The Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) has announced it will not send an Australian representative to compete in the World Barista Championship (WBC) and World Brewers Cup (WBrC) in the World Coffee Championships (WCC) in June 2023.
“Given the unrealistic WCE (World Coffee Events) timelines for Brewers Cup and Barista competitions, it has made it impossible for ASCA to run the standard Regional and Nationals competitions to the very high standards that we now hold ourselves to, and that all our members and competitors are accustomed to,” ASCA says in a press statement on 16 December.
The news comes after Australia’s successful run at the 2022 WBC in September where Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters took out the title at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo, and Harry Ko of Bennett’s placed eight in the WBrC.
Current 2022 Australian Cup Tasters Champion, Young Beck, will still represent Australia in Greece at the World Cup Tasters Championship.
ASCA says it will run the National Roasters Competition and the National Coffee In Good Spirits Competition in the 2023 competition year in June or July. The winners will join reigning Australian Latte Art Champion, Amy Zhang, at the WCC in Taiwan in November 2023.
All of regional competitions for Barista, Brewers Cup, Latte Art and Cup Tasters will be conducted in the latter half of 2023.
“Whilst it is disappointing not to run all our standard Regional and National Competitions in 2023, this adjustment will enable us to better facilitate the local competitions and ensure we are fully equipped, and far better placed, to send all our National Champions to the World Competitions in 2024,” says ASCA is a press statement.
ASCA thanks its partners, competitors and members for the ongoing support and looks forward to seeing the Australian champions compete in Taiwan and Greece in 2023.
For more information, visit australianspecialtycoffee.com.au