RVA Barista Jam in 1 WEEK!

Hey coffee friends, we are officially one week away from February 23's RVA Barista Jam and things are shaping up nicely!

I've been fielding some email questions for the past couple days so I thought I'd post some of them as FAQs so everyone can benefit.

Is there a fee to compete or be a spectator? No! Competing or watching is totally free. Ellwood's Cafe has some awesome food and drink though, so we hope you'll patronize them while you're there.


Are all the competitors sharing an espresso grinder? Yes, there will be one grinder and each contestant will use it UNLESS the contestant has their own grinder and would like to use it instead, this is totally ok.


Will contestants have time to adjust grind and pull practice shots? Yes, we are not judging on time so you will have some time to dial in your espresso prior to making your competition beverages. I will post the scoring rubric to the website so you can see how the judging works, as for timing, we just ask that you are expeditious as we have to get through all of our competitors in 2 hours.


Are pitchers, tamps, serveware and smallwares provided? We will provide standard pitchers, tamps etc. if needed or you are welcome to bring your own. We will use Ellwood Cafe's serveware or you are welcomed to bring your own.


Do contestants need to bring their own milk and/or espresso? Blanchard's Coffee Co. will provide espresso for anyone to use if they want, but you are encouraged to bring your own. Milk is the responsibility of the contestant--if you forget, there are at least nine million grocery stores within 100 yards of Ellwood's Cafe.


Competition spots are filling up fast so to get signed up, email rvabaristajam@gmail.com today!