Carrboro/Chapel Hill, NC – Local World Barista Certified (WBC) coffee professional Scott Conary is off to judge the World Competition, after having passed the intense 2 day certification course.

Scott is one of only 7 judges from the U.S. to have passed the certification class, and the only judge from North Carolina.

45 total judges passed the certification from 5 classes held around the world, to be the most accomplished and tested judging pool the competition has seen since its 2000 creation.

Certification courses were held in Guatemala City, Guatemala; Long Beach CA, USA; Melbourne, Australia; Stockholm, Sweden; & Nairobi, Kenya.

2009 WBC takes place 4/16-19 at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA, during the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Annual Convention; the largest gathering of coffee professionals in the U.S.

Scott has been active in judging these coffee competitions since 2003 where he judged the first Southeast Regional Competition that took place in Southern Season’s cooking classroom in Chapel Hill, NC.

Scott has been a WBC judge for the last three years: Berne, Switzerland in 2007; Tokyo, Japan in 2008 where he served as a Head Judge; and Copenhagen, Denmark in 2008; making this years Championship in Atlanta his 4th.

He has also served as a Judge for the Guatemalan, Canadian & Honduran National Barista Competitions in 2008 & 2009, as well as being a current member of the SCAA United Stated Barista Competition (USBC) Committee.

All Barista competitions worldwide reward demonstrated excellence in the art and skill of preparing and serving espresso. Entrants must make 12 beverages, including four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks of their own creation, within 15 minutes in front of a panel of accomplished & certified industry judges. Competitors are based on taste, beverage presentation, technical skills, coffee knowledge and passion, and overall impression.

Those that might be interested in learning more about coffee and related subjects should consider taking either one of his training courses, or coming to the monthly free classes at the Open Eye Café, called the Learning Series; where topics will cycle thru various aspects of the coffee/tea industry and beyond. Visit the Open Eye Café website for topics and dates ( www.openeyecafe.com ). You can also contact him directly at scott@openeyecafe.com