BeanScene

Kirsten strikes gold

“I WANT TO BE SOMEONE WHO’S DIRECTING FASHION AND TRENDS, NOT FOLLOWING TRAFFIC.”

Kirsten Tibballs knows the pressure of training and competing for a World Championship. She understands how nerves and shaky hands can affect a performance, and how time is of the essence when attempting to assemble a signature creation. Just as Ona Coffee’s Sasa Sestic is Australia’s more recent World Barista Champion in the event often defined as the “Olympics of coffee”, Kirsten is Australia’s more recent reigning champion in the World Pastry Olympics.

Unlike the annual World Coffee Championship which consists of a 15-minute routine, the Pastry Olympics is held every four years in Germany and consists of a 13-hour performance.

“In our version of the Olympics, we train about 40 to 50 hours a week for two years to prepare,” Kirsten says.

“The products we have to produce are very intricate and time sensitive. What we do is very scientific.

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