Philippine National Barista Championship Announces Primary and Official Equipment & Product Sponsors for Its Inaugural Competition

Makati City, Philippines, January 14, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Philippine National Barista Championship (PNBC) is pleased to announce the Primary and Official Equipment & Product Sponsors for its inaugural competition due to take place February 1 – 2, 2013 at the Megatrade Conference Center in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. The inaugural event is the only Philippine coffee competition that is sanctioned and endorsed by World Coffee Events, organizers of World Barista Championship, the pre-eminent international coffee competition.

Gourmet Farms Inc., roaster of high quality beans and one of the most productive organic farms in the Philippines, has been named Premiere Sponsor of the country’s most prestigious coffee competition. Lennard Reyes, Vice President for Operations of Escaler & Company, Inc. says, “It is with pride that Gourmet Farms extends its full support to this undertaking as a pioneer in several endeavours that lift excellence out of Filipino talents especially dear to its foundation - Coffee."

“The inaugural Philippine National Barista Championship would not have been possible without the generous support of Gourmet Farms and our event sponsors who share with our values and passion for coffee excellence. It is through supporters like them who help make the important work of our organization, the Association of Filipino Baristas, Inc. (AFBI) possible,” notes Juan Carlos Martinez, current President of AFBI, licensed national body of World Coffee Events to the Philippines.

Primary and Official Equipment & Product Sponsors to the 2013 competition season are:

Primary Sponsors

· Premiere Sponsor: Gourmet Farms, Inc.
· Gold Sponsor: Goodman Fielder International Philippines, Inc.
· Silver Sponsor: Monin
· Bronze Sponsor: Coffee Academy – Philippines

Official Equipment & Product Sponsors

· Espresso Machine: Nuova Simonelli
· Grinder: Ditting Swiss
· Cleaning Product: Urnex
· Water Filtration: Brita
· Milk: Meadow Fresh

The Philippine National Barista Championship (PNBC) is organized by Espresso World in partnership with the Association of Filipino Baristas, Inc. For additional information on PNBC, visit www.nafbi-philippines.org.

For more information about the sponsors and their products, visit: Gourmet Farms, Inc. - www.gourmetfarms.com.ph, Goodman Fielder Philippines, Inc. – www.gfasiapacific.com.au, Monin – www.savoroso.com.ph/monin-flavours, Coffee Academy, Philippines – http://ow.ly/gGwwF, Nuova Simonelli - http://www.allegrobeverage.com/product-nouvasimonelli, Ditting Swiss / Urnex / Brita – www.roastery.ph, and Meadow Fresh – www.meadowfresh.co.nz.

About Gourmet Farms, Inc.

Gourmet Farms, Inc., started in 1987 as a roaster of high quality coffee beans and, on a limited scale, as a producer of herbal teas and organically grown vegetables and exotic herbs. It did not take long for Gourmet Farms to build a small café right at the farm to serve as an outlet for its popular freshly brewed coffee and as a showcase for its “fresh produce.” Thereafter, by word of mouth, it enthusiastically drew urban dwellers seeking the farm- fresh, all natural, dining experience Gourmet’s Café not only promised but delivered as well.

Today, Gourmet Farms continue to deliver the freshest and finest Gourmet products right to their customers’ doorstep, which includes: the finest quality of freshly roasted coffee beans, all natural caffeine free herbal teas, preservative free salad dressings, pasta sauces, spreads and dips; and organically grown salad vegetables, herbs and spices. Gourmet's Cafe has transformed into THE DINING ROOM and THE COUNTRY STORE to showcase all its products. Visit www.gourmet.com.ph for more details.

About World Coffee Events (WCE)

World Coffee Events (WCE) is an event management organization registered in Dublin, Ireland and founded by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE).

WCE is the premier producer of events for the coffee community worldwide. Its mission is to develop events that engage the specialty coffee community and promote coffee excellence. The current portfolio involves competition events such as the World Barista Championship, World Cup Tasters Championship, World Latte Art Championship, World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, World Cezve/Ibrik Championship, World Coffee Roasting Championship, and the World Brewers Cup, as well as show features such as the Espresso Bar and the Brew Bar. Visit www.worldcoffeeevents.org for more details.

About Association of Filipino Baristas, Inc. (AFBI)

The Association of Filipino Baristas, Inc. (AFBI) is a non-stock, non-profit organization consisting of Filipino professional Baristas and coffee aficionados dedicated to the preparation and advancement of coffee preparation. AFBI aims to position itself as the primary advocate and spokesperson of the Filipino Barista community and aims to create a community of Filipino Baristas as ambassadors of coffee quality and craftsmanship. AFBI is the licensed national body of World Coffee Events to the Philippines. Visit www.nafbi-philippines.org for more details.

About Espresso World

Espresso World is a values-based organization with a mission is to provide exceptional coffee education, training, and events in all aspects of the bean to cup chain in the Philippines. The organization is also the Official International Education Partner to the Philippines of the world's largest coffee trade association and authority on specialty coffee: the ​Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Through its partnership with the SCAA, Espresso World is able to provide a full range of globally recognized professional certifications for ​Baristas, Cuppers, and Roasters.​ Visit www.espressoworld.org for more details.