LONDON, UK — Teddy Nzama, a South African barista, just scooped up the world’s best barista award at the 2019 Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Barista Championship Finals. After an intense three days of competition, 30 finalists – each of them already National Champions in their home markets – battled through coffee skills tests and demonstrated their deep passion for coffee.
Only one could take home the grand prize, and that prize was taken by Teddy Nzama from South Africa.
As winner, Teddy will be invited on the trip of a lifetime to visit the Milan Roastery and to join fellow partners (employees) for an annual trip to coffee farms in Rwanda where he’ll see first-hand how coffee is grown and processed, and will meet farmers who produce some of Starbucks coffee
Teddy also took home the coveted trophy, a golden milk steaming pitcher, and an extremely rare purple Starbucks apron.
“This is a proud moment for South Africa as our very own patriot is declared a champion amongst thousand of his fellow baristas across the globe. We wish him the very best in his career and we thank him for flying the South African flag with so much pride. We need more inspirational people like Mr Nzama to showcase our strength and uniqueness as a nation,” the South African Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said in a statement.
