Matt Riddle, US Barista Champion

Here is Matt Riddle (US Barista Champion) wheeling his prep cart into the performance area. His accessories were gorgeously arranged and chosen, (I loved the red accents) despite the fact that some of his cups were broken in transport, and his hot plate was damaged. He and his girlfriend, Melissa, had an adventure in the Swiss department stores trying to find appropriate replacements for the damaged items. But, it all came together as you can see here. Matt went on to place third in the overall World Championship, which was very impressive for his first run at this.

Danielle and I had dinner with Matt and Melissa the night before his first performance, so that made it even more fun to cheer him on the next day.