LONDON – Denila Kumar, a talented Costa Coffee barista from Qatar, brews up victory as she is named Barista of the Year 2024 after triumphing in Costa Coffee’s prestigious Global Barista of the Year competition. The 22-year-old, who has been working as a barista for over a year at a Costa Coffee store operated by its franchise partner, Alghanim Industries, in Qatar, first secured victory in Costa Coffee’s Global Market Championship.
Denila Kumar is the Qatar Global Barista of the Year
Denila then advanced to the international final, where she competed against seven of Costa Coffee’s finest baristas from around the world, with five of the baristas travelling to London to compete.
Denila earned the top spot as Costa Coffee’s Global Barista of the Year, with Shogo Abe from Japan taking second place, followed by Adbin Subedi, from the
UK securing third place.
Celebrating its fifteenth year, Costa Coffee’s Global Barista of the Year Competition was held on the 2nd and 3rd of July, providing a global platform for baristas to showcase their skills, knowledge and creativity.
The final event, held at the Heathrow Sofitel Hotel in London, England, featured a distinguished judging panel, including Costa Coffee’s Master of Coffee,
Gennaro Pelliccia, as the Head Judge, and Becky Craig – Head of Global Learning and Development, and Marco Magatti – Product Development Director as Sensory Judges.
Reflecting on his role as Head Judge, Gennaro Pelliccia comments: “It was an absolute pleasure to witness the incredible talent and passion displayed by all the finalists in this year’s Global Barista of the Year competition. Denila’s performance stood out for her exceptional skills, creativity and dedication to the craft of coffee making. Each round demonstrated her ability to innovate, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and consistency. We are thrilled to crown Denila as Costa Coffee’s Global Barista of the Year and look forward to seeing how she will continue to elevate the coffee experience for
Costa Coffee customers.”
The eight talented baristas who reached the final had earned their spots after months of rigorous competition. Over two days, Denila emerged victorious after competition in a series of challenges. These included ‘The Canvas’ where finalists were judged on their technical skills in creating two identical Flat Whites and Cortos/Corado’s, and ‘The Detective’, which tested their sensory skills as they identified the odd one out of six sets of three drinks by smelling and tasting them.
In the final round, ‘The Special’, finalists were challenged to create and present their own innovative coffee drink in both hot and iced formats. Denila impressed the judges with her signature drink, the ‘Saffronilla’.
Denila Kumar, barista from Qatar and winner of Costa Coffee’s Global Barista of the Year 2024 competition, concludes: “Being crowned Costa Coffee’s Global Barista of the Year is a dream come true. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and thankful for the support of my team members, friends and family who have been with me every step of the way. This competition has been an amazing journey of growth and learning, pushing me to explore new depths of creativity and innovation in the world of coffee, whilst competing alongside other amazing barista’s from around the world. I’m proud to have represented
Qatar in the competition, and I’m excited to continue sharing my love for coffee.”
For more information about the Costa Coffee Barista of the Year competition or to apply for a barista role at Costa Coffee click here.
