• There’s a rising variety of espresso competitions that honour roasting excellence, together with the International Espresso Awards, Golden Bean, and the World Espresso Roasting Championship.
• Many members practice for months, aiming to grow to be award-winning roasters.
• Successful competitions can strengthen roasters’ branding and guarantee customers of an unwavering dedication to espresso high quality.
• However changing into a adorned roaster is about extra than simply promoting distinctive espresso. Specializing in consistency and investing in group engagement and equitable provide chains helps construct the inspiration for fulfillment.

Because the bar for espresso high quality continues to rise, the area of interest marketplace for competition-winning heaps is rising.

Extra customers are appreciating the distinctive flavours that these coffees provide. Roasters, in the meantime, are discovering how exclusivity and rarity can increase the perceived worth of their coffees. Excessive-end heaps may even command eye-watering costs; a washed 98-point Gesha obtained a world-record bid of US$30,204/kg on the 2025 Better of Panama public sale.

To capitalise on this rising curiosity, extra roasters are coming into competitions, hoping to earn the title of award-winning model. Whereas sourcing and roasting distinctive espresso are important to reaching this, the hassle required is usually extra holistic. Prioritising consistency and constructing relationships with suppliers and clients are additionally key.

Bruno Colozza, the president of Barocco Espresso Firm in Mississauga, Canada, explains extra.

You may additionally like our article on why espresso high quality is not a differentiator for roasters.

Why competitions provide roasters an opportunity to face out

Many contemplate competitions to symbolize the head of espresso excellence. Their status attracts business professionals from around the globe to showcase their abilities and skills. All of them hope to obtain awards and accolades that may be displayed in cafés or on packaging.

Espresso championships differ extensively in scale, judging protocols, and general construction, however all recognise the very best requirements of manufacturing, processing, roasting, and brewing. The World Espresso Roasting Championships, the International Espresso Awards, and the Golden Bean are extensively regarded among the many main roasting competitions.

In right this moment’s extremely aggressive and saturated specialty espresso market, competitions can provide roasters some extent of differentiation. Prospects have come to anticipate persistently high-quality espresso with a resonant model story – and awards can verifiably exhibit this.

“Changing into an award-winning roaster elevates a model far past merely producing good espresso; it indicators verified excellence in a fiercely aggressive business,” Bruno says. “Whereas style will all the time be subjective, awards present credible, third-party recognition {that a} roaster’s high quality, consistency, and innovation meet the very best requirements.” 

The relentless pursuit of flavour range and innovation has additionally spurred market diversification. As extra customers demand new sensory experiences, many roasters have pivoted their sourcing methods to supply really distinctive coffees, together with competitors and auction-winning heaps.

These coffees spark curiosity, attracting clients who need to develop their palates and take a look at extra unique choices. Additionally they redefine what’s attainable in high quality and flavour innovation, showcasing fully new sensory profiles and sometimes boasting increased cup scores.

Barocco Espresso Firm is a Canadian specialty espresso roaster which celebrated its fifteenth anniversary this yr. Since 2017, the roaster has participated in six Golden Bean competitions and received greater than 40 awards.

“Incomes recognition from revered judges and friends validates our method to sourcing and roasting espresso,” Bruno says. “It additionally shines a highlight on our model, serving to us break via the noise of an more and more crowded specialty espresso panorama.”

How do you grow to be an award-winning roaster?

Naturally, to win awards, roasters should supply excellent coffees and develop roast profiles that spotlight their greatest traits.

High quality and craft have all the time been distinctive promoting factors of specialty espresso. Whereas giant manufacturers deal with reaching as many customers as attainable, specialty espresso roasters prioritise high quality above all else, catering to a distinct segment however rising market phase.

As extra customers search premium choices, the push for extraordinary coffees intensifies. This, nonetheless, creates a double-edged sword: providing these coffees helps increase business requirements, however it additionally makes high quality a prerequisite, not a differentiator.

Whereas many competitions favour limited-edition releases and micro heaps, it’s typically unsustainable to construct a model round these coffees. As a substitute, roasters ought to deal with the standard and consistency of all of their choices.

Barocco Espresso Firm, as an example, implements strict high quality management measures and ensures that each one its espresso scores at the very least 82 factors. The roaster’s choices embody a variety of specialty coffees, from extra “conventional” single origins to limited-edition micro heaps. 

“We provide an area to discover specialty espresso, from the consolation and familiarity of conventional sensory profiles to delicate, vivid, and extra adventurous flavours,” Bruno says. “The objective is to make sure that our total vary delivers distinctive high quality and flavour. We wish each espresso to shine by itself and be recognised for the care and experience behind it.”

By coming into a variety of coffees into competitions, roasters can showcase the worth of espresso range to customers. Moreover, they’ll exhibit that excellence in high quality and flavour isn’t simply restricted to high-end and unique heaps.

Barocco Espresso Firm’s 40 Golden Bean awards show its dedication to constant high quality over the past eight years. On the 2024 occasion, the roaster received 15 medals, together with for its Forte and Centrale blends, each of which comprise robusta. As soon as sidelined because the extra bitter and astringent different to arabica, robusta is more and more discovering its place on specialty espresso roasters’ cabinets. Recognition at competitions solely fuels this shift.

Whereas many hope to win awards, participating in competitions additionally gives roasters an opportunity to problem themselves and enhance.

“The suggestions we obtain from fellow roasters performs an essential function in refining, validating, and typically reshaping our roasting theories, serving to us proceed to evolve,” Bruno says. 

For each Golden Bean occasion, Barocco Espresso Firm creates a limited-edition Bespoke mix that showcases its continued development and innovation, according to the competitors’s evolution. 

However profitable awards requires greater than wonderful espresso

Excessive-quality espresso will all the time converse volumes concerning the model behind it. Embellished roasters exhibit talent, instinct, and creativity – all important to staying related in right this moment’s dynamic specialty espresso market.

“Our roaster and companion, Noah Walker, understands find out how to convey out the distinctive character of every espresso, balancing scientific precision with the creativity of flavours which are each constant and shocking,” Bruno says. “This requires data of roasting science, a refined palate, and the power to make split-second choices that may rework a great roast into an distinctive one. 

“Awards recognise not simply the espresso itself, however the dedication, experience, and keenness that Noah brings into each batch.”

In the end, sourcing high-quality espresso is integral to changing into a standout roaster, however securing that place requires a extra holistic method. Roasters should innovate throughout the availability chain to win awards whereas remaining true to their model. 

For Barocco Espresso Firm, specifically, this implies investing in its stakeholders at origin and in its area people.

In 2024, for instance, Bruno visited Brazil to attach instantly with farmers and native cooperatives, strengthening its skill to supply distinctive coffees whereas paying increased costs. 

“These direct relationships additionally present invaluable on-the-ground perception into crop high quality and situations,” Bruno explains. “We have now additionally made connections in Ethiopia and Colombia, working carefully with farmers and co-ops to make sure high quality, sustainability, and traceability at each step of the availability chain.”

Constructing sturdy, mutually useful relationships with producers is important to safeguarding all three components, thereby growing the possibilities of success in competitions. However roasters additionally must look in direction of the opposite finish of the availability chain in the event that they need to grow to be an award-winning model.

Barocco Espresso Firm, as an example, engages instantly with its clients via pop-up bars at occasions and commerce reveals just like the Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant, the Sundance Movie Pageant, Montreal’s Café Collectif, the Halpern Gran Cru for UHN Basis, and the annual Eating places Canada Present.

The roaster additionally helps native and worldwide fundraisers, such because the SickKids Fund, Neighborhood Residing, and the Secure Water Challenge in Colombia, to exhibit its dedication to the communities it depends on.

Barocco has additionally collaborated with different firms, together with Succulent Chocolate and Des Barres to provide bean-to-bar candies and Escape Espresso Firm on a special-edition Nerds Espresso Field. Extra relationships fostered by managing companion Phil Lanzarotta with Monin Syrups and Citizen Tea additionally improve Barocco’s providing. The Barocco workforce additional helps ongoing coaching for its buyer base, making certain that espresso’s lengthy journey is carried via to the cup.

“These and different partnerships enable us to increase our influence past direct service and gross sales, nurturing a vibrant group that values each high quality espresso {and professional} development,” Bruno says. 

Attaining the title of an award-winning roaster places manufacturers within the firm of worldwide heavyweights recognised for high quality, sustainability, and innovation. Whereas utilizing excellent espresso is important to this pursuit, funding wants to increase alongside the availability chain.

“Above all, profitable medals is greater than recognition for our workforce; it’s a significant win for our clients and for the farmers who develop our coffees,” Bruno concludes. “Awards give them added confidence and a stronger story and platform to advertise the coffees they serve and produce.”

Loved this? Then learn our article on why specialty espresso roasters want to seek out new methods to diversify.

Picture credit: Barocco Espresso Firm, Barry W. Inexperienced

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