Extra takeaways from Belgium’s first World of Espresso, together with highlights from Europe’s 100 Greatest Espresso Outlets awards and the World Espresso Championships.
BY ISABELLE MANI
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Images courtesy of Isabelle Mani
From June 25 to 27, 2026, World of Espresso (WOC) Europe lit up the Brussels Expo in Belgium, serving as a stage for some thrilling espresso competitions and product launches. Yesterday, I shared a few of my favourite highlights from the occasion—the first-ever World of Espresso to be held in Belgium. Right now, I’ll share extra thrilling takeaways from the weekend.
Europe’s 100 Greatest Espresso Outlets: The Espresso World Cup
WOC Brussels hosted the primary Europe’s 100 Greatest Espresso Outlets awards. The ceremony lasted practically three hours, with business professionals staying, cheering, and reacting to the outcomes virtually as if it have been a type of “espresso World Cup,” exhibiting how a lot worth the business continues to position on espresso retailers as cultural and industrial flagships.
The highest spot went to Tim Wendelboe, the long-lasting Oslo café and roastery—and a well-known title to Barista Journal readers, having appeared on the journal’s cowl again in 2015.
However wanting past the winner, the broader record revealed a significant shift within the continent’s specialty espresso geography. The Anglo-Irish axis nonetheless carried vital weight, however the presence of espresso retailers from Italy and Spain confirmed that new consumption rituals can thrive even in conservative espresso strongholds. The unfold of acknowledged operations into international locations comparable to Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, and Estonia, showcasing the unfold of craft espresso tradition.
Historic Wins on the 2026 World Espresso Championships
WOC Brussels additionally noticed some historic World Espresso Championship wins. Nas Jaafar grew to become the 2026 World Brewers Cup Champion, giving Malaysia its first title within the competitors. Benjamin Brassart gained the 2026 World Espresso Roasting Championship on residence floor for Belgium, whereas Andy Philein of China was topped the 2026 World Espresso in Good Spirits Champion. The finalists have been as follows:
2026 World Brewers Cup Championship
1. Nas Jaafar, Malaysia
2. Simon Gautherin, Australia
3. Bavis Kwong, Hong Kong SAR
4. Jackie Tran, Czech Republic
5. Ethan Junseong Park, South Korea
6. Angie Molina, France
2026 World Espresso Roasting Championship
1. Benjamin Brassart, Belgium
2. Li Zhong Xiang, China
3. Thanasis Angelopoulos, Greece
4. Ashton Huang, Chinese language Taipei
5. Andrea Trevisan, Austria
6. Wang JianNing, China
2026 World Espresso in Good Spirits Championship
1. Andy Philein, China
2. Sion Wu, Chinese language Taipei
3. Akira Zushi, Japan
4. Serene Yu, Australia
5. Dmitrii Shkliarov, Indonesia
6. Ricky Chan, Hong Kong SAR
Catching up with Nas Jafaar
We additionally caught up with Nas Jaafar, who introduced Malaysia to the highest of the World Brewers Cup podium for the primary time after a extremely aggressive last spherical in Brussels. Nas positioned first forward of finalists from Australia, Hong Kong SAR, the Czech Republic, South Korea, and France.
For Nas, the second took a while to completely land. “However after an excellent night time’s sleep, I felt relieved and glad, not only for myself but additionally for the crew and everybody again at residence,” he says.
His successful routine used a Panama Finca Nuguo Geisha Anaerobic Pure, brewed with a UFO V3 Dripper and a Hario Swap base by means of a mix of percolation and immersion. The strategy mirrored the central concept behind his presentation: Darcy’s Regulation, which explains how liquids move by means of porous supplies, and the best way brewing ideas may also turn out to be a approach to consider life expertise.
Nas has been within the espresso business since 2014 and began competing in 2019. “I actually need to contribute extra to this business, not simply from a contest standpoint,” he shared with Barista Journal, “but additionally by educating customers concerning the actuality and fantastic thing about the espresso business and by persevering with to encourage the following technology of espresso professionals.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabelle Mani (she/her) is a author, journalist, and communicator specializing within the worldwide espresso business. Since 2017, she has targeted on writing articles and options for numerous worldwide espresso information retailers. Isabelle has traveled to coffee-producing international locations comparable to Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, China, and Brazil to review and analysis espresso. She holds coaching certifications from the Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) and the Espresso High quality Institute (Arabica Q Grading).
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