Air Horn Abuse and Banana Torture: Inside Ben Put’s WBC Training Regimen

Canadian Barista Champion Ben Put

Just moments ago, 2014 Canadian Barista Champion Ben Put of Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters was named as one of the 12 finalists at the World Barista Championship in Rimini, Italy, among an incredible field of 54 national champions (U.S.. Champ Laila Ghambari also made the final 12.)

(related: Must-See Video: Phil & Sebastian’s Winning Approach to Cafe Design)

Of course, just getting this far is an incredible accomplishment for any competitor, a reflection of countless hours of preparation, education, creative thinking and training. We recently explored UK Barista Champion Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood’s road to the WBC (he’s also in the final 12), which includes an intensely scientific approach to water quality.

(related: Sniffing Cow Dung for Quality: A Semi-Ironic Milk Origin Trip Video)

Here we bring you an inside look into Put’s training regimen, which includes showering in coffee, abusive air horn work from Phil and Sebastian themselves, and even banana harassment from 2012 Canadian Barista Champion Jeremy Ho. See for yourselves: