A Filipino coffee roaster made his mark at a regional competition held during THAIFEX – HOREC Asia 2026 in Bangkok, where hospitality professionals from across Southeast Asia gathered for three days of trade and industry events.

John Eric Enopia, owner and head roaster of The Cooking Dad Coffee Roastery and Cafe, finished first runner-up in the Home/Individual category of the ASEAN Coffee Roasting Championship 2026 held alongside the trade show.

“Malaki yung potential ng Philippine coffee, lalo na kung ma-ro-roast ng mas maayos. Unang una nating dapat nabibigyan ng pansin ay yung mga farmers natin bago ang lahat,” Enopia told Radar Business.

The Cavite-based roaster has been roasting coffee for nearly six years and joined the competition individually while visiting Thailand with his wife. Contestants were assigned beans from ASEAN origins and given 30 minutes to roast a single batch. Enopia got to feature the Davao excelsa, with entries judged through a public cupping.

The championship brought together roasters from across the region in two categories—Professional (Team) and Home (Individual)—with participants representing countries including India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. The live competition highlighted roasting precision and flavor development using ASEAN-grown beans.

The three-day trade fair wrapped up Friday at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, bringing together exhibitors, buyers, and coffee professionals exploring new ideas shaping the region’s hospitality and café industries.

This article was written by Kenneth M. del Rosario and first appeared on radar.ph