A barista working at the Costa Coffee shop on Croydon’s North End has made it to the final 12 of her company’s Barista of the Year competition.

Bubbling up: could Croydon North End be the base for one of Britain’s best coffee makers?

Polina Shcherbakova has travelled to Liverpool this week for the two-day final of the prestigious competition, which Costa Coffee has been running for 17 years

Shcherbakova’s route to being among Costa’s top dozen coffee makers in the UK and Ireland “has been marked by fierce competition”, her bosses say.

Shcherbakova “outshone hundreds of Costa Coffee baristas across the country”, they say.

“Polina has demonstrated her passion and skills across two challenging regional stages. Initially, she impressed by crafting four Costa coffee beverages, each meeting the brand’s high standards.

“Then, the barista showcased her depth of coffee knowledge and sensory skills to create and present her own innovative speciality hot drink.”

Finalist: Croydon barista Polina Shcherbakova

The final – a sort of Masterchef of the frothing, boiling brew – takes place tomorrow and Wednesday, during which time Shcherbakova and her 11 colleagues and rivals compete across three rounds to test the baristas’ expertise, precision and creativity.

And the winner, second and third will go on to represent Britain and Ireland in the Coca-Cola-owned coffee shops’ global competition, which takes place in July.

To find out more about the Costa Coffee Barista of the Year competition or to apply for a barista role at one of their stores, visit: https://www.costa.co.uk/sustainability/people/our-baristas

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