Get ready for the first Aotearoa Brewers Cup in a decade – BeanScene

The competitor list for the first Aotearoa Brewers Cup in almost a decade has been released, with 16 competitors set to take to the stage in the hopes of taking home the title.

Held by the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA), the last Brewers Cup hosted in New Zealand was back in 2017, where Black and Gold Coffee’s Nara Lee emerged victorious.

Auckland’s coffee scene is well represented among the 16 competitors, with nine of the field hailing from the nation’s biggest city.

2023 NZ Barista Champion and 2024 World Barista Championship fourth-place finisher Honoka Kawashima headlines an incredibly talented field of competitors.

The full field of competitors stands as follows:

• Agnese Sokolovska – (Auckland) Cata Export
• Bevan Cammell – (Taupo) Sacred Grounds
• Jeffery Ng – (Wanaka)
• Dove Chen – (Hamilton) Grey Roasting Co.
• Nick Schryvers – (Nelson) Victus Coffee and Eatery
• Saehoon Ahn – (Auckland) Parable House
• Keanan Talbot – (Auckland) Atomic Coffee Roasters
• Hyungwon Choi – (Auckland) Phlox Coffee Cottage
• Neil He – (Auckland) Independent
• Farrel Maulana Arsy – (Christchurch) C4 Coffee Co.
• Honoka Kawashima – (Wellington) Sketchbook Coffee
• Woohyung Lee – (Auckland) Old Dog/Holiday
• Subin Choi – (Auckland) Slow Koi
• Shintaro Tanaka – (Auckland) Independent
• Ben Harvey – (Woodend, Canterbury) Bean Soup
• Javiera Vergara – (Auckland) Tourist Coffee

The 2026 Aotearoa Brewers Cup will take place across two days on 1 to 2 May. It will be held at The Tuesday Club in Auckland.