They say good things come to those who wait, and after a year hiatus, over 40, 000 partners from across Europe, Middle East, and Africa are finally getting their chance to be crowned Barista Champion, at the long-awaited 2021 awards.

Putting the proverb to the test and making up for a lost time, this year will also see the pinnacle event streamed online for the very first time.

Fully interactive, viewers can chat and react along the way, and for the first time, the audience will now decide who makes it to the final as they vote in real-time during the popular latte art throwdown round.

Testing their skills from bean to cup, partners will answer questions on ethical sourcing, as well as tasting and serving different coffee blends and techniques as we whittle down the finalists from 26 to the final four throughout the two-day event, before the finalists are put in front of an expert panel of judges to decide who is crowned this year's winner at the Starbucks EMEA Barista Championship. All the action will be live from Central London, right next to London's iconic Tower Bridge.

Renovated this year to serve as a pinnacle of Starbucks retail, product, and innovation, Starbucks Tower Place store has been carefully designed to champion handcrafted coffee and celebrate coffee craft culture.

Marking the first of many moments of reconnection, we have found new ways to connect and come together online to celebrate that whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you believe, we are all connected by coffee.