JACK

J A C K A U S T R A L I A 46 T ell us a bit about yourself. I was a chef in Japan and I really wanted to become a barista and moved to Melbourne. I started making coffee when I came to Melbourne, and I’ve been working in the coffee industry for almost 5 years. When I came to Melbourne I didn’t have experience, and I didn’t know how to speak English, but I had a passion and motivation to become a barista. It was very hard to find a job when I was a beginner and made a lot of mistakes, but improved a lot as well. I studied and trained hard almost every day to become a barista. And then 5 years later, I became the first ever person from Japan to win the Australian Latte Art Championships in 2018, then progressed to the World Coffee Event held in Brazil, placing 4th. Also, I got the 2016 World Latte Art Champion at Coffee Fest. I go by the name of “Samurai Shin”, running a barista training school, consultation program working alongside St. Ali and producing branded merchandise such as tote bags, coffee cups, and the ‘Katana’ milk jug. Becoming the World Latte Art champion cannot be achieved over a short period of time. Could you elaborate on what training techniques and strategies you found useful during your preparation? I was struggling to become a barista when I came to Australia. However, I had a dream and I didn't give up because I really wanted to be a champion, so that's why I kept going. What does it take to become a World Latte Art Champion… a young and talented barista, Louis Cheneval had the chance to ask “Samurai Shin” about his journey to the top! Samurai Shin INTERVIEW BY LOUIS CHENEVAL World Latte Art Champion