The New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) has crowned Yuqi (Max) Cui as the Aotearoa Barista Champion for 2024.
During the event, held on 5 October, 15 skilled baristas showcased their abilities through routines developed over months of practice.
Alongside Cui, who represented Mojo in Wellington, Bonnie Lam from The Coffee Dojo in Wanaka, supported by Flight Coffee, secured the runner-up position. Hanna Teramoto from Coffee Tech in Auckland took third place.
The top six included Tom Dixon (Zephyr Coffee Co, Auckland) in fourth, Matt Ross (Mt Zion Cafe, Tauranga) in fifth, and Agnese Sokolovska (Eighthirty Coffee Roasters, Auckland) in sixth.
The People’s Champion title went to Gareth Wilson from Brewed As, Northland, who received strong support from his community.
As the new champion, Max will represent Aotearoa in Milan, Italy, at the World Barista Championship in October 2025.
In a statement, the NZSCA said the competition highlighted the dedication and innovation within Aotearoa’s coffee community.
To ensure a fair evaluation process, the judging team participated in online testing, workshops, and a day of palate calibration. In a world first, the final judging panel deliberated live on stage, allowing competitors to listen in for transparency.
“We are proud of all the baristas who participated; the future of Aotearoa coffee is promising,” NZSCA said.
“We extend our thanks to our sponsors for their support and to our volunteers for their hard work in our community.”
