On October 18, top baristas from Second Cup cafés across Canada will face off at the coffee company’s Latte Art Championship. The event, which will take the form of a bracketed tournament, will be hosted by designer and TV personality Steven Sabados at Yorkdale Mall.

Last month, Second Cup invited baristas from across the country to submit videos of their best latte art for consideration - and eight finalists have been selected to compete in this National Championship. During the competition, participants will be judged by three experts: Chris Sonnen, Vice President of Coffee Experience at Second Cup; Liz Bishop at Reunion Island, Second Cup’s coffee roaster; and Maxwell Burnstein, a notable Canadian artist. Over the course of three rounds, the finalists will be required to present different types of latte art, including the standards (heart, tulip or rosetta), a design with pour etching and a free pour of their choice.The winner will receive a trip to Costa Rica, during which they’ll visit one of Second Cup’s coffee bean producers.

The Latte Art Championship is a celebration of Second Cup’s focus on offering a truly handcrafted experience in their cafés - from beverages to baked goods. Each espresso-based beverage is made with a freshly pulled shot of espresso and steamed milk, with beans freshly ground for each beverage. Second Cup’s smoothies and iced beverages are also prepared fresh to order and cafés offer handmade baked goods and food offerings sourced from local bakeries.

The event will be broadcast for Canadians to view across the country via Facebook Live, found on Second Cup’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SecondCup.