Berjaya UCH barista champions

A student and two alumni of Berjaya University College of Hospitality (Berjaya UCH) won coveted trophies at the Battle of Baristas Championship (BOBC) 2014 held recently at Straits Quay, Penang.
Diploma in Culinary Arts student Wong Kien Sing competed against professional baristas from all around Malaysia and emerged as second runner-up.
“The championship made me more confident working with coffee and performing in front of people. It was truly a great experience and exposure. I have gained a lot of knowledge and skills as well as developed friendships along the way,” Wong said.
“It was definitely challenging to juggle study and training time with final examinations being very close to the competition date. I was blessed I was able to manage it well.”
Jason Lum Chee Shen who represented the Classic Coffee Company, was crowned champion, while Canon Lim Tien Jiang who represented The Redbean Bag Café, won third runner-up.
The championship was organised by Lighthouse Coffee Penang and supported by the Malaysian Specialty Coffee Association.
“BOBC 2014 provides the platform for our students to demonstrate their skills, while challenging their innovative spirit.
“Our Berjaya Immersion Methodology, where students learn by doing, transforms the way our students think and give them the confidence to display their skills in public,” said Berjaya UCH COO Mae Ho.
“This experience helps them to stand out from the crowd and be competitive in a proactive way.
“Through this competition, we also encourage our students to explore the role of barista in the specialty coffee industry.
“At Berjaya UCH, our purpose-built Coffee & Tea Academy is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for coffee and tea education, thereby helping students who are passionate in this field,” she added.