Filipino Starbucks Team Wins Big At Asia Pacific Barista Championship

Three Filipino Starbucks baristas have won the inaugural Ultimate Barista Team Challenge at the 2026 Starbucks Asia Pacific Regional Barista Championship in Manila, where 25 finalists from 13 markets competed for regional honors.

Team Craft It Up (Charles, Zine and Brix of Starbucks Philippines) took the first-ever team title in a challenge built to test what it takes to run a busy coffeehouse. The Philippines also finished second in the individual competition, with Jetro, a shift supervisor and district coffee master, presenting Sirendipity, a signature drink inspired by Filipino fruit.

Four finalists, four ways to tell a coffee story

The individual competition asked for more than a good cup. Finalists were judged on sensory skills, technique, storytelling and presentation, and their signature drinks showed how each of them thinks about coffee.

For Jetro, competing on the regional stage brought his coffee journey full circle. As a college student visiting Starbucks Reserve, he watched a store manager brew a pour-over. That moment sparked an interest that eventually led him behind the bar. Years later, the same manager became his coach.

“It feels like a full 360 moment,” Jetro said.

He was first runner-up at the Philippine Barista Championship in 2024. He came back in 2026 and won the national title, which earned him a place among the region’s finalists. His drink, Sirendipity, pairs Starbucks Veranda Blend espresso with clear coconut cream milk, cold brew coffee syrup and tonic water. Its LuzViMinda fruit extract combines mangoes from Guimaras, pineapples from Davao and strawberries from Baguio, infused in water and fermented.

“I really wanted to feature flavors of the Philippines,” he said.

The other finalists brought very different ideas to the bar. Regional champion Seven, from Hong Kong and Macau, presented Citrus Horizons: Starbucks Colombia Finca Potosi Black Honey blend with yuzu-pomelo juice, floral orange juice and a jasmine water mist. His concept traced the work behind a cup, from farmers and sourcing to quality control and the barista.

Vietnam’s Hải created The Nexus, pairing Starbucks Reserve Rwanda Abakundakawa with clarified pineapple milk, hibiscus tea and palm sugar syrup. Thailand’s Noina drew on familiar Thai flavors for Tamarise, which combines tamarind, ginger, kaffir lime, coconut sugar and honey with Starbucks Signature Espresso. Homemade ginger ale and a rim of toasted rice, coconut sugar, chili and salt finished the drink.

Four drinks, four interpretations of coffee, each shaped by its ingredients, its technique and the person who made it.

The team that won by looking out for one another

This year’s championship introduced the Ultimate Barista Team Challenge, which brings the demands of a busy Starbucks coffeehouse to the regional stage. Team Craft It Up took the inaugural title, beating teams from six other markets in a test of coordination, beverage quality and customer service under pressure.

The seven teams worked through coffeehouse scenarios that included service recovery and managed order sequences, and created a signature beverage using the new Starbucks Sejati Blend. Speed wasn’t enough. The baristas had to work together, keep the quality up and connect with customers.

“Trust and communication were our foundations coming into the challenge,” Zine said. Team Craft It Up checked in on one another, offered help without waiting to be asked, and adapted the way they would during a busy store shift.

“We know each other’s strengths, allowing us to rely on one another. That’s how we worked as one,” he said.

For Brix, the win was also a chance to bring those lessons back to Starbucks Philippines. The team hopes to carry the same habits into their stores, where clear communication and teamwork help customers feel connected and cared for, even on the busiest days.

More than a competition

First held in Hong Kong in 2016, the Regional Barista Championship has grown into a platform for Starbucks partners across Asia Pacific to refine their skills, exchange ideas and deepen their coffee knowledge. According to Starbucks, more than 83,000 partners have taken part in its coffee competitions.

That investment in people matters beyond the stage. A barista’s knowledge shapes how coffee is prepared and presented, and the ability to explain a blend or recommend a drink makes the experience more personal. In the Philippines, where coffee often comes with chika and kuwentuhan, that human connection is part of the appeal.

“Our baristas are where coffee craft and human connection come together,” said Chanda Beppu, president of Starbucks Asia Pacific. The championship, he said, gives partners a stage to push their craft further and inspire one another. Their passion brings the Starbucks Experience to life for customers “one cup and one connection at a time.”

The regional champion and the top two teams in the Ultimate Barista Team Challenge are set to receive an International Roastery Experience, where they can deepen their coffee knowledge and learn more about Starbucks’ craft. The championship’s longer-term ambition is to bring those skills and ideas back to the coffeehouse, where baristas put them to work with their colleagues and customers.