The Dale Harris Champions Cup line was unveiled by Hong Kong-based Loveramics at the SCA Expo in Boston last month. Daily Coffee News photo by Howard Bryman.
Like an athlete with a signature sneaker line, 2017 World Barista Champion Dale Harris now has his own signature line of porcelain coffee cups, made by Loveramics. The Hong Kong-based ceramics company officially launched the product line earlier this month at the SCA Expo in Boston.
The line of handle-less dual-textured cups includes three sizes, several color options, and is intended to replicate the look and feel of the custom drinkware Harris used for the presentation that won him the UK Barista Championship and then the world title two years ago. The original design — a 2016 collaboration between Harris and East London-based ceramicist Ben Sutton — has been faithfully adopted, fortified to industrial standards and produced on a larger scale by Loveramics.
Daily Coffee News photo by Howard Bryman.
“He needed a cup that worked for his recipes, and he needed the strength and the durability to work with it,” Loveramics Founder William Lee told Daily Coffee News, adding that the cups were designed to withstand the rigors of Harris’ workplace HasBean Coffee, where today Harris serves as director of wholesale. “So we came in as the manufacturer and a collaborator on this project.”
The line includes an 80-ml espresso cup, a 150-ml flat white cup and a 200-ml cappuccino cup. Each is available in Harris’ original cream color, or in Loveramics’ Celadon Green or Celadon Blue. A curved interior is designed to assist latte art dynamics, and the smooth glazed upper portion contrasts with the raw-textured and grippier lower portion to emphasize the multiplicity of senses involved in coffee’s enjoyment.
Daily Coffee News photo by Howard Bryman.
Each piece comes with Harris’ signature on the bottom, and maintains the craft-oriented handmade appearance, yet with the precision and accuracy needed for consistent drink service. “You get the best of both of worlds,” said Lee. “I think that’s kind of our expertise.”
Sales launched online via the Loveramics website earlier this month. Shipping and distribution began upon displaying the cups publicly for the first time at the SCA Expo. The smaller espresso cup carries the retail a la carte price of $10.07 USD; the larger two sizes are $11.35 USD apiece.
Daily Coffee News photo by Howard Bryman.
Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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