The curtain has fallen on another incredible World Barista Championship (WBC), and this time it was Australia’s Jack Simpson who took the crown to add his name to the who’s who list of competition winners.
Competitors from more than 50 countries took to the stage in Host Milan to compete in the 25th edition of the competition, before six finalists eventually emerged from the first two days of competition.
Jack’s – who is Axil Coffee Roasters’ Head of Innovation – win completes what has been a steady rise through the rankings at the WBC. After finishing third in his first attempt at the competition in 2023, he was named runner-up behind Indonesia’s Mikael Jasin in 2024.
This year’s championship trophy was presented to Jack by Mikael, with the pair sharing a warm embrace following the announcement.
He was the only competitor in this year’s field of finalists to also make last year’s finals, however this year’s field was just as strong as the 2024 contingent, with Canada’s Ben Put and China’s Simon SunLei headlining an immensely talented field.
Australia has now equalled Denmark with a world-leading four WBC titles, with all the Nordic nation’s victories coming in the first few years of the competition, with the last Danish victor being Klaus Thomsen in 2006.
This is the second victory in the past four years for an Australian competitor following Anthony Douglas’ win in Melbourne in 2022. Other winners of the competition are Sasa Sestic (Seattle, 2015) and Paul Bassett (Boston, 2003).
The final standings for the 2025 World Barista Championship are as follows.
- Jack Simpson, Australia (643 points)
- Simon SunLei, China (628 points)
- Ben Put, Canada (592.5 points)
- Jason Loo, Malaysia (588.5 points)
- Hiroki Ito, Japan (566 points)
- Christopher Sahyoun Hoff, Denmark (412 points)
Roukiat Delrue, who was one of the Specialty Coffee Association’s three Judge Operations Leads who oversaw a pool of more than 90 judges across four days of competition, praised the quality of the 2025 championships.
“This has been the highest level of competition we’ve seen yet, with many of the highest possible scores given,” says Delrue.
“In terms of trends, we’re seeing a return to classics in the sense of origins of processing methods used, along with a pursuit of mindful and intentional connection beyond just customer service.
“Alongside these, we are also seeing a more approachable level of science and technology used in tandem with real hospitality.”
With another year of World Coffee Competitions in the books, eyes now turn to the new season in 2026, which will kick off with the Cezve/Ibrik Championship at World of Coffee Dubai before the World Barista Championship once again closes out the season, this time in Panama City, Panama.
Simpson spoke to BeanScene prior to the competition in Milan, where he offered a preview of his championship and revealed what he believed to be a “secret weapon” ahead of the competition.
