Australian Roasting Awards to debut at MICE 2027 – BeanScene

Australia’s coffee roasting community will have a new national platform for recognition, with the inaugural Australian Roasting Awards set to launch at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) from 4–6 March 2027.

Open to commercial roasters of all sizes, the competition will recognise excellence across three categories: Espresso, Milk-based and Filter. Entries are now open and close on 20 February 2027.

The awards will give Australian roasters the opportunity to have their coffee independently assessed by experienced industry professionals, with all entries blind judged to ensure the focus remains on roast quality.

MICE lead Sarah Baker says the new competition will showcase the skill and expertise driving Australia’s roasting industry, while adding another exciting dimension to the event.

“We’re so excited to launch the inaugural Australian Roasting Awards, a new roasting competition that will shine a spotlight on the calibre of Australia’s roasting community, create an engaging new feature at MICE, and continue to cement MICE as the Australian and global destination for coffee,” says Sarah.

Each roaster can submit one commercially available coffee per category. Every entry will receive judging feedback, while eligible coffees will be awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold medals. An overall Champion will also be named in each category, with successful roasters able to display their award seals on coffee packaging.

Judging will take place live on the MICE show floor throughout the three-day event, giving attendees the opportunity to follow the process. Visitors will also be able to taste the leading coffees in each category at the Gallery Bar.

Eversys has been named the official machine sponsor of the Australian Roasting Awards, providing the equipment to prepare entries to a consistent standard. Supplied through Eversys’ Oceania importer Tiger Coffee, the Eversys Legacy+ and Legacy Steam machines will be used to prepare espresso beverages and texture milk for the Milk-based category.

Filter entries will be brewed using the Legacy brew chamber, giving judges an opportunity to experience automatic filter preparation through an espresso machine.

Eversys Regional Director Oceania Geoffrey Marks says the partnership reflects the brand’s commitment to supporting quality and consistency across Australia’s coffee industry.

“Being the inaugural machine sponsor of the Australian Roasting Awards is a real honour for Eversys,” Geoffrey says. “The Awards celebrate quality and consistency in Australian coffee, and that is what our machines are built to deliver.”

Geoffrey says Eversys’ Extraction Time Control technology automatically maintains each espresso shot to a set recipe, helping minimise preparation variables during judging.

“Every shot is consistent and repeatable. Each entry is judged on the coffee itself, not on the variations that can occur with manual preparation,” he says.

As official dairy sponsor, Riverina Fresh supports the Milk-based category, with CEO Craig Shapiro highlighting the company’s longstanding connection with Australia’s coffee community and the people behind it.

“We’re really pleased to support the first Australian Roasting Awards. We’ve worked closely with roasters, café owners and baristas for many years, and we love being part of the coffee community. It’s great to see the people behind the coffee getting the recognition they deserve,” Craig says.

“We know the coffee is the hero. Our job is simply to make great milk that helps roasters and baristas get the best from every cup.”

With entries now open, Sarah is encouraging Australian roasters to take part in the inaugural competition.

“Australia’s roasters are among the best in the world, and their work deserves a stage of its own. The Australian Roasting Awards give roasters a fair, expert assessment of their coffee and a result they can be proud of. We can’t wait to see the entries come through and to celebrate the best of Australian roasting at MICE 2027,” she says.

Entries for the inaugural Australian Roasting Awards are open now and close on 20 February 2027. For more information, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com.

Roasters can register and submit their entries by clicking here.