Claire Wallace triumphs in UK Barista Championship fi nals.

Claire Wallace from Assembly Coffee is the new Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) UK Barista Champion 2022 after achieving the top score in a highly charged championship fi nal hosted by coffee machine sponsor La Cimbali at events@270 in Elstree on 14 May.

The two-day event saw six fi nalists prepare four espressos, four milk and four signature beverages in fi fteen minutes using the Cimbali M200 traditional espresso machine, which was used live on stage and in the practice area at each phase of the competition, from the initial heats through to the grand fi nale.

Competitors are scored on sensory and technical elements and Claire Wallace achieved the highest score (587 points) to clinch the title. Will Woodhouse-Banks, (572 points) from Taylors of Harrogate was runner up with third place going to Ian Kissick (526.5 points) from Formative Coffee.

Claire Wallace, who came second in the UKBC 2020, is the fi rst woman to win this prestigious award and will represent the UK in the World title (WBC) at Melbourne in Australia, in September.

“The journey to winning the UKBC has been incredibly hard work but also incredibly rewarding, and I’m so excited to get to represent the UK at the Worlds in Melbourne,” said Claire Wallace, SCA UK Barista Champion 2022.

“I couldn’t have done it without the help of my team. I hope that we’re heading towards a future where more of the exceptional women from our industry get the opportunity to represent the UK on a global stage!”

Daniel Clarke, commercial director, La Cimbali commented: “Congratulations to Claire, an extremely worthy winner whose determination after coming second last time round really shone through. I am sure she will go on to achieve great things in her career and we wish her all the best for Melbourne later in the year.

“It was real honour for us to host the competition which is held in such high regard within the coffee community. We enjoyed three days of exciting competition which concluded with a much-deserved victory for Claire. Excellent stuff.”

Dawn Foods launches ready to serve vegan donuts

Dawn Foods has further expanded its range of vegan thaw and serve products with the launch of a vegan fi nished frozen donut.

Available in two classic shapes – a glazed ring donut and a jam fi lled ball donut - Dawn’s new Vegan Donuts feature an artisanal, handmade appearance with a light crumb structure to give a soft eat. Both donu ts are covered with Dawn’s unique Non-Sticky Donut Glaze which guarantees bakers and caterers easier product handling once thawed. This glaze also means bakers and caterers can sell the new vegan donuts in packaging without the worry of the glaze being smudged, claim Dawn.

Dawn’s new Vegan Donuts defrost in just two hours and are suited to bakers who wish to capitalise on the current boom in donut popularity, as well as the massive growth in vegan and fl exitarian eating, suggest the fi rm. Free of artifi cial colours and fl avours, the new launch has been developed to appeal to everyone, making them an easy solution for operators as they do not have to ‘double up’ on stock.

Jacqui Passmore marketing manager UK and Ireland at Dawn Foods commented: “Dawn’s new Vegan Donuts are the natural extension to our portfolio of vegan frozen fi nished products and mixes which have seen impressive sales growth since their launch.

“The signifi cant number of people now choosing vegan and fl exitarian bakery options along with the renaissance of the donut category – from plain iced through to elaborately fi lled and topped donuts – made it a logical step to launch a donut in our frozen vegan range offering. Many leading donut brands have picked up on the vegan donut trend, so Dawn’s artisanal fi nished Vegan Donuts will enable high street bakers and caterers to follow suit.”