The champions have been found! Emi Fukahori is the new Swiss Brewers Cup Champion. Mathieu Theis is the 2018 Barista Champion. Gijtipong Gap Thansubutr is and remains the king of the Latte Artists. Three passionate coffee professionals have thus crowned their performance of the last few weeks with gold. We offer our heartfelt congratulations!
It was an exciting championship that we were able to experience at the Kaufleuten in Zurich from March 7th to 9th. Many new faces, extraordinary coffees, interesting presentations, and a few premieres. The whole event took place as part of the Coffee Fridays at the Kaufleuten in Zurich.
Barista Ranking
1. Mathieu Theiss – Mame, with coffee roasted by Coffee Collective
2. Felix Hohlmann – Kaffeemacher:innen
3. Melanie Milos – Henauer Kaffee
4. Flavio Lissandrello – Birchbach
5. Kevin Mohler – Delica, with coffee roasted by inthenameof
6. Dominik Stracar – Vertical Coffee Roasters
Latte Art Ranking
1. Gap Thangsubutr, Gappuccino
2. „Suki“ Hiu Yueng Ma, Salon Zürich, Team Coffee Lab
3. Madia Sabirova, Cafe Grande, Team Henauer Kaffee
4. Philippe Gobat, Dali Latte Gob_art
5. Tania Fisler, Cafe Grande, Team Coffee Lab
6. Sai Rong, Yumi SA
Brewers Cup Ranking
1. Emi Fukahori – Mame, with coffee roasted by Coffee Collective
2. Benjamin Hohlmann – Kaffeemacher:innen
3. Antonio Cardoso – Adcubum AG, coffee roasted by Henauer Kaffee
4. Michal Otte – Kafischmitte
5. André Huber – Kialoa, coffee roasted by Ditta Artigianale
6. Benjamin Schütz – Cafemanufaktur Solothurn
Many premieres and noteworthy facts
- For the first time ever, Cafemanufaktur Solothurn participated in the coffee championships. And Benjamin Schütz didn't just participate, he also roasted the coffee himself. He made it to the finals and achieved a very impressive 6th place.
- Coffee Lab has developed into an outstanding training location for Latte Art. The grandmaster Milo Kamil is passing on his knowledge there today. His students were represented in the finals several times over. Suki came in second, even though she was over 40 seconds over time. We look forward to exciting years in Latte Art with such strong talent.
- Since this year, Firma Vassalli AG has been the machine sponsor of the championship. With the Faema E71, they are introducing their new flagship. Like every participant in the championships, the Vassalli crew was nervous about how the premiere would go. We can only say: top! You did a great job and we look forward to the coming years with you and your team.
- Nina Rimpl also experienced a premiere. The 2014 Barista Champion advanced from international WBC Judge to become the lead organizer of the championship. And she did an excellent job. Rumor has it that her shoes need new soles after all the kilometers of the last few days, but the championship was "on time" and Nina created a wonderful championship platform for judges, participants, and spectators from behind the scenes. Thank you very much!
- Another premiere was celebrated by André Eiermann, who, as the designated media person on the board, organized top-notch coverage of the championships. A big thank you goes to him, all the volunteers, and the Kaufleuten team for their efforts over the last few days.
- Our emcees also rocked incomparably well. Dani Hofstetter and Martin Egger moderated the championship for three days and provided a wonderful thread that tied the event together. Heartfelt thanks!
