Dates: Friday 18th September – Preliminary Time: 9:30- 6:20 pm
Saturday 19th September – Finals 8:30 – 5:30 pm
Venue: AUT WG Building – 74 Governor Fitzroy Place, Auckland CBD
More details on the competiton here.
People’s Choice voting NOW LIVE! Voting closes Friday 18th September.
Full Schedule coming soon!
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The winner of the 2026 Aotearoa Barista Champs will go on to represent Aotearoa at the World Barista Championship 2027 in Tokyo, Japan.
Competitor Line Up:
Charlotte Green representing Swimsuit Coffee, Wellington (L’affare, Barista Open Winner) I’ve grown up around coffee my whole life, and it’s become a big passion of mine. I got given this opportunity, and I want to use it to gain knowledge, experience and push myself outside of the usual cafe environment while competing alongside some of NZ’s best baristas!
Heesun Lee representing Atomic Coffee Roasters, Auckland
I first competed in 2016, and after ten years of learning, experiencing, and growing, I want to get it all out for NZBC 2026.
Samara Xia Huang representing Good Jo Coffee, Queenstown (Wolf Coffee Roasters, Barista Open Winner)
Coffee has taken me on an incredible journey over the past seven years. Competing is my way of challenging myself, meeting inspiring people, and continuing to grow as both a barista and a person.
Pinja Mäkipää representing All You Knead, Whangārei (Sabio Coffee, Barista Open Winner)
Heya!
I’m new to the competition scene but I’m so excited to learn and challenge myself! Competing in the Barista Championships is a chance for me to gain valuable experience, connect with the amazing coffee community and develop myself as a barista.
Yrjo Galvez representing Decent Packaging, Auckland
I want to try voice a narrative that I hope changes perspectives. Hopefully highlight a few things for the love of coffee 🙂
Alan Bruce representing Acme Cup Co., Wellington
Alan Bruce is a recovering coffee roaster, ex barista, former coffee trainer, 2 x NZ Cup Tasters Champion coach, NZ Latte Art Champion coach, lapsed Q grader, and all round average human being.
Nelson Ik Run Soon representing Starbucks New Zealand, Auckland
Looking to enjoy the process, learn about coffee, challenge myself and make delicious coffee.
Matt Ross representing Kindred, Tauranga
I compete to learn and grow as a person and a barista. To push myself to be better for my customers and my community. I compete to connect with the NZ coffee community. It’s such an amazing community where everyone comes together and helps each other through competing! I love it!
Kyle Cabangun representing Rook & Bean Soup, Christchurch
Barista champs are an amazing opportunity to express myself through coffee and share the knowledge that I’ve gathered up over the years! It’s also an excellent way to connect with more people in the NZ coffee community!
John Gordon representing Silverback Coffee Solutions/Pegasus Coffee Systems, Auckland
After fifteen years of competing — four UK titles, multiple World finals, and winning the 2018 New Zealand championship — I stepped back from the stage. I’d started working on something I wanted to share in 2019/20, but it wasn’t ready yet. Six years on, it is. I’m returning to the New Zealand Barista Championship to share what I started.
Yejun Shim representing Slow Koi, Auckland
To be a Champion.
Josh Peacocke representing Mojo Coffee, Auckland
Honestly, it’s still something I am figuring out! When I am on stage, I feel so present that I am in full control. It is a way for me to compare myself to the people I look up to. So, I would say mastery and rivalry.
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Judge Line Up:
Judging in the Barista Champs is dependent on passing the calibration prior to the competition
- Thomas Jolliffe | Allpress
NZ Brewers Cup 2026 - Mathilda Hsu | Independent
Philippines, NZ & Australia National Brewers Cup; Australia CGIS - Otavio Augusto Gallina de Abreu | Roma Coffee Roasters
Regional Barista Comp 2025, Brewers Cup 2026 - Thanh Nghia (Neil) Ly | Independent
WCC Certified Judge (Barista Sensory & Technical, Latte Art Visual); Vietnam, NZ, Philippines & Singapore National Barista Champs; NZ, Singapore, HK & Vietnam Latte Art Champs - Tony Fan | Eske Place Coffee Roasters NZ
Taiwan Specialty Coffee Evaluation & Brewing Comp judge; 2025 Regional Barista Champ Auckland; 2026 NZ National Brewers Cup - Ringo Tong | HK (Insurance)
Sensory judge, NZ Brewers Cup 2026, Hong Kong Barista Championship 2025/2019/2018 - August Hislop | Atomic Coffee Roasters
Latte Art & Aeropress competitions - Bonnie Lam | The Coffee Dojo Wanaka
First-time judge - Neil He | Self-employed
NZBC Judge Training 2024 - Kary Luo | Atomic Coffee Roasters
NZ Brewer’s Cup Championship 2026 - YJ Huang | Eternal Coffee
2023 Barista Champs judge, 2022 Latte Art judge - Qian (Monika) Xu | Monash University
Sensory Judge, World Barista Championship Milan 2025; Australian, Korean, Indonesian & Hong Kong Barista Champs; Sensory/Head Judge, China Barista Championship 2014–2025 - Ken Shi | Aoraki Coffee Roaster
Sensory judge, Meadow Fresh NZ Barista Championship 2017–2025 - Sebastian Castro | Who Makes Coffee Project
First-time judge - Frank Hsu | Frank’s Coffee
Sensory Judge, NZ Barista Championship (Meadow Fresh) 2022–2025 - Adrian Mancuso | Criteria Coffee
WBC, WBrC & WCIGS certified judge - Kayoko Nakamura | UCC Coffee
Barista Champs 2018–2025, Latte Art 2017–2025 - Michele Thai | UCC Coffee NZ / The Roastery at 23
Technical/Sensory/Visual judge, Latte Art, Auckland Regionals, Nationals & Brewers Cup 2023–2026 - Jenny Jihyun Kim | Society Coffee Roasters
Technical Judge, Singapore National Barista Championship 2026; NZSCA National Barista Championship 2025; NZSCA Regional Barista Championship 2024; NZSCA Latte Art Championship 2023 - Emeline Giroux | FTA Coffee
Barista Nationals NZ 2025, AUS 2024/2023; CIG 2023/2025 - Rhys Woods | ONA Coffee
Australia 2019/2023/2024/2026 (Barista, Brewers Cup, Sensory & Technical); Latte Art 2026 Technical - Dung-Chuan Wen | Pablo & Rusty’s Coffee Roasters
Community Coffee Championship, ASCA Barista Championship, ASCA CIGS, ASCA Western Latte Art (2020–2026) - Shintaro Tanaka | Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar
Aotearoa Barista Champs 2025 - Yihsuan Chu | Coffee Alchemy / Ratio Coffee
ASCA NSW & National Barista Champs 2025–2026, NZSCA National Barista Champs 2025 - Gin Kuo | John Burton Limited
Barista Comps 2024, Regional Christchurch/Auckland 2025, Brewers Cup 2026 - Kate Ka Pik Chan | Cupping Room Coffee Roaster
Head Judge, Vietnam Barista Championship 2026 & Hong Kong Barista Championship 2025; Sensory Judge, World Barista Championship 2025 & NZ Barista Championship 2025 - David Huang | Society Coffee Roasters
WBC Certified Judge 2014–2024, WLAC Certified Judge 2023–2024; judged WBC 2017, 2018, 2022–2025 & WLAC 2023 - Jaye Sanders | Firsthand Coffee & Entropy Coffee
Sensory judge (Nationals), Head Judge (Regionals), several years - Andrew Feldon | Mouthwater Coffee Company
Judging annually since 2009 - Saehoon Ahn | Parable House
First-time judge - Emma Markland Webster | Monster Trucks Coffee
WBC Certified Judge 2003–present; Judge/Judge Operations Lead at every World Barista Championship from Boston 2003 to present (excl. Milan 2021 & 2025); extensive WCC-sanctioned national competition judging across NZ, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, India, USA & Taiwan - Jay Ho | Havana Coffee Works Auckland
First-time judge - Eun Pyo (Isaac) Jong | M Coffee
Latte Art Championship 2014/2015, Barista Championship 2015/2016 - Jay Gu | Northshore
First-time judge - Jonathan Chow | Daybaker
Singapore National Barista Championship 2026
—————————————————————————————————————————————————The Aotearoa Barista Champs 2026 is kindly supported by:
- Principal Sponsor: Confirmed three-year 2024/25/26 Meadow Fresh
Sponsors:
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- Machinery: Confirmed three-year 2024/25/26 La Marzocco NZ
- Ceramics/Porcelain: Confirmed three-year 2024/25/26 Acme Cup Co
- Cleaning Supplies: Confirmed three-year 2024/25/26 Cafetto
- Plant-based milk: Boring Oat Milk
- Grinder: Machine Limited
- Syrup: MONIN
- Sponsor: Decent packaging
- Sponsor: Ārepa
- Event partner: Vertical logistics -The Barista Opens
