BARTENDING and barista innovators took center stage during the 10th Oro Best Expo held at the Centrio Mall's activity center in Cagayan de Oro City last October 17 and 18.
Spearheaded by Rey Sumania, chairman and founder of the Filipino Bartending and Barista Innovators, the 10th Mindanao Masters showcased the different techniques and skills of bartenders and baristas not only from Mindanao but from all over the country.
“Ang pinaka aim talaga namin is to improve yung mga bartenders and the baristas kasi nakita namin na parang nagiging kulelat ang Mindanao when it comes to bartending and barista. That's why we're trying to organize this type of competition to level them up,” Sumania, also training director of Jamaican F&B Assessment and Training Center, said.
“Dito, the bartending industry is really fast-booming talaga. Nagiging center of attraction ang Cagayan de Oro when it comes to bartending and barista in Mindanao,” he added.
However, unlike last year which the competitors are only from Mindanao, this year, the participants came from Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bulacan, Zamboanga, Baguio, Caraga, Surigao, and Manila.
“Pag may gustong sumali na taga ibang bansa or from other cities outside Mindanao, we still allow them. Kaya nga binago namin ang mechanics. Open to all na,” Sumania said.
A total of 36 participants joined the two-day event, wherein 15 are in the Barista Rockstar category, nine in the Flair Master Student category, and 12 in Flair Master Professional category.
The winners of each category received trophy, certificate and cash.
According to Sumania, the next year's Mindanao Masters will be held in Surigao and will be open to all who wanted to participate in the competition, even those from outside Mindanao.
He also shared that for those who are interested to practice bartending or who wanted to become baristas, the Jamaican F&B Assessment and Training Center is offering bartending and barista training for free starting this month until December.
The training for bartending, according to Sumania, will take two months while for baristas will only take one month.