Mercanta’s newest recruit wins UKBC London heat!!

Will pulled off a very stylish victory, despite some sharp competition. He not only recorded the highest overall score to become UKBC London & South East Champion, but also picked up prizes for best espresso, best cappuccino & best signature drink! The UK's reigning champion, John Gordon, took second place, and in third was Callum Thomson of Espresso Incognito.

Will was competing with single estate Mercanta-sourced beans from Finca Suiza, the El Salvador Cup of Excellence winner in 2010. This exceptional coffee displays a coating honey sweetness, bright raspberry and lime notes and a clean, dry cocoa finish. The Suiza estate, which lies in the foothills of El Salvador’s Santa Ana volcano, has been farmed by the Menéndez family since 1952 and is planted out with a mix of Bourbon and Pacamara varietals, as well as a few old Typica trees (planted by the current owners’ grandparents!).

Will is hugely passionate about coffee and has already made a name for himself as Cardiff’s very own ‘Caffeine Kid’. As well working as a consultant and barista trainer for coffee shops in the south Wales area, he has been running his own coffee stall at Roath and Riverside Farmers’ Markets since 2005. Will has completed numerous courses at the London School of Coffee and last year won the North/Midlands UKBC heat. He has now moved up to London to join Mercanta, but will keep on managing his market stall with the help of his stall operators in Cardiff. Check out Will’s blog here or follow him on Twitter @TheCaffeineKid .

We all now have our fingers-crossed that Will repeats his success at the UKBC semi-finals and finals in March . These are taking place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 March at London’s ExCel Centre - look out for the Mercanta/London School of Coffee cheerleading team!

The UKBC winner will then go on to compete against winners from 75 other countries at the World Barista Championships in Bogotá in June (2-5).

Good luck Will!!