Merijn will be joining us again for the second edition of The Milan Coffee Festival at our interactive Latte Art Live area, where the story of Alpro's plant-based products will be combined with fun and interactive workshops. We spoke to Merijn on his history with coffee, his work for Alpro, and his five best tips for making plant-based latte art.
Hi Merijn, tell us a little about yourself: how did you first get into coffee?
I studied hotel management and for my last internship I chose to gain experience abroad in the sales sector. I accidentally worked for an important Italian coffee company, and to learn the language, which is essential for working, I started in the Torrefazione area. There I came into close contact with coffee, and watching World Barista Champion races with Fabio Verona, I realized that this would be my path.
You have been an Alpro Ambassador for some time. What do you like most about your role?
Meeting new people who are passionate about coffee! I also like being able to dispel those preconceptions about vegetable milk, explaining to people the benefits and sustainability that they can implement by drinking these products.
Can you give us five tips you can use to make Latte Art with Alpro?
1. Use the right product. Not all plant-based drinks combine well with coffee and with latte art. For example, Alpro has a special line called "For Professionals"
2. Pass steam from the wand to 40 ° C then immerse it.
3. On the contrary, don't let it go too far if you're going to create an elaborate latte Art.
4. Never exceed 60/65 ° C for almond.
5. Experiment with the products. You can make latte art with all of them but they each require a different approach. My favorites are oat and coconut. If I use soya I wait 30 seconds before starting the pour, whereas with almond I prefer to start as soon as I finish whipping.
What are your expectations for the second edition of the Milan Coffee Festival?
I can't wait to meet all my Italian and foreign coffee friends again! I loved the intimate atmosphere of last year's edition. I hope this will welcome many more people and introducing them to the wonderful world of specialty coffee.
See Merijn's plant-based latte art skills in action at Latte Art Live at the Milan coffee Festival from 30 November - 02 December 2019