent our country globally in front of coffee experts from across the world,” said Soudh Abubakar Ibrahim, who was elated about winning India’s first-ever Coffee Cup.
Speaking about the successful culmination of the event, Germain Araud, Managing Director, MONIN India, said, “We are so happy with the response that our first ever Coffee Cup has gotten. It is heart-warming to see so many coffee enthusiasts in the country represented on a national and now soon on a global scale. And we are so glad that MONIN is spearheading this growth in the current generation of coffee professionals. Inspired by this event, we want to continue to encourage the growth of the coffee industry in the Asia-Pacific region.”
MONIN has been involved in promoting new talent in India through various such events every year. The competition not only celebrated India’s growing love and interest for coffee but also helped the growth of the entire coffee community.
