On August 4, the winners of the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) Aotearoa Cup Tasters and Latte Art Championship were announced at Ponsaby Central in Auckland.
In the Cup Tasters competition, Dove Chen of Grey Roasting Co. in Hamilton was crowned champion. In the final round, independent barisrta Belinda Zhang placed runner up while YJ Huang of Mojo in Auckland and Mark Liao of Legend Coffee Roasters, also Auckland, placed third and forth respectively.
In the Latte Art Championship, Bryan Rajeyya of Grey St Kitchen in Hamilton claimed first prize with his saber-toothed tiger design. Daniel Woodhouse of Grey Roasting Co. in Hamilton placed second and John Huang of Demi Hurgos in Hamilton came third. Bryan will go on to represent Aotearoa in Geneva at the World Latte Art Championship in June 2025.
The Aotearoa Cup Tasters Championship 2024 challenges participants to identify differences in coffee by testing their palate, speed, and sensory skills, and brings competitors together to participate in a series of triangulation tests.
The Aotearoa Latte Art Championship consists of a preliminary round and a final round in which the top six contenders compete to determine the winner.
The 2024 principal sponsors of the Latte Art Championship included La Marzocco and Meadow Fresh, while green-bean importer John Burton Ltd sponsored the Cup Tasters. A full list of sponsors and their respective categories can be found on the NZSCA website.
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