A London coffee cart operator takes home Britain’s biggest coffee prize as the city prepares to host next year’s World Barista Championships

When the time comes for Gwilym Davies to pack up his things and head to Atlanta for next month’s World Barista Championships, you can bet he won’t be worried about taking his skills on the road. In fact, you could say that’s where Davies does his best work.

Davies operates a coffee cart near the Whitechapel and Old Street areas of London. He took home the prize for top UK barista earlier this month in Glascow at the annual Scottish Hospitality event, or ScotHot, and will represent the nation at the world-wide competition.

Winning that title seems to be something of a legacy for Square Mile Roasters, the brand Davies serves. Square Mile is managed by 2007 world barista champion James Hoffmann and has been used by 2008 world champ, Ireland’s Steven Morrissey.

From regional contests to the world-wide event, every barista is judged on his or her ability to mix and serve three separate drinks with skill and flair. The crowning moment in each barista’s showcase is always the signature drink and Davies didn’t disappoint. His featured an infusion of butter and orange zest layered upon rich espresso.

There are about as many places to have a cup of coffee in London as their are streets (and consequently, that many more baristas), so the significance of the prize going to a man who’s business doesn’t even technically have an address is staggering. It’s even said other baristas line up at Davies’ stand to learn new tricks of the trade.

Here come the double deckers

Speaking of just that, it appears London will also play host to the World Barista Championships in 2010. While it won’t make headlines like that other little event being planned for two years down the road, it will mark the first time the championships have been held on British soil.

Steven Penk, director of the English espresso machine brand La Spaziale, is set to take over as the Championship’s next world chairman. He confirmed last week that the event will take place in England, likely in June of next year.

“This is very significant for the UK trade,” Penk said. “It will be the biggest coffee event Europe has ever seen, and the importance of it will be to spread the awareness of specialty coffee right through the British beverage trades.”

In the meantime, baristas the world over are still preparing for this year’s event, to be held in Atlanta April 16-19. The yearly event is hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and is held in a different location, sometimes on a different continent, each year to honor the global nature of the contest.

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