You can have a good blend and a fabulous coffee machine, but if the man behind the machine doesn't have the skills, your coffee isn't going to taste right, says barista Gihan Weerasinghe.
Gihan Weerasinghe likens the rhythm of making coffee to that of music. He says it's all about moving with the flow to get the right texture and flavour out of coffee. He should know considering he was voted 'Costa International Barista of the Year' in London in 2007 when competing against some of the best baristas from coffee chain Costa Coffee's outlets across the world. Weerasinghe brought home the trophy after beating seven finalists, including peers from the UK, China and Cyprus.
The barista, who has been with Costa Coffee in Dubai since 2001, believes that it was his experience and the support of his supervisors Simon Holroyd and Rahul Pant that earned him his victory. The fact that he made the most espressos in a minute and created Espresso Honey Magnet, an innovative take on the classic beverage, also played an important role in his win. His humility in all likelihood sealed the deal.
Weerasinghe, who had no formal training in being a barista when he was recruited from Sri Lanka, credits the then head of business at Costa Coffee, Angelo Alexander, for helping him develop his skills. "The company had just three outlets in those days. So we were a small family who would sit together, exchange our experiences and discuss ways to improve our product. That was how I was introduced to coffee and I was hooked. I learned to love making coffee and picked up the most important lessons during this time. I was a barista for about five years and have also been involved in training for the past two years. I enjoy teaching because I have learned so much from my experience and I like to pass that on to others. Even today, I think I learn something new every time I make a cup of coffee."
Weerasinghe's passion for his job is evident in the way he talks about coffee. His life, at present, is steeped in it. "I usually start work at 3pm and I like to begin my day at the café with a good cup of coffee. For instance, I like to have a café latte in the afternoon. Espressos are my choice for the morning, especially if I have an early shift. Mochas are for the evening and I like to round it off with a macchiato at night," says Weerasinghe.
After his morning or afternoon coffee, he spends a few minutes on the floor catching up with his colleagues and then it's back to the business of coffee. Grind and dosage checks and the business of making the perfect espresso is something that Weerasinghe takes very seriously.
"You need to be very focused when it comes to making coffee. It's an art and you need to put your heart into making it. Every bit of the process right from checking the grind to dosage (which is the amount of ground coffee used to produce a shot of espresso) to frothing or steaming the milk requires perfection," says Weerasinghe.
This perfection presents itself in a great cup of coffee, or several hundred through the day. Weerasinghe says that the most cups he has made in a day numbered around 5,000. "This was at the Dubai Rugby Sevens last year. I made around 5,000 cups a day during the three-day event. It was great fun," he says.
Praise and recognition
His attention to detail has also won him a lot of praise and recognition among his customers. "I have a good rapport with several customers, who have gotten used to having their coffee made by me. They don't like anybody else making it for them. That makes me feel good. Regular coffee drinkers are very particular about their coffee and if you can win such customers over, especially from a competitor, you know you are doing a good job," says Weerasinghe.
As a barista who is exacting about his standards, Weerasinghe says that he is concerned when he sees people walk away from an unfinished cup of coffee. "I get upset when I make a good cup of coffee and people don't drink it. I always go up to the customer and ask them if something was wrong with the coffee and if I could make them a better cup."
Customers, says Weerasinghe, are also very aware about the coffee they drink and so you always have to be at the top of your game to cater to them. He recounts an experience, which, he says, speaks volumes about the awareness of the coffee drinkers in the region: "We had a 12-year-old boy who once asked for a decaffeinated cappuccino. I was surprised at the request, especially since the boy was so young. However, his explanation was simple. He said he had tried the regular version as well as the decaf one and felt that the latter tasted better." He also says that purists who love their espressos are not interested in flavoured coffees, as it interferes with the true essence of coffee.
Weerasinghe says regardless of the coffee you drink several aspects affect the quality of the coffee. "A good blend, grind, coffee machine and the man behind the machine — all contribute to it. The barista is like the conductor of an orchestra who brings together all the elements in perfect harmony. You can have all the elements right but if you have an unskilled barista, the coffee may not hit the right note," he says.
Weerasinghe though is full of praise for the blend he works with. "We blend six different types of arabica beans and one variety of the robusta bean. This helps bring together elements such as body, cream, acidity and aroma — all of which yield Costa's signature style."
Innovative dishes
Weerainghe's passion for the beverage is also matched by his love for cooking. He says that he loves isolating ingredients when he eats different dishes thanks to his highly developed olfactory sense. In fact, he loves recreating the dishes he samples in restaurants based on the aroma of the ingredients used in them.
This skill could prove helpful if Weerasinghe wants to try his hand at being a chef, however, the twentysomething dynamo is remarkably confident about working with coffee in the future.
"I never felt that being a barista was different from any other job. I was 22 when I met this 45-year-old world famous barista from Italy. He was recognised and appreciated for his skill. Meeting him made me realise there was nothing wrong about me taking it up as a career," he says.
In addition to making coffee, training is another area that Weerasinghe sees as his forté. He says he want to be more involved with training on a regional level with his company. With his strong grounding in the art of coffee making, people skills, and his willingness to learn, opportunities, it seems, will not be scarce for him.
DID YOU KNOW: Coffee cues
Curious about what makes a perfect espresso or why a ristretto is for purists? Gihan Weerasinghe breaks it down for you.
"There are several elements that make your cup of coffee a good one. For example, if I ordered an espresso, which is 30 ml shot of liquid coffee with a layer of golden brown crema (the brown foam that forms when you brew an espresso), I would make sure that the coffee doesn't smell bitter or burnt. A good espresso should never smell that way. A macchiato is an espresso with a dash of hot or cold milk. It shouldn't have frothy milk but instead glossy or thick milk. This helps absorb the strong flavour of the coffee."
A café latte is a light coffee with a single shot of espresso with steamed milk with a glossy rim of froth, which locks in the flavour of the coffee. Once you sip the coffee and break through the foam, it releases the heady aroma and flavour of the coffee. "A cappuccino, which is a third each of coffee, steamed milk and froth, should have a frothy taste while being strong. This is perfect to wake you up. Mochas are good for people who have just been introduced to coffee. It has three layers of chocolate, coffee and chocolate powder. Those who want a strong coffee should try a ristretto. It's a 'short' shot of espresso (20 ml of liquid coffee) and has a richer flavour than an espresso because it has a shorter extraction time."
