ASCA Teases a 2023 Competitive Season

When the Australian Specialty Coffee Association announced they would not be holding competitions for the 2023 season, there was a collective gasp among the Australian coffee community. 

Many Australian baristas have been preparing, planning, and practising to shoot their shot at the title of Australian Barista Champion, spurred on by the glory and the exaltation of an Australian winning the 2022 World Barista Championship. Who doesn’t want to be the badass defending our country’s title?

These events do require a great deal of effort, funds, liaison with sponsors, and hours and hours of both paid and unpaid manpower. We’ve all experienced burnout, and many of us understood the decision not to compete this year, even if it did make us awfully sad. There was also a degree of confusion, since the date of the 2023 World Barista Championship in Athens was announced with ample time to prepare. 

However, when we read the summary of ASCA’s Annual General Meeting, the roller coaster of emotion surrounding the 2023 competitive season took another turn. 

According to the email summarising the meeting, the new president, Bruno Maiolo: “announced some very exciting news for the 2023 Competition season. ASCA received late confirmation, on the same day of the AGM (Annual General Meeting), of support from its sponsors and partners to be able to deliver Barista and Brewers Cup competitions in March 2023. Further details will be released shortly.”

We do hope we aren't kept in suspense for too long, we would be thrilled to see an Australian go on to Athens and compete for World Barista Champion.