Singapore, 26 July 2023 – The ASEAN Coffee Federation has announced that the upcoming 3rd edition of the ASEAN Barista Team Championship (ABTC) will be held in conjunction with the upcoming World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2023 in Manila, Philippines. This year’s championship will take place from 3 – 5 August 2023 at the SMX Convention Centre.
ABTC 2023 will also be Philippines’ first international Coffee Competition to be held in the country. More than 60 of the top baristas from countries around the ASEAN Plus region will participate, forming about 16 teams consisting of four baristas each. This year, the championship offers an exciting cash prize of USD$11,000 for the winning teams. This edition of ABTC will feature the first-ever participation of a non-ASEAN member participating in the competition, as baristas from Hong Kong will make their debut in this esteemed competition.
“We are grateful for the continued support and rapid growth of ABTC” said Mr Victor Mah, President of the ASEAN Coffee Federation. “My special thanks to Ms Pacita U. Juan, President of the Philippine Coffee Board (PCB) as well as Mr Joel B. Pascual, President of WOFEX 2023 for their commitment in hosting this year’s championship.”
The event is also supported and locally hosted by the Philippine Coffee Board, a member of the ASEAN Coffee Federation.
“The Philippine Coffee Board remains committed to working with our partners in ASEAN,” said Ms Pacita U. Juan, President of PCB. “We are proud to host the upcoming championship and firmly believe this partnership will help promote and highlight our Philippine coffees to the region.”
This edition of ABTC will be held alongside WOFEX 2023, the largest and most effective tradeshow in the region, with hundreds of exhibitors and brands from various food industries, providing an exciting backdrop for the premier coffee competition of the region.
“We are excited to see the championship in action at WOFEX,” said Mr Joel B. Pascual, President of WOFEX. “The ASEAN Barista Team Championship is one of the premier coffee competitions in the region, bringing a unique competition format with consistently high levels of performance.”
Since its inception, the ASEAN Barista Team Championship has successfully proven itself as one of the top coffee championships in the region. This edition of the competition has secured many prominent brands in the industry as sponsors, such as LaCimbali, Mazzer, FrieslandCampina, MILKLAB, MONIN, Claytan, Duralex, UCC Ueshima Coffee Philippines Inc and Commune.