Win the barista Competition and a trip to Torino awaits!
As part of the three-day Raise the Bar Conference, which will take place from March 25 to 27 in Zagreb’s Lauba, a competition for baristas from Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be held again. The winner will win a prize of 5,000 euros and the opportunity to participate in the Caffe Vergnano World Cup in Italy.
Entries to the competition
You can apply for the competition until Monday, March 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM by filling out the form available at the link , along with a short video of the latte art preparation of your choice. (max. 20 MB).*
All persons with at least two years of work experience as baristas, who have an active status in the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Slovenia and who are fluent in English can apply.
All information about applying to the Raise the Bar Barista Competition can be found in the Terms and Conditions of the Competition
*In case of technical difficulties when uploading the video, you can send it via email to [email protected]
Competition
The contestants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in front of a panel of expert judges. Their task will be to prepare two espressos, two cappuccinos, and two coffee-based cocktails. The contestants will also try their hand at a blind espresso tasting while our latte art wheel of fortune will determine which motif they will have to make.
The jury will select the best barista based on technique, taste, presentation and overall impression. The winner will be selected on the day of the competition, and the award ceremony will take place on Friday, March 27th as part of the Raise the Bar conference program.
A detailed rulebook for participation in the Raise the Bar barista Competition can be found in the Raise the Bar Barista Competition rulebook.
Expert jury
Tomislav is a Coffee Asset Expert at Coca-Cola HBC Adria and a lecturer at the Raise the Bar Academy. He started his career as a waiter during his studies when he found himself behind an espresso machine thanks to the “force majeure”. After a brief rethinking of his career in the hospitality industry, he decided to attend an education at Cogito Coffee, where his view of coffee changed and the door to a new world opened up.
Karlo is a barista and owner of the Zagreb roastery Four Wheel Coffee Roasters, award winning barista and one of the lecturers on the Raise the Bar Academy.
Radoš is a long-time coffee expert a certified AST Barista Trainer. He is active as a sensory referee at competitions in the region and has the status of barista champion trainer at the World Barista Championship.
Fabio is a barista trainer and a certified Black Coffee Examiner. He is also SCA certified and is one of the international judges at Latte Art Grading System. He is a winner of numerous barista competitions