Sumayyah Eid, Our 2024 Starbucks EMEA Barista Champion!

Let us introduce to you to our 2024 Starbucks EMEA Barista Champion, Sumayyah Eid!

Beating thousands of other Starbucks baristas as all vying for the win, Summayyah saw off the competition to take the purple apron in London last week.

Taking place in our Starbucks Support Centre in Chiswick, London, the best baristas from our EMEA region battled over three intense days for the title of 2024 EMEA Barista Champion, and for the opportunity to represent the region in the first ever Global Barista Championships taking place next year. 

Sumayyah, who represents Jordan, was competing at her first Barista Championships and has been working with Starbucks since she was 15, when she started as a part-time barista in Tampa, Florida. She moved to Jordan in 2019 to be closer to her family.

Straight after her win, Sumayyah said: “Oh my gosh! That is all I can really say. I haven’t processed this yet, you could pinch me – the emotions are overwhelming, in a good way.”

This year, the EMEA Barista Championship was open to 55,000 partners from 42 markets, with 37 of the most talented baristas showcasing the passion that goes into creating the perfect cup of coffee in last week’s final. Their skills were tested across several different rounds, including presenting a coffee tasting, creating picture perfect latte art, inventing their very own signature drink and, for the first time this year, taking part in a ‘store rush’. Dubbed the contestants favourite round, store rush recreates the everyday coffee rush, but the only difference being that the champions were timed and marked on how well they perfect the ‘customer’ order.

The purple apron was presented to Sumayyah by Vaso Papastamatiou, last year’s Champion, who also helped to judge the competition.

“It has meant so much to me to compete this year, and I would encourage every single partner across the globe to take part as it is an amazing experience, regardless of winning the purple apron,” Sumayyah continued. “I want every partner to be as excited as I am. I’ve taken so many photos and videos so when I return home I can share with all my partners.

“It feels like a dream.”

As well as naming one crowned winner, who also took the title of the first-ever Values Winner by popular vote, this year’s competition also celebrates the incredible talent on display through naming round winners. A huge congratulations to the following partners:

Storytelling 2024 Round Winners (a six-way tie!):

Ali Dirani, Lebanon

Seema Karki, France

Jillian Raleigh, United Arab Emirates

Zorica Krantic, Serbia

Patrik Zahradnik, Czechia

Dee Bespalova, UK

Signature Beverage 2024 Round Winner

Veronika Chovancova, Slovakia

Latte Art 2024 Round Winner

Leonard Sandu, Romania

Store Rush 2024 Round Winner

Natalia Szabo, Hungary

From a record-breaking number of participants to entry into the first global Barista Championships taking place in 2025, this year’s championship was truly unforgettable. Learn more about it here