Christchurch barista of the year surprised by nomination
If you’re after a good brew, Fumi Takai is the man for you.
The Japanese native and long-term Cantabrian recently won outstanding barista of the year at the Canterbury Hospitality Awards, and said he didn’t know he was nominated until one of his customers told him.
Stationed at Riverside Market in the central city since October 2019, Takai’s Espresso Studio by Fushoken has become a staple caffeine hotspot for many who work in the CBD.
Takai found out about his nomination two weeks prior to the ceremony when a customer began to congratulate him. Confused, he searched Facebook and found his name with a list of nominees and decided he would go to the ceremony, but never expected to win.
“I was so happy. To be nominated in the top four was great, but to win the award was special.”
Takai has developed a strong regular customer base in just under a year – estimating that about 70 per cent of his customers had been there before.
Have you been to Takai's coffee shop?
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