10 baristas advance to Lavazza Barista Challenge Maldives 2026 final
Ten baristas have advanced to the national final of the Lavazza Barista Challenge Maldives 2026, following two days of qualifying rounds that tested coffee preparation, technical proficiency and creativity.
The qualifiers were held from 30 to 31 August at the Lavazza Barista Training Centre at Euro Marketing, bringing together baristas competing for the opportunity to represent the Maldives at the international final of the Lavazza Barista Challenge.
The 10 finalists will now compete for the national title on 9 September 2026, during the Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) exhibition.
The winner will progress to the international final in Turin, Italy, in April 2027, where the Maldivian representative will compete against national champions from other participating countries.
Putting professional coffee skills to the test
Designed for professionals working in the coffee industry, the Lavazza Barista Challenge assesses more than the ability to prepare a cup of coffee.
Judges will consider contestants’ espresso brewing techniques, creativity, personality and ingredient quality, providing competitors with an opportunity to demonstrate both technical knowledge and an individual approach to coffee.
The competition places particular emphasis on the craft behind espresso preparation. For professional baristas, this involves managing variables including grind, dose, extraction and consistency while understanding how each decision influences the final beverage.
Creativity and presentation are also part of the judging process, requiring competitors to demonstrate how technical foundations can be translated into a distinctive beverage and service experience.
This combination of technical execution and individual expression reflects the changing role of baristas within hotels, resorts, restaurants and cafés, where coffee programmes increasingly form a distinct part of the wider food and beverage operation.
Training ahead of competition
Before entering the qualifying stage, participants underwent training at Euro Marketing’s Lavazza Training Centre.
The sessions allowed competitors to develop and refine their skills before putting them into practice during the qualifiers. The training component also positions the competition as a professional development platform rather than solely a contest for the national title.
For hospitality professionals, structured barista training can strengthen knowledge of extraction, equipment, ingredients and beverage consistency — areas that directly influence the quality of coffee service across F&B outlets.
Competitions can build on that foundation by placing participants in an environment where technique is assessed under pressure and compared against defined standards.
Maldives champion to head to Turin
The national final at FHAM will narrow the field of 10 finalists to one champion, who will carry the Maldives into the international stage of the competition.
Representing the country in Turin will give the winner an opportunity to compete alongside baristas from other markets while gaining exposure to different approaches to coffee preparation and presentation.
The competition is organised by Euro Marketing, the official distributor of Lavazza in the Maldives, and is aimed in part at professionals working across the country’s tourism and hospitality industry.
For the Maldives F&B sector, the challenge also gives greater visibility to baristas as skilled beverage professionals. While chefs, pastry chefs and sommeliers have long been represented through specialist competitions and professional events, coffee competitions provide a similar platform for baristas to demonstrate the precision, product knowledge and creativity required by their craft.
With the qualifying rounds now complete, attention turns to 9 September, when the 10 finalists will compete at FHAM for the Maldives title and a place at the Lavazza Barista Challenge international final in Italy.