After three intense days of competition spanning barista routines, manual brewing, latte art, and cup tasting, the Singapore National Coffee Championship (SNCC) 2026 has crowned four winners who will represent the city-state at the 2027 World Coffee Championships. Held annually as Singapore’s premier specialty coffee contest, the event allows local professionals to measure themselves against international benchmarks before advancing to the global stage.
This year’s championship drew 63 competitors across four categories: the Singapore National Barista Championship, Timemore Singapore National Brewers Cup, Singapore National Latte Art Championship, and Singapore Cup Tasters Championship. Judges from Singapore and across the region—including Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan—evaluated participants on technical skill, creativity, and precision.
Barista Champion Makes Stunning Debut
Gabriel Lim Yeok Sien, a barista from Glyph Supply Co., won the Singapore National Barista Championship in his very first SNCC appearance. Competitors in this category had to prepare espresso, milk-based drinks, and an original signature beverage while demonstrating technical precision and creativity. Lim will now head to Tokyo for the 2027 World Barista Championship.
Brewers Cup Winner Makes History
Elysia Tan, Brand Manager at MAME Specialty Coffee, claimed the TIMEMORE Singapore National Brewers Cup for the fourth time, becoming the competition’s most decorated champion after previously winning in 2024. She will compete at the 2027 World Brewers Cup in Bogotá, Colombia, in the manual coffee brewing category.
Latte Artist Finally Secures National Title
Zheng Yi Lim, Senior Barista at Cafe Kitsuné, achieved a long-awaited victory after years of near misses—finishing as second runner-up and first runner-up in previous years, and competing in more than 20 coffee competitions throughout his career. He will represent Singapore at the 2027 World Latte Art Championship in Lisbon.
Cup Tasters Champion Breaks Barriers
Wong Li Ping (Levina), a trainer at Torch Coffee based in Kenya, won the Singapore Cup Tasters Championship on her third attempt. She conducts coffee training for locals and international students while advocating for coffee-producing communities—and was the only woman to make this year’s finals. The category tests competitors’ ability to quickly and accurately distinguish subtle flavor differences between cups of specialty coffee. She will represent Singapore internationally in 2027.
What’s Next
The next edition of SNCC will take place July 14–16, 2027, at Sands Expo & Convention Centre as part of SIGEP Asia, where a new cohort of baristas and coffee professionals will compete for national honors and global representation.
For coffee enthusiasts: These championships highlight Singapore’s growing specialty coffee scene. Interested in attending? Mark your calendars for next year’s event or visit local cafés like Glyph Supply Co., MAME Specialty Coffee, Café Kitsuné, and Torch Coffee to taste the work of these champions.