St ALi’s Matt Perger Wins World Title for the Brewer’s Cup

Matt Perger, Australian Barista Champion, last night won the world title for the Brewer’c Cup at the World Barista Competition in Vienna. This win is a remarkable coup for St ALi’s head barista. Ross Quail, General Manager of the St Ali Group, was also a judge the final of the World Barista Competition.

This is a massive moment not only for the St ALi Group but for Australian specialty coffee industry in general, as Melbourne has been named the home of the World Barista Competition in 2013 for the first time. To be held in May with the Melbourne International Coffee Expo.

2011-12 have been whirlwind years for the talented barista. He was named Australian Barista Champion, before becoming third runner-up in the 2011 World Barista Championships. As part of the Coffee Common consortium on Ted Talks video site, Matt inspired and educated audiences about the art of coffee brewing.

Matt’s rise to coffee stardom was borne out of his determination to improve coffee and his genuine interest in experiencing delicious coffee and sharing it with others. The complexity of coffee has proved to be Matt’s greatest career challenge, which fuels his desire to learn more about the beans.

Raised in Bowral, New South Wales, Matt worked at cafes while in secondary school, and moved on to Source Espresso Bar in Mosman when he graduated in 2008. After travelling overseas, Matt took out New South Wales Barista Championship, before heading south to try out his hand in the booming Melbourne coffee scene. He worked at Market Lane Coffee in Prahran, before becoming head barista at Axil Coffee in Hawthorn. In December 2011, Matt joined the St ALi coffee brethren.

St ALi
12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne, VIC
www.stali.com.au