Ukrainian barista Slava Babych became the winner of the 2018 Cezve/Ibrik Championship, which was held in Dubai on February 19-20.

“Congratulations to Slava Babych, representing Ukraine, who has become the 2018 Cezve/Ibrik Champion! Over three days, we’ve seen some great performances from seven coffee professionals in the Cezve/Ibrik Championship. The final ranking also included Marina Khuyppenen, representing Russia, who placed in 2nd, with Koray Erdoğdu representing Turkey in 3rd, and Sumit Shrestha representing UAE in 4th place”, reads the statement on the Festival’s official website.

After some deliberation, the judging panel deemed Slava’s performance deserving of the top title of 2018 Cezve/Ibrik Champion. Just moments after the Awards Ceremony, it was remarked that Slava’s choice of coffee was top notch, and that he excelled in customer service. Also noted was the creativity that Slava showed in his performance gave him an advantage, along with the synergy achieved in his signature beverage.

Slava Babych works as a brand barista in the Family of Restaurants of Dmytro Borysov.

From 2013 Slava participated in Ukrainian Barista Championships and in 2018 Ukrainian Cezve Championship.

“My first cup of coffee, I cooked 6 years ago my future wife, coach and mother of my son. This was a turning point in my life, and the beginning of me love for coffee . And now I am the chief barista of the 12 best restaurants in Ukraine”, telling Slava in the interview.

The secret to a great Cezve/Ibrik beverage he thinks is more love in each cup.