Pictured above: Winner Jurate Skarzauskaite and the judges

The Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship reached its exciting climax in Rome Ion Thursday 23rd September 2010 and East Midlands Airport's very own Jurate Skarzauskaite was the victor in this prestigious international competition. Eight finalists from all over the world took part in the competition, and wowed the judges with their skill at coffee making and their enthusiasm for the art of coffee.

During a testing day, the competitors were given a range of tasks to complete beneath the watchful eye of a panel expert judges. They were required to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and finally to use their flair and imagination to create their own signature drink.

Winner Jurate, a barista from East Midlands Airport, recreated the atmosphere of a sun-kissed beach when she served her chilled signature drink. Named Tropical Paradise, the drink was flavoured with espresso coffee, coconut and bananas, and was presented in coconuts on a 'beach' of flowers and sea-shells.

Jurate said it was her love of the summer time and travelling that inspired her recipe; 'I love being on the beach, and I wanted to create a drink that could be enjoyed on a hot summer day.'

This clinched the title for Jurate, but as event organiser and judge Stuart Coombes explains, Jurate put in a convincing performance throughout the competition; "At Caffe Ritazza, we are passionate about good coffee and Jurate's love for coffee was evident throughout the competition. She had invested a lot of time in her entry, and it was clear that she had a lot of fun whilst creating and making it." Coombes is keen to encourage her, and others to compete in other Barista championships.

Jurate's boss, Andrea Taylor, SSP UK Operations Manager at EMA comments; "I'm absolutely delighted! Jurate has put in so much hard work and preparation for the competition and the title recognises her dedication. It is a great reflection on the EMA Ritazza Team - Rachel, Nicola Jurgita and Jane have been a great support! There wont be any let up for Jurate now, as she will be prepping our 2011 entrant!"

Hannah Swanwick, Commercial Development Manager - Retail, East Midlands Airport said: "We are absolutely delighted that Jurate has been recognised for the level of service she provides to our customers here at East Midlands Airport. This award shows that this is not just a job for Jurate, this is her passion and she should be extremely proud of what she has achieved. We hope passengers will visit Caffe Ritazza to see a World Class Barista in action"

The competition was adjudicated by four sensory judges and two technical judges, who scored the competitors on how they prepared to make the coffee, their technical expertise in areas such as grinding, dosing, tamping and extracting the coffee, along with following a clear process for foaming the milk. This all had to be completed within a specified time limit.

Each coffee was tasted and rated on a number of quality criteria, such as the colour and consistency of the crema on the espresso along with taste balance of the espresso, the correct consistency, quality and temperature of the milk in the cappuccinos, and the elegance and uniformity of the presentation of the four cappuccinos.

The competition judges were all leading authorities from the world of coffee. Judging alongside Stuart Coombes, a former barista competitor himself, was Richard Barclay SSP's Senior Vice President International Brands who was instrumental in the highly successful launch of SSP's Caffè Ritazza brand. They were joined by Paul Meikle Janney who is the head judge of two of the leading Speciality Coffee Association of Europe  (SCAE) competitions.