Competitions and Arena
Women’s Star Brewer’s championship
The Women’s Coffee Alliance - India Chapter (WCAI), a Trust formed in July 2012 and registered under Section 80G and 12A of the Government of India, comprises coffee lovers working towards the empowerment and education of under privileged women throughout the coffee value chain, with focus on the women coffee plantation workers and the girl child. It has for its parent body, the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, whose mission is to make a difference in the world of coffee by empowering women in the international coffee community (http://womenincoffee.org). WCAI’s mission aligns to sustain women farmers by ensuring food, nutrition, health and economic security at all levels - household, community and global.
The WCAI is supported by volunteers of women and men from all segments of the Indian coffee value chain. To carry out its mission, the WCAI has implemented and is carrying forward a number of projects on Women & Child Healthcare, Girl Child Education in traditional and non-traditional coffee growing regions in India, Empowerment of the Women Coffee Plantation workers and the Girl Child and support of the Elderly in the coffee growing regions, in their mental and physical requirements.
The organisation’s main annual fund raising event, since 2014, is "Coffee Santhe", which is held in Bangalore. This event showcases to consumers and the public at Bangalore different varieties of coffee beans and brews, various products of leading coffee companies, launch of new coffee products and associated foods, coffee equipment demonstrations and materials, coffee related information and quiz competitions, educational programmes on coffee, besides hosting the highly acclaimed 'Women Stars Brewer Skills Championship', with international judges from major coffee producing and consuming countries judging the Championship and women participants from many coffee café chains and small retailers in India vying for the coveted crown of ‘Woman Coffee Brewing Star’.
The 'Women Stars Brewer Skills Championship' (WSBSC) is a Championship where the participating woman barista and home brewer require to show case their skills in brewing of coffee on a brewer such as the 'AeroPress', besides preparing a 'Signature Beverage' using a home brewing equipment, which could be selected by the participant. This Championship is based on the theme of preparation of coffee using home brewing equipment and is one of it's kind, as the Championship is only for women baristii and home brewers. Participation of only women in a Coffee Championship is unique, as India is perhaps the first country to devise and hold such a Championship, with the Rules and Regulations and the manner of scoring of the performance of the competitors being drawn up by WCAI. The winner of the Championship is invariably presented with an air ticket, donated by a sponsor, to visit a coffee consuming country, where she is provided with an opportunity to enhance further her brewing skills and knowledge on coffee, through training at a coffee cafe and/ or at a coffee company and/ or at a coffee event.
During this year of 2023, the WCAI has been invited to hold the Women Stars Brewer Skills Championship during the World Coffee Congress 2023 (WCC). Conducting the event during the WCC 2023 would highlight the role and importance of women in the Indian coffee sector, besides empowering them.
The Women Stars Brewer Skills Championship has helped the women baristii and home brewers to be empowered to move up the coffee value chain and are now occupying vantage positions in leading coffee companies.