Gold Winner Danielle Archer, The Nook

Silver Winner Laura Arsenault, Java Blend Coffee Roasters

Bronze Winner Jeremy Waterman, The Smiling Goat

• Samuel Kean
• Danielle Archer at The Nook

Danielle Archer’s favourite hot beverage to make is a macchiato in a Gibraltar glass, not just for the drink itself, but the challenge. “It’s kind of like a test of how good you are—pour something beautiful in something super tiny.” A barista for five years, Archer’s passion was sparked by a coworker who was a trained judge for the Barista’s Competition of Canada. “It’s a job where you get minimum wage, but you put a lot of your time and love into it,” says Archer. “It’s kind of like a trade, it’s almost like an art. And you can do it anywhere in the world.