Swiss Barista Championship 2026 – Pre-Rounds Are Here!
We’re excited to officially announce the Pre-Rounds for the 2026 Swiss Barista Championship! After such a successful edition last year, we’re bringing back this important stage to give more baristas the opportunity to take part, grow, and showcase their skills within Switzerland’s vibrant coffee community.
The Pre-Rounds are designed to be inclusive and engaging, allowing competitors from different parts of the country to participate locally before we all come together for the big stage at the Swiss Coffee Festival later in the year.
How It Works
During the Pre-Rounds, we will select 9 baristas to move on to the Semi-Finals, which will take place during the Swiss Coffee Festival on November 22nd and 23rd, 2025.
- The winner from each Pre-Round location will automatically qualify.
- The remaining six spots will be given based on the overall ranking across all locations.
Dates & Locations
You can choose your preferred location when signing up. Please note that each location will have only 12 competitor spots, so we encourage early registration.
- Friday, 19.09.2025 – Rorschach @ KIALOA
- Saturday, 20.09.2025 – Zürich @ STOLL KAFFEE
- Sunday, 21.09.2025 – Geneva @ Royal Karoma
Registration
Registration will officially open this Friday via Google Forms — the link will be shared on our Instagram and website. There is a CHF 30 registration fee, which will be deducted from your Semi-Final subscription if you advance.
Competition Format
The format will follow a similar structure to last year’s edition, but with a few important updates:
- Competitors will receive two different coffees ahead of time.
- One set will be provided in advance for training.
- The second set — the coffee used for the actual competition — will only be opened right before your presentation, in front of everyone. This ensures fairness and transparency.
- Your challenge is to develop the best possible recipes for 4 espresso and 4 milk-based beverages, using one or both coffees.
- You can use the coffees separately or create a blend — it’s up to you.
- Please note: due to degassing and freshness, the training coffee may behave differently from the final set used during the competition.
- Essential tools, machines, grinders, and milk will be provided (brands and details to be confirmed shortly).
What Happens Next?
Afer the registration, you will receive an email with further details, including where and when to pick up the coffees (pick-up points will be close to each competition location). You’ll also receive information about equipment, set-up, and any other logistical considerations.
More to Come
We’re also happy to share that both the Swiss Brewers Championship and the Swiss Roasting Championship will also have their own Pre-Rounds this year. More information about those will be shared soon — so stay tuned!