23 Famous World Barista Championship Winners

The World Barista Championship has been “the preeminent international coffee competition.” Here, we look at how it has grown, and its world barista championship winners.

The World Barista Championships is in its 23rd year. Starting in 2000, 23 people have won the competition to date. It has traveled worldwide, with contestants from Europe, Australia, North America, South America, and Asia all taking home the top prize at some point.

Before we go into a complete history of the tournament’s winners, we are going to take a look at a brief history of The World Barista Championship and how it has become the biggest coffee tournament in the world. If you like this article and fancy emulating the success of these champions, learn how long it takes to become a barista.

1. 2000, Robert Thoresen, Norway.

The first World Barista Championship was held in the glamorous surroundings of Monte Carlo, Monaco, and saw Robert Thoresen of Norway take the honor.

2. 2001, Martin Hildebrandt, Denmark

It was the sunny surroundings of Miami where Martin Hildebrandt was impressed to bring the title to Denmark.

3. 2002, Fritz Storm, Denmark

Fritz Storm ensured the title stayed in Denmark, taking home the title from the event in nearby Norway.

4. 2003, Paul Bassett, Australia

The tournament once again went stateside in 2003. This time, Paul Bassett became the first non-European to win.

5. 2004, Tim Wendelboe, Norway

 

 

 

The 2004 tournament was held in the hometown of renowned coffee brand illy, Trieste, in Northeast Italy. It was there that Tim Wendelboe won Norway’s second title.

6. 2005, Trouls Overdahl Poulsen, Denmark

Seattle has made a name for itself as America’s coffee capital. Of course, much of that is because of the influence of Starbucks. Nonetheless, it seemed an appropriate city to hold this tournament, and it was where the Danes once again grabbed the title, with Trouls Overdahl Poulsen taking the honor.

7. 2006, Klaus Thomsen, Denmark

It turns out that the Danes provide some of the best baristas in the world. This was once again proven by Klaus Thomsen, who was a step ahead of the competition in Bern, Switzerland, in 2006.

8. 2000, James Hoffmann, United Kingdom

The 2007 tournament was the first not held in either the United States or Europe, and it also saw a new location gain a winner, with the UK’s James Hoffman winning the title in Tokyo, Japan.

9. 2008, Stephen Morrissey, Ireland

Irishman Stephen Morrissey entered his rival’s territory and brought back the 2008 crown from Copenhagen, Denmark.

10. 2009, Gwilym Davies, United Kingdom

Western Europe was having a bit of a moment in the late 00s, with the UK’s Gwilym Davies managing to wrestle the title away from the competitors and join the list of world coffee champions.

11. 2010, Michael Phillips, United States

Michael Phillips became the United States’ first winner, bringing back the title from London in 2010.

12. 2011, Alejandro Mendez, El Salvador

The 2011 tournament expanded its location and winners list, with El Salvador’s Alejandro Mendez picking up the top prize in Bogota, Colombia.

13. 2012, Raúl Rodas, Guatemala

Guatemala got its first victor at the tournament in Vienna, Austria. Rodas was noted for his excellent presentation skills.

14. 2013, Pete Licata, United States

The 2013 tournament was in Australia’s coffee capital, Melbourne. It saw Pete Licata return the title to the United States for the second time.

15. 2014, Hidenori Izaki, Japan

Izaki was the first World Barista Champion from Asia in 2014, winning the top prize in Rimini, Italy.

16. 2015, Sasa Sestic, Australia

The 2015 tournament saw the championship return to Seattle for the second time. It was there that Sestic won Australia’s next title.

17. 2016, Berg Wu, Taiwan

The 2016 tournament in Dublin, Ireland, saw significant changes made. New espresso machines were used, and grinders were provided. Under these new rules, Berg Wu came out on top.

18. 2017, Dale Harris, United Kingdom

Dale Harris would have been adapting to those new rules in 2017 when he brought home the title to the United Kingdom, with the country gaining its third winner.

19. 2018, Agnieszka Rojewska, Poland

Polish woman Agnieszka Rojewska was the first female to win the prize. She did so in Amsterdam in 2018, impressing the judges with her range of signature drinks.

20. 2019, Jooyeon Jeon, South Korea

With South Korea’s proud coffee culture, it was unsurprising to see Jooyeon Jeon bring the country its first title in 2019. That year’s event was held in Boston and was the last before the Covid-19 pandemic, which postponed the tournament for a year.

2021, Diego Campos, Colombia

The tournament returned in 2021, where Diego Campos from Colombia took home the trophy from Milan, Italy.

23. 2022, Anthony Douglas, Australia

The 2022 event occurred at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo in Australia, where Anthony Douglas won the title for the Aussies once more. Once again, it was an excellent event, which helped further Melbourne’s reputation as one of the world’s coffee capitals.

FAQ About World Barista Championship Winners

Who is the world’s best barista?

Famous baristas who have won international competitions include Pete Licata, Hiroshi Sawada, and Raul Rodas. However countless local baristas are masters of their craft and create excellent coffee daily.

Did Morgan win the World Barista Championship?

In 2022, American Morgan Eckroth won the U.S. Barista Championships and placed second in the World Barista Championships.