Filipino team wins Starbucks’ regional barista team championship

Starbucks Asia Pacific captures the rush and romance of a green apron barista through its recent 10th Regional Barista Championships (RBC).

This year, the RBC was hosted by the Philippines at the Shangri-La at the Fort’s Main Ballroom. 

First held in Hong Kong in 2016, the RBC has seen 83,000 partners participating across contests testing skills sharpened through service behind the coffee counter. Twenty-five contestants from markets across Asia-Pacific and Japan, along with their cheerleaders and supporters brought a lot of zeal and energy to this competition.

For the competition stage, the organizers set up not just one, but three working Starbucks branches on stage complete with company specced espresso machines and grinders for the use throughout the three days.

On the final day, the Ultimate Barista Team Championship was first up. Built around the rush and stress-filled environment of a coffee shop at peak hours, a team of three baristas have 10 minutes to prepare 12+1 drinks with judges acting as customers. The +1 is a drink that is remade because of a customer complaint. 

It’s not only the speed that’s under scrutiny but also the presentation and flavors of the drinks served. There’s also a bit of salesmanship involved with the team persuading the customer to try out the new Sejati blend introduced to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Regional Barista Championship.

Team Craft It Up, made up of Charles, Zine and Brix from the Starbucks Philippines market, brought their coffee skills together with communication, teamwork, and composure to take the Ultimate Barista Team Championship over team finalists from Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia.

I thought Starbucks’ own internal barista championship was a bit tougher than other similar global competitions. Where there are several different and distinct competitions for espresso and signature drinks, manual brew, and latte art, the barista must practice all three in fifteen minutes with chosen coffee beans from Starbucks’s extensive catalog. Even with the tighter rules, it was refreshing to see the competitors think out of the box adding specialty coffee techniques such as thermal shock brewing, and using different cups with flared lips to further draw out the flavors of their chosen coffee showing there is room for innovation.

Seven, store manager of the MGM Cotai Starbucks Reserve store in the Hong Kong and Macau Market, charmed his way to Regional Barista Championship through his routine covering curiosity, craft, and continuity. He started out with a full sensory experience by having judges sniff the light roast Starbucks Colombia Finca Potosi Black Honey Blend before starting his manual brew. 

After pouring a swan, the most complicated latte art design among the finalists, he then assembled his signature drink. His Citrus Horizon combined espresso pulled from his chosen Colombian beans mixed in with pomelo yuzu and then served cold in wine glasses. This combination of skill and presentation placed him first over finalists from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.

In the end, I thought that the competition was a celebration of the Asia Pacific coffee culture and the role that Starbucks is able to play across those markets.

Laura Elphick, Starbucks International director for Coffee Excellence, describes it as a Starbucks superpower.

“Our superpower is connection and care. Our partners are what we’re exceedingly proud of, and we look to be within that community, and we look to share and be part of that culture and that experience with care. They bring the culture, the journey, and the experience to life.,” said Elphick.