EMEA Barista Championships 2024: Where are our Champions now?  

From travelling the world, meeting new people and immersing yourself in new cultures over a shared passion for coffee, to guiding and nurturing the next generation of coffee masters, winning the title of Starbucks EMEA Barista Champion opens up a host of opportunities.

As this year’s cohort of hopeful Starbucks baristas descend on London from across the region to compete for the 2024 title of EMEA, we’ve taken a little time to catch up over a coffee with some of our previous winners. Finding out what the competition meant to them and what they’ve been up to since.

Vaso – 2023, Greece

Vaso, our most recent Champion, took the crown at last year’s finals. Once the celebrations had wound down and the confetti was all cleaned up, Vaso returned to Greece to take on a new, more expansive role as the country’s top Starbucks barista.

Touring stores across Greece, Vaso spoke to Green Apron partners up and down the country to share her experiences and encourage others to participate in the championships. She became the face of the brand for the Holiday season, presenting the Christmas menu to some 40 keen-eyed journalists, before making a big change and moving from Rhodes to Athens, to become Starbucks coffee ambassador.

As well as now being responsible for mentoring and certifying every new black apron coffee master in the country, she’s become something of an Instagram sensation – at least for the Green Aprons of Greece – using her profile to share tips and tricks for getting the most out of Starbucks coffee and tutorials on the perfect latte art. And of course, she organised this year’s Greek Barista Championships, passing the torch to Efthymios Etsiroglou who will be in London next week battling it out for the title of Starbucks EMEA Barista Champion 2024. Vaso will also be in London, though performing a different, but similarly pressured role – sitting on the judging panel for this year’s competition.

Reminiscing about her time competing last year, Vaso said she arrived with the modest goal of coming top ten and remembers most the sense of camaraderie and friendship with her fellow National Champions. Recalling one moment she says “I remember the latte art round and helping another partner. His art was good, but I offered him a little advice that would help him, even though it meant they might win. I did so because we had made friends.”

It’s that opportunity to connect that Vaso advises other budding Champions not to overlook. “Seize every opportunity to learn and collaborate with other professionals in the industry,” she says. “The insights and experiences shared by your peers can be incredibly valuable. Embrace these moments to grow and refine your skills, and always strive to elevate your craft to new heights. And don’t forget to have fun all the way!”

Phuti – 2022, South Africa

“I felt for a second like my spirit was leaving my body. I got extremely happy to a point where I couldn’t even speak.” That’s how Phuti remembers the moment his name was announced as the 2022 Barista Champion.

Since then, Phuti has been interviewed on TV and for news outlets in his home country of South Africa and has been promoted, taking on a role training baristas to develop their coffee knowledge and skill. “For me,” he says “I need to make sure that we have more partners that will be competing.”

“It’s a spark to the passion, you need to nurture that spark so that it grows.”

It’s a passion that Phuti was able to take further, as all our Barista Champions are, by visiting the coffee growing regions of Rwanda as part of the Starbucks Origins Experience. The journey immerses partners in the bean-to-cup coffee journey and for many, it’s a life-changing experience.

For Phuti, the brief is simple: “I want to inspire a lot of partners to do what they love with coffee. If you have a love for something, that love will keep you going.”

Cynthia – 2021, Lebanon

The 2021 Championships were a little different in format, disrupted by Covid-19. It didn’t stop Cynthia’s colleagues from celebrating with her though, “I was sitting in the back room and there were so many people huddled outside. But once they did announce my name everybody was barging in, screaming. It was a crazy moment. It kind of just flew from there.”

Once travel restrictions had begun to ease, Cynthia was able to meet some of those that she had been working with, competing against and learning from, “Winning the competition has given me a huge opportunity. I’ve gotten to know so many people. I got to travel, I got to meet everybody in person, I’ve made so many wonderful connections with beautiful people.”

“I’m honoured and I’m very proud.  It’s been such a wonderful journey and it’s only just beginning.”

Teddy – 2019, South Africa

“A dream come true” – that’s how Teddy describes his win.

As with many of the competitors at Starbucks Barista Championships, the key thing that Teddy recalls is the enthusiasm for coffee that everyone shared. “The way we connect is all about passion,” he says. “The competition was an opportunity to share my passion and love for coffee with everyone. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Since winning, Teddy focuses that passion into a new role with Starbucks working to train baristas, upskilling them and passing on some of that enthusiasm for the craft of coffee.

The win has also afforded Teddy some unexpected opportunities. “I never thought I would travel the world through coffee,” he says, reflecting on journeys that have enabled connections across Europe and Africa with partners in dozens of markets. “The opportunity is everything.”

His advice for hopefuls? “You just need to practice your craft and just be yourself.”

Fabio – 2016, Portugal

During Fabio’s winning championship, he presented the Verona coffee blend to the judges because it was a sip of that coffee that had sparked his passion for the drink. As part of that tasting, Fabio wanted the judges to understand his eye-opening, life-changing moment. Clearly that passion shone through as he went on to take the title.

Since returning to Portugal, Fabio has progressed from Assistant Store Manager to a role with Starbucks Portugal to bring that passion for sharing coffee knowledge as he helps train baristas for new store openings around the country. He also acts as a mentor to Portugal’s National Barista Champion each year.

It's been an unexpected journey – “I never thought I’d be here, ten years ago,” says Fabio. The highlight, he says, had just been connecting with more people across the world, including people in the EMEA HQ.

“The Barista Championships are super important,” he says. “For one, they give people a chance to share what they love doing and get better – competition pushes you to get better. And the second thing is connections. It’s great to be able to connect across Europe and the world through those shared experiences and gain insight on different markets, different cultures and people.”

And his advice to anyone thinking about whether to take on the challenge? Simple: “Give it a go.”

“For me, the question was ‘how can I get better’ not ‘how do I beat that person’. Just try to be better than you were yesterday. If you only go after winning, you will put yourself under so much pressure. Relax, be yourself, and try to get that mindset that you are showcasing what you do.”

“Connect with people, ask for help and have a good time.