Victoria's best barista has been crowned, taking out top position at the Southern Region Barista Championship 2022
Melbourne has long been known as one of the world’s foremost destinations for defining cafes, coffee-producing global barista champions and award-winning roasts.
Ensuring that reputation remains unchanged, Melbourne is now home to the state’s best barista.
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
On Thursday, July 7 2022, the Australian Specialty Coffee Association announced Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters as the 2022 Southern Region Barista Champion for the second year in a row, taking out the top accolade amongst the best baristas in the state.
If you’re unfamiliar with Axil Coffee Roasters is a cafe and roasters in the heart of Melbourne. Founded by two-time Australian barista champion Dave Makin, and his partner Zoe, this place is as impressive as they come.
“Looking back and remembering my first year, I was very excited about the competition side of coffee – I found it such a fascinating concept. This year, I really wanted to bring back that fascination with coffee and its ability to create a sensory experience that brings a genuine connection between the barista and the coffee drinker and ultimately an exceptional experience worth remembering,” says Axil’s barista and champion Anthony Douglas.
The name Anthony Douglas and specialty coffee go hand in hand. He is well renowned in the coffee industry and has achieved numerous awards throughout his career as a barista, including winner of the most recent 2020 Southern Region Barista Championship and runner-up in the 2020 Australian Barista Championship.
With a plethora of competition experience under his belt, it’s no wonder that all of Anthony’s hard work over the years has led him to defend his title at this year’s Southern Region Barista Championship.
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“Axil Coffee Roasters has had a long history of competition success. We are super proud of Anthony striving to be the best and helping us to improve the quality of coffee we serve in our cafes everyday,” says Dave Makin, Director at Axil Coffee Roasters.
Next up, Anthony will have his eye on the National Barista Championship which will be held at Meat Market, North Melbourne on the 17th-20th of August 2022. The winner of the National Barista Champion will then take the stage and compete at the World Barista Champion held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) on the 27th-30th of September.
Find out more about Axil Coffee Roasters here.
