Merlo Barista Championships | July 2024

At Merlo, we take barista training seriously. Our baristas undergo rigorous training programs that focus on perfecting their coffee-making skills, from mastering the art of espresso extraction to creating beautiful latte art.

This commitment to excellence ensures our baristas are always ready to deliver exceptional coffee experiences to our customers.

All this culminates at the annual Merlo Barista Championships, where the best of the best go head-to-head.

2024 MERLO BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIPS

On Tuesday 23 July 2024, our six finalists raced against the clock to pour 4 lattes, 4 mezzos, and 4 short blacks, using our popular Private Signature Blend. They were required to adjust the grind on an out-of-whack grinder, make all the coffees, and clean up—all within just 15 minutes.

Our esteemed panel of judges included Q-grader Simon, whose refined palate is legendary in the coffee community, Head Roaster Steve, whose expertise in roasting brings out the best in every bean, plus Kato, Nikki and Jaden, our most experienced coffee trainers, who have a keen eye for technique and flavour balance. Their combined knowledge and passion for coffee ensured that our Barista Championship was judged with the highest standards.

OUR 2024 BARISTA CHAMPIONS

We’re incredibly proud of all the finalists who competed on Tuesday, and throughout this year’s competition. We would like to acknowledge our top three:

• In 3rd place was Victoria Tasses from our Merlo Southport Café
• In 2nd place was Charlie Coulson from Merlo UQ Café 
• And in 1st place, and our 2024 Barista Champ was Tommy Whitehouse, also from our Merlo Southport Café. A huge congrats Tommy!