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Emma Markland Webster: I started to love coffee in the deli, though I must admit I had no idea about anything and I just got on with it. I guess it was the love for it that made me look at the different elements that went into making a great cup. After working in Wellington, I went back to the UK for eight months or so, then returned to New Zealand to my now home, Nelson. In Nelson, I took a job as head barista in a local café and started to do some training in the evenings. So when the first New Zealand national competition came up I thought, why not! I'm teaching all these people to make coffee; I should at the very least give this competition thing a go and see what happens. And then I won the New Zealand title in the first year. SA: Why did you want to compete? EMW: To prove a point. I thought I could make a pretty good coffee but felt others didn't understand the idea of a barista/professional coffee maker. SA: What was the New Zealand barista competition like back in 2002? EMW: I shudder at the thought of it. Two baristas competed together/at the same time and two judges watched and assessed the drinks. Two lattes, two cappuccinos and two espressos. SA: Please tell us about your experience at the 2002 WBC in Oslo. I can't imagine how different it was from how it is now! EMW: Oslo was amazing! I was Team NZ—just me on my own in Oslo with no idea on what was going to happen at this event. Tone (Liavaag, of Oslo, one of the creators of the original WBC model, and longtime respected 'barista mother') was fabulous. I felt so warmly welcomed and looked after. I think I was the only barista that they didn't meet in person at the airport on arrival (of which they were all very apologetic about). Dismas (Smith, the barista champion of the United States in 2002) became my training bud- dy and we pulled shots to practice our routines on each end on a two group machine. The judges' table was a tall round bar leaner and the bench to work on was just a bit of space around the ma- chine bench and the top of the fridge. Oh, how times have changed! I think there were just four judges, and they tasted and watched a bit of the techni- cal stuff. I confused them all by request- ing that I use my own custom steam tip. This was back when you could still dust your cappuccino with chocolate. It was all so terrifying being on the stage, I needed a couple of drinks to calm my nerves. I can remember try- ing to talk to the judges through my routine but the emcee George Sabados was too busy talking to Tone about her snakeskin boots, so I ended up talking to myself. Back then, the emcee could interview you in the competition time and seemed to ramble off on tangents if they felt you weren't talking enough. Socially, everyone was one big group and we had events each and ev- ery evening. It was then, as now, one big coffee family. Oslo was and still is pretty special to me. SA: Coming out of that experience, how were you inspired about coffee? Did you want to compete again? Did you want to coach? Were you inspired to work to make the WBC more professional? EMW: Oh, how I wanted to compete again! Knowing I ranked second go- ing into the finals, then it all turning to custard (she placed fifth), haunted me. I dreamt for months on how I could have performed and how it ended up on the day. I was inspired by the people I had met and the coffee I had tasted. I had well and truly caught the bug. 48 barista magazine