New Zealand Barista Champion 2026

What a surreal sight to wake up to on Sunday morning! Winning the 2026 New Zealand Barista Championship has been the culmination of a long time of competing, and a lot of generosity from others. It's been an overwhelming experience and I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to everyone who expressed congratulations. This wasn't a solo effort, so get ready! There's a lot of thank yous to follow: Firstly, my coach, who I'm sure experienced a lot of concerns for the first few weeks of our training. It's no exaggeration to say that I couldn't have done it without him. Massive thanks also to and for supporting my practice schedule and encouraging me to enter again this year. The many people who loaned equipment or sat in on run-throughs and tasted the coffee for feedback. And to for doing my dishes!