Starbucks Launches Its Own Global Barista Championship – CoffeeTalk

Starbucks has announced its inaugural Global Barista Championship, featuring twelve finalists from six continents. The competition began with over 84,000 baristas across six continents and now includes a dozen remaining, representing regions such as North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, China, and Japan, as well as six Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in cities like Milan, Tokyo, and Seattle.

The competition will test baristas on three pillars: coffee storytelling, craft excellence, and customer connection. Contestants will lead tastings, demonstrate beverage-making skills, and share personal stories about their journey with coffee. The winner will be crowned the first Global Barista Champion, a title that celebrates passion, creativity, and the ability to connect with customers through every coffee cup.

The event will be livestreamed for coffee fans and employees worldwide. The finalists include Adrian, who represents North America, Sumayyah, who represents Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Sebastian, who represents Latin America and the Caribbean, Charlie, who represents China, Nobuki, who represents Japan, and Ivan, who represents the Milan Roastery. Other competitors include champions from Tokyo, Shanghai, New York, Chicago, and Seattle Roasteries, as well as representatives from the Asia Pacific and Starbucks Reserve regions.

Each barista will be judged on coffee storytelling, craft excellence, and customer connection. The event will be livestreamed on the official Starbucks YouTube channel. Other notable events include the Hollywood power couple quitting after nearly a decade, a beauty influencer dying of sudden illness, a crypto trap draining wallets in seconds, a rare swamp-dwelling ghost plant receiving government help, and an actor filing an emergency custody order against her ex-wife for her parenting move.

Read More @ Cleveland