Outpouring of pride for Nambucca's latte art champ

"I love everything about coffee. I love making coffee, and I especially like drinking it," Kaitlin Evans said.

"I like that latte art is something I'm good at. When you do a good one and people admire your work, it's nice," Sarah Mander said.

But these girls are not just 'good', they're actually exceptional.

In fact, the Nambucca Boatshed & Cafe's Kaitlin Evans is the reigning Artisti latte art queen.

She won the title convincingly last year, outpouring competitors up and down the Mid North Coast.

And this year she was back to defend her title, alongside Sarah, another of the Boatshed's star baristas.

The competition was held in November at the Artisti Roastery in Toormina. Baristas from Artisti brand-stocked cafes faced off in knockout rounds until only one remained to be dubbed 'latte art champion'.

An app randomly selected designs which the baristas had to free pour, and the art was judged on symmetry, skill, and flair.

Sarah cruised through the first two rounds; her 'swan' design beating one of Artisti's own baristas.

"Everyone's watching you and I don't do so well under pressure - my hand was shaking. But my swan turned out alright. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders to get through that first round - the first is always the hardest," she said.

But fate dealt a cruel blow in the third round, with Sarah coming up against her own colleague and reigning champ, Kaitlin.

The app wheel was spun, and the 'rosetta' challenge was laid down.

"I did a decent pattern but hers was better. Hers are more symmetrical. I knew she was gonna beat me. It doesn't seem like she gets nervous, she just pours perfectly. I like to think I trained her well," Sarah said.

Kaitlin's rosetta was chosen as the better of the two and she progressed into the final rounds, where she came up against her Coffs Harbour coffee van nemesis - the barista she challenged in last year's grand final.

The stakes were raised; each barista was tasked with three separate pours, the third being one of their own creations.

Kaitlin was nervous - she wasn't confident enough to risk freestyling one of her own designs and chanced her final pour on a 'swan' design.

The flawless way she executed the latte art staple meant the judge overlooked the fact she hadn't attempted her own design and Kaitlin was crowned queen for the second year running.

"I always said I had to come back and defend my title and I did," she said.

Kaitlin believes that if she and Sarah hadn't come across one another in the third round, Sarah would have easily been runner up.

"It's pretty exciting to know out of all these Artisti baristas that little old Nambucca Heads has got a pretty good pair," she said.

Cafe owner Grant Rehn said he's "really proud" of his gun baristas.

"I drink their coffee every day - they make a really good product," he said.

"Even the Artisti owners think they're pretty special."

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