Congratulations to Honoka Kawashima, Frank’s Coffee, Wellington who is your Meadow Fresh NZ Barista Champion for 2023.
It was a weekend to celebrate all things espresso, as New Zealand’s best baristas put their skills to the test.
Your top six are:
| 1 | Honoka Kawashima | Frank’s Coffee | 644.5 |
| 2 | Mike Tan | Meebz Coffee Roasters | 610 |
| 3 | Jenny Kim | Atomic Coffee Roasters | 558 |
| 4 | Jenna Phillips | Sacred Grounds Ltd | 515.8 |
| 5 | Jason Moore | Vanguard Specialty | 491.5 |
| 6 | Nara Lee | Handpicked Coffee | 450 |
Congratulations to all. We had new rules and a new champion to crown and we did it!
And what a weekend for Honoka! She was also crowned Best Newcomer and Most Outstanding Milk Beverage taking home some sweet cash prizes.
Special thanks go to the amazing sponsors, judges, volunteers, competitors, and coffee companies who help make it happen.
We are so pleased to be able to bring this incredible event to our community. We can’t wait to see where Honoka will go in 2024.
First round scoring:
| 1 | Honoka Kawashima | Franks Coffee | 653 |
| 2 | Mike Tan | Meebz Coffee | 595 |
| 3 | Jason Moore | Vangaurd Coffee | 518.5 |
| 4 | Jenny Kim | Atomic Coffee Roasters | 498.5 |
| 5 | Nara Lee | Handpicked Coffee | 496 |
| 6 | Jenna Phillips | Sacred Ground Taupo | 490 |
| 7 | Ted Zhang | Independent | 426 |
| 8 | Chace Tian | Mavis & Co | 381.5 |
| 9 | Lauren Dodson | La Panier Boulangerie | 345.5 |
| 10 | Scott Crawford | The Auction House Café & Bar | 209 |