Sask. barista prepares to roast competitors at national coffee competition

A competitor from Saskatoon is heading to Vancouver for a competition that promises to be quite the grind.

A competitor from Saskatoon is heading to Vancouver for a competition that promises to be quite the grind.

Local barista Taliya Luo-Tatebe beat out a field of challengers from Manitoba, northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, but she’s not sure if the national competition will be a tall order.

If you happen to visit the Starbucks on 8th Street, it may seem like a regular coffee shop, but behind the bar you’ll see a championship barista in action.

Tatebe fell in love with coffee four years ago at the same Starbucks, and she’s become exceptional in her field.

“I love creating coffee for people every day. I love that that’s my job and the customer connection part is also amazing,” she told CTV News.

For her, being a barista is not a grind at all, in fact, she even takes her job home with her — admitting she makes coffees for friends and family outside of work because she enjoys it.

“You know when people make their hobby a career, that it sometimes ruins it, I was afraid of that, but it hasn’t at all. It’s made it better,” she said.