The Golden Bean Australasia coffee roasting competition concluded its 2026 event in Brisbane, naming local roaster Sam Shi of Espresso Club as the Overall Champion. The competition was held from June 16 to 20 at Latitude Coffee Roasters, bringing together roasters from across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
According to event figures, this year's competition involved the evaluation of 752 coffees across 12 distinct categories. A panel of more than 100 coffee professionals served as judges, assessing the entries through a blind-cupping format. Submissions were judged as espresso, milk-based beverages, and pour-over filter coffee, with the Overall Champion title awarded for the highest aggregate score across these formats.
Other notable winners included Grinders Coffee, which secured the Large Chain Champion award for the first time, and Espresso Club, which also won the Overall Small Chain Champion title. Medalists from the Australasian event are now eligible to advance to the Golden Bean World Series, which is scheduled to take place in Fiji in February 2027, providing an international platform for the region's top roasters.