Aotearoa Regional Barista Champs Online Workshop 2025

Wednesday 26 February 6-8:30-9pm

This workshop is designed for competing baristas, coaches, and judges alike.

If you intend to judge, this workshop is compulsory and highly recommended for competitors. Competitors who buy a regional ticket to compete before Monday 17 February will receive a free ticket as part of their entry for registering.

We will break down the scoring categories so you can best prepare yourself to compete, referencing the Rules & Regulations documents from the World Coffee Event and NZ format. It is a rules-based event, lecture, and PowerPoint presentation with Q&A.

As part of the workshop, we will send out a pre-test to those attending to start your thinking in terms of the rules within the Regional Championships. Don't worry, it's not hard! It's a great way to get you to understand the competition.

This workshop will be compulsory for anyone considering judging for the first year with industry knowledge as a pre-requisite.

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What’s happening for Barista Champs?

You asked, we’re delivering! Get excited, regionals are on again.

Free public entry. Tickets only apply to competitors.

Regionals Dates '25:
Sunday 30 March, Christchurch / Ōtautahi

Sunday 6 April, Wellington / Te Whanganui a Tara

Sunday 13 April, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau

All updates here>

Entry: Places to compete: member company $200 inc GST and Non-Member $250 inc GST. Ticket sales will close once sold out.

Each regional Champion will secure a space to compete in the national event as part of their prize package.

Places second to fourth will have reserved positions, half of their entry fee is covered by their regional positions. As a regional place-getter, you still need to enter via this channel before the entry opening. As a regional place getter, details on how will follow the regional event.

Aotearoa Barista Champs ’25

Whirinaki Whare Taonga, 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt / Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta

Saturday 23 August– Round one

Sunday 24 August – Final

Judge’s workshops and set up will be held the day before each event. Rules and regulations and all the details are being worked through and will be published shortly.

What are the regionals about?

We are breaking down the barriers to entry by focusing on what baristas know. It’s all about knowing your coffee and serving it with great customer service. No signature drink in the regions, just espresso and milk beverages.

You bring your coffee and presentation. We will provide the machine, grinder, milk, cups, spoons even the milk jugs and tamper if you need it. Table decoration and all the other stuff are actively discouraged. Baristas may bring menus to assist in describing their coffee, however, this still needs to be verbalised during the competition time.

Similar to the main event you will have to pour four (4) x espresso and four (4) x milk beverages to two (2) scoring sensory judges and two (2) guest non-scoring sensory judges, one (1) technical judge, and a one (1) head judge. All competitors will receive a full debrief on their performances to set them up for the main event. You don’t have to go on to compete in the main event, but we would love to see you there!

You will have five (5) mins to dial in and 11 mins to present.

Full Rules and Regulations for regionals can be found here> TBC for 2025

Sensory Scoresheet Regional

Technical Scoresheet Regional

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The main Barista Championship will take place later in 2025 four months after the regional events. You do not have to enter via the regional feeder events though positions to compete will be restricted as the top 4 in each regional will take precedent in the barista lineup if they choose to compete.

Who will take the Crown of NZ Barista Champion 2025? This truly is the main event for Baristas in New Zealand.

The winner will represent at the World Barista Championship 2026. Flights and accommodation will be covered as part of the champion's prize.

The People's Champion: all the bragging rights and assorted goodies and a bar tab, for the people's favourite.

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The World Barista Championship organization (WBC) has licensed The New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) to run the New Zealand Barista Championships from 2008 into the future.

NZSCA is committed to running the event in close accordance with WBC standards. Our focus is on producing a field of finalists capable of competing successfully at an international level, and of course, a winner who can excel at the world finals.

If you are keen to compete, there are a few things you should consider. Running to the WBC standards is time-consuming and means we can put only 20 contestants through in a day. If there are more than 20 entrants for the championship, we will conduct a selection process, awarding entry to those competitors we consider best able to excel in competition conditions. This means the information entrants provide us at the time of entry is particularly important, to help us make a sound selection.

Competitors, trainers, mentors, and judges, make sure you read up on the WBC Rules, Scoresheets, and Code of Conduct.

Machines: La Marzocco, two group, Linea. The temperate of the two group machines, as per the rules, is set at the mid-point between 90.5 - 96c. The baskets are 17g La Marzocco precision baskets. Other than the practice times that will be noted on the schedule, there are no practice times available or time on the machine on-site or in the Wellington region.

Grinders: TBC

Full rules and regulations:

Code of Conduct and NZBC Rules.

http://worldbaristachampionship.com 2024 rules

Follow updates of the championship on Facebook, Instagram, and our newsletters

Any questions regarding the champs? Contact emma@nzsca.org at 021 415 810

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The NZ Barista Championship 2025 is kindly supported by:

Principle Sponsor: Meadow Fresh

Sponsors:

Machinery: La Marzocco NZ

Grinder: TBC

Syrup: TBC

Cleaning Supplies: Cafetto

Equipment: AMC Roastery Supply

Ceramics/Porcelain: Acme Cup Co

Plant-based milk: Under negotiation

Green coffee supply: TBC

Event partner: Open

Regional Venue Host Sponsors: TBC

The schedule:

Friday 22 August: 10 am - 4 pm Judge's calibration, (invitation only) on-site
Friday 22 August: 4 pm Competitor briefing, on-site
Saturday 23 August: 8 am - 5 pm (8:30 am Stage performance starts) TBC based on final numbers
4 pm (approx) announcement of finalists debrief for competitors not continuing
Sunday 24 August: 10:30 am - 3 pm Final
4:30 pm (approx) Announcement of Champion

Please view the NZSCA ticketing terms & conditions here>