Meet the finalists of the 2026 MILKLAB Roaster Royale – BeanScene

MILKLAB is back at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) with its Roaster Royale in 2026, and it has revealed the five finalists who will be taking to the stage to battle it out of the crown at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The final will take place on the opening day of MICE, with attendees afforded the opportunities to try the winning brews for themselves on Thursday, 26 March.

Coffee Supreme headlines the list of finalists, with Hartwood Coffee (New South Wales), Ichihaze (Victoria), Passport Specialty Coffee Roaster (Northgate), and Runyeh Coffee (Western Australia) rounding out the five roasters selected.

To get to the final, roasters had to create a blend that paired well with MILKLAB Oat. Entrants were required to send one kilogram of their roast using beans supplied by InterAmerican Coffee, with blind judging then rating on a criteria of sweetness, flavour, aftertaste, and balance.

2026 is the third year of the competition, with Extraction Coffee Roasters (2024) and Ratio Coffee Roasters (2025) the previous winners.

Deanes Beans and Two Before Ten rounded out the podium in 2025.

The final winner will earn flights and accommodation to Colombia as part of a champion prize pack.