Due to unforeseen personal circumstances, our 2025 Barista Champion Hanna Teramoto is no longer able to represent Aotearoa at the World Barista Championship in Panama.
Hanna has been granted a deferral by WCC to compete in next year’s WBC as a Deferred Candidate Champion from 2025. This will mean she will compete alongside our 2026 champion, Alan Bruce. While this might seem strange, the WCC Deferred Candidacy (DC) policy ensures there’s space for national champions to compete and represent their country if they met certain criteria under the DC policy in the event they are unable to attend a WCC championship in the year they would otherwise be entitled to compete.
Stepping onto the stage in Panama this October will be Josh Peacocke of Mojo Coffee NZ, our 2025 runner-up. Josh will represent New Zealand as our official Competition Body Representative for the 2026 WBC.
We know Josh will do us proud on the World stage. Get ready to see that smile light up Panama!