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Ashburton barista Bryce Elvy makes a flat white, right, every time.
He has high standards. It’s a trait that has seen him named a finalist in the Robert Harris Barista of the Year competition, which to be held at its Auckland roastery in October.
Elvy is one of three baristas selected nationwide for the final, and the only one from the South Island.
The other two finalists are from Palmerston North and Waikato.
Elvy has been serving up hot brews for the past 14 years, most recently at the Ashburton franchise, one of the busiest nationwide.
A self-taught barista, he is one of a team of five operating under franchisees Gary Lee and Ekta Rani, making 400 to 600 cups a day, seven days a week.
Elvy said it was a great place to meet people, which worked well with his other work as a life coach and senior leader for Tony Robbins.
‘‘If someone is friendly and they’re coming back because you do a great job, that’s why you do it.
‘‘It’s the networking that provides the real value for me,’’ he said.
‘‘The coffee is the vehicle and everyone loves coffee.’’
Coffee also helped him buy his first property in Ashburton in his early 20s.
Elvy fell into the profession during his first job out of high school in 2011.
He was working at the former Salmon Tales cafe in Rakaia as a dish washer.
‘‘I was just happy there...it took (my manager) a year to get me to move out the front, and begin front of house.
‘‘I was like ‘‘no, no I’m happy helping with the kitchen food and doing dishes. I don’t want to make coffees because I don’t want to serve rubbish’’.’’
The first coffee he was made was for his manager.
It was good enough.
He put Elvy in charge of making all his coffees.
‘‘It wasn’t good, because I was just brand new, and starting,’’ Elvy said, in hindsight.
Now, his own preference is for a flat white.
‘‘If you go back to when I started it was cararmel latte, two sugars; when you’re 18-years-old it’s like sugar, sugar, sugar,’’ he said, of his coffee preference.
‘‘And then it’s just like smaller and stronger.
‘‘And now, it’s like you’re kind of like drinking for the heat and not all the added extras.’’
However, other people had their own preferences on how they wanted their coffee.
Changes have included a boost in coffee flavours and a wider range of milks.
‘‘It used to be just dairy milk in black; soy milk was just starting when I started, then almond, coconut, oat and now lactose-free.
‘‘Things have become a little more automatic as well; I can still tamp but to prevent RSI (repetitive strain injuries) we have the automatic tampers now as well, which is handy so I can be hands-free as well.’’
In the competition, he will compete in three rounds; latte art, a taste test of franchise blends, and then a speed round.
‘‘I’m pretty sure I can crush (the speed round) because on a Saturday morning for kids sports we are doing well over 100-an hour. It’s just pumping.’’
Elvy’s latte art includes ferns, tulips and rosettas but, when time allows, he was learning how to create swans.
‘‘I honestly don’t really change it up, I’m just like a one trick pony,’’ he said.
‘‘We are just super fast and consistent. That’s the values of Robert Harris as well — care, consistency and craftsmanship.’’
Robert Harris has 39 franchisees nationwide and just over 60 entries were nominated in two categories; barista of the year, and rising star (for less than one year).
The top three finalists in both categories were chosen in a regional event which included mystery customers.
Timaru has a finalist in the rising star competition.