Your Latte Art is incredible! How did your career get started?
In 2017, I was working at a cafe in Sydney alongside a World Latte Art Champion. One early morning shift I saw him practicing latte art and I gave it a go myself. With my artist background and my ultimate goal of becoming a barista — and World Latte Art Champion! — one day, that moment inspired me to apply for a barista course to study coffee and latte art.
What kind of latte art can we expect to see you create at Latte Art Live at The Los Angeles Coffee Festival?
At LACF, I'll showcase the original technique that won me the world champion called “dry foam” to create my signature animal designs. Expect rabbits, deer, foxes, raccoons, as well as fairytale characters like unicorns, pegasus, dragons, fairies, mermaids and many more.
After years of competing in the World Latte Art Championship and seeing the same patterns like rosettas, tulips, swans, flowers and birds, I wanted to create something really unique that could also be recognized worldwide. Animals are likable and I knew customers would love them shown in latte art designs.
What makes the Astoria Tempesta the ideal machine for Latte Art?
The programming capabilities allow the baristas to get the best shot of coffee every single time. When it comes to steaming milk, the dry steam system minimizes the amount of water entering the milk and lets you steam different kinds of milk to get a silky, creamy texture. It creates a smooth, delicate milk foam that helps me create difficult latte art patterns and it also lifts up the coffee flavor.
Check out Arnon's Astoria takeover at the Latte Art Live stage all weekend long. See the schedule here.