Giulia Ruscelli Makes History As First Woman To Win Espresso Italiano Champion – CoffeeTalk

Giulia Ruscelli, a 30-year-old professional behind the counter at Bar Lovo in Piazza Saffi in Forlì, has won the title of Best Barista in Italy. Her victory at the Espresso Italiano Champion 2025 marks a historic triumph for the Italian coffee world, making her the first woman to win this ambitious award in the history of the competition. The event, organized by the Istituto Espresso Italiano (IEI), saw Giulia emerge triumphant over eleven contenders at the culmination of a challenge held on June 24 and 25 at the Darsut Cafè in Conegliano Veneto (Treviso).

Giulia discovered her passion for coffee almost by chance after attending a professional beauty and hairdressing school. At the age of 19, she accepted a summer job as a barista and waitress in Milano Marittima. She joined the staff at Bar Lovo in 2017, and even with the change in management in 2019, she remained a fixture. Christian Palazzi, owner of Bar Lovo, describes her as “a pillar” and celebrated her victory as one would with “one of the family.”

The Espresso Italiano Champion is a competition that requires not only technical skills but also communication skills. Giulia faced a “marketing and communication” test, introducing herself and illustrating the tools she uses. The technical part consisted of preparing four espressos and four cappuccinos in just eleven minutes, precisely calibrating Rancilio Classe 20 ASB machines and Eureka Atom 20W grinders with a Brita water system.

Despite her anxiety and feeling that she had made mistakes, Giulia did not expect to win. Her main goal was training and personal and professional growth, as well as meeting other experts and enthusiasts in the field. Her mother insisted that she not miss this opportunity, and her colleagues at Bar Lovo played a key role in supporting her.

Future plans include exploring other opportunities, no longer as an employee, and continuing to teach training courses for young people. Alessandro Borea, president of the Italian Espresso Institute, expressed great satisfaction with Giulia’s victory, emphasizing the importance of young professionals in the sector and the increasingly fundamental role of women.

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