Enjoy Specialty Coffee from World Barista Champion at GREYBOX

2017 World Barista Champion Dale Harris

You may think that you make a pretty good cup of joe but pit yourself against a world champion barista and you may find you come up short. At competitions such as the prestigious World Barista Championship, attended by more than 58 countries, baristas are judged on elements such as “flavor notes [and] tactile quality as well as the definition of weight, acidity, sweetness and bitterness,” according to European Coffee Trip, in addition to more esoteric factors like how they present themselves and how well they describe their signature coffee. 

Part of Dale's signature style is communicating with customers about coffee

However, these challenges are everyday fodder for Dale Harris, the 2017 World Barista Champion. Dale, who hails from the UK, has been competing regularly since 2009 and in 2017 had the opportunity to represent the UK at the World Barista Championship. Dale believes that the best way to serve specialty coffee is right in front of the guest so they can see the whole brewing process. Similarly, his winning presentation focused on conveying information about origin, processing methods, and flavors in such a way that customers can really taste them in the cup. This, along with the beautiful flavor of his espressos, really struck the judges.

Dale working his magic at GREYBOX

In March 2018, GREYBOX COFFEE invited Dale to work with GREYBOX’s baristas to train them in tasting coffee, selecting coffee beans, and especially making espresso, his specialty. GREYBOX COFFEE works with champion baristas such as Dale Harris in order to continuously upgrade its two main offerings, espresso-based coffees and drip coffee. For example, Dale believes that a scientific-level of quality control through the entire supply chain, from farming to roasting to how the barista uses the tools at his disposal, is the key to creating a true cup of speciality coffee, exactly the philosophy espoused by GREYBOX.  

As more and more people start to choose specialty coffee, GREYBOX aims to offer curious consumers their “first cup of specialty coffee” at an accessible price point. With passion and dedication to the art of third-wave coffee, from bean selection to roasting to brewing, to date, GREYBOX has opened 14 stores in seven cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Nanjing. 

GREYBOX COFFEE fans

GREYBOX's talented team of baristas work their magic on a selection of exceptional single origin coffees. GREYBOX's only selects beans that have scored more than 80 out of 100 on the grading scale created by the  (the standard definition for specialty coffee is beans that have scored more than 80 points). Beans of this quality account for less than 10 percent of annual global coffee production. GREYBOX's beans come from the world’s top coffee estates, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, Pacamara, and Columbia, and even renowned Geisha coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. All the beans are freshly roasted to preserve their unique flavor and character. GREYBOX’s single origin coffees can be served four different ways: pour over, siphon, ice drip, and cold brew. 

A selection of GREYBOX's coffee beans

In addition to brewed single origin coffees, GREYBOX offers a full range of espresso-based coffees, which have attracted a loyal following among visitors to GREYBOX for their precision preparation. GREYBOX offers two special espresso blends, the Nordic blend, which is a medium-roast coffee with a fruit and floral taste, and the Australia blend, a medium- to dark-roast with a nutty taste that is served with fresh Australian milk. Deep consideration even goes into the type of milk used, which must be imported fresh from Australia every seven days. 

Precision goes into every cup of coffee at GREYBOX

“To choose specialty coffee is to look for more from life.” As an ambassador for specialty coffee, Dale Harris works with GREYBOX to bring the perfect cup of coffee to coffee lovers in China.

For more information, visit GREYBOX COFFEE's official website (www.greyboxcoffee.com) or find them on Weibo (GREYBOXCOFFEE) and WeChat (GREYBOXCOFFEE).

This post is paid for by GREYBOX COFFEE

Photos courtesy of GREYBOX COFFEE