DAVID Cooper is a good judge when it comes to coffee.

And to prove it, he has completed exams to qualify as a World Barista Coffee Competition judge.

Mr Cooper, managing director of Coopers Coffee at Bradley, sat his exams at Trieste, northern Italy.

The competition began five years ago to help raise the standards of speciality espresso coffee drinks and the skills of the people who serve them, known by the Italian term baristi.

Coopers first took part four years ago.

The company has won the UK championships three times in the past four years.

Coopers has competed on the world stage in Monaco, Norway and Boston, USA.

Sixty coffee `gurus' from around the world took part in the certification course in Italy to apply for the honour of judging entries from 37 countries taking part in next year's competition.

Mr Cooper was one of only 24 to be chosen and is now the only certified WBC judge in the UK.

He said: "I am pleased to have passed the certification and I am looking forward to judging this amazing competition in Seattle, USA, next April.

"It's a long time since I went back to school, but it was worth the effort.

"Coopers will be putting this experience to best use by holding our own training schools."