What a weekend. In Panama, our Brand Ambassador and 2026 Australian Barista Champion Gab Tan went head to head with the best baristas on the planet and finished fourth in the world. Fifty-one national champions started the competition. Only six made the final. Gab was one of them, and he did it in his very first appearance on the world stage.

It's a result years in the making. Originally from Malaysia, Gab began his coffee career after moving to Australia at 18 and joined Veneziano back in 2019. He placed second at the 2022 Australian Barista Championship, came back year after year winning the national title in 2026, and has now taken his craft all the way to a world final.

This year’s championship carried extra meaning, too. It was the first World Barista Championship held in Central America, bringing the world stage back to a coffee-producing country.

The Power of Recognition

 

Gab’s routine, The Power of Recognition, was built on the people who gave him his start in coffee and the producers he now champions. Its message was simple: recognising someone’s work can create opportunity and set change in motion.

Panama and Colombia have long dominated the world competition stage. Gab honoured that legacy with Geisha from Boquete, Panama, while using his platform to give an emerging origin the recognition it deserves: Kartika from Raymond Ali’s Finca Ali in Semendo, South Sumatra, Indonesia.

Raymond’s story sits at the heart of the routine. He travelled to Panama to learn from its producers and came home inspired to build a distinctive identity for Indonesian coffee. In a region known for robusta, he has spent years proving that high-quality Arabica can thrive, working alongside local farmers to share knowledge and show the potential for better returns. Gab sourced the Kartika during a visit to Finca Ali.

The Signature Drink

Gab’s signature beverage brought both origins together, using ingredients inspired by his visits to each farm.

Koji-fermented tamarillo, a fruit Gab first tasted on a coffee farm in Panama, turned the Geisha’s stone fruit character into blood orange and pink guava. An infusion of cacao husk and raspberry built on the Kartika’s cherry notes to bring raspberry and rose water to the cup. The cacao is a link back to Raymond’s community, providing work between coffee harvests and a more consistent income. The drink was clarified, carbonated for an effervescent texture and served at 10°C.

Round 1

Gab’s first round came after a 90-minute delay caused by power issues at the venue. He kept his composure and delivered his routine in 14 minutes and 44 seconds.

For espresso, he served a Geisha from the Altieri Family’s Finca Altieri in Boquete, grown at 1,800 metres and processed as a 48-hour anaerobic natural, with notes of orange, yellow peach and pineapple.

His milk course used Finca Ali’s Kartika, grown at 1,700 metres and also processed as a 48-hour anaerobic natural, showing strawberry, malted chocolate and cherry.

The signature drink combined both coffees for notes of blood orange, pink guava, raspberry and rose water with an effervescent texture.

Gab progressed into the top 16.

Semi-Final

For the semi-final, Gab refined his espresso course, switching to a washed Geisha from Maria Amoruso’s Finca Lerida in Boquete. The cup showed jasmine, yellow peach and orange.

The Finca Ali Kartika returned for milk, this time presenting strawberry and 70% dark chocolate. His signature drink paired the Kartika with the Finca Lerida Geisha.

Gab was named one of six finalists.

The Final

In the final, Gab stayed with the Finca Lerida washed Geisha for espresso: yellow peach and Earl Grey tea, with a medium weight, juicy texture and a long, lingering tea-like finish.

His milk course with the Finca Ali Kartika showed strawberry, malted chocolate and butterscotch, and his signature drink once again brought Sumatra and Panama together in the cup.

Pan Wei of China was crowned 2026 World Barista Champion, with Shing Win of Malaysia second and Frederick Ruben of the United Arab Emirates third. Gab finished fourth, ahead of Jane Kawinnart of Thailand and Jill Hoff of Canada.

In Panama, Gab was supported by his coaches, Jack Allisey, Head of Coffee at Veneziano and Jack Simpson, 2025 World Barista Champion who each worked with him on his routine.

In Their Words

“Making the world final on my first attempt is something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my life. Every round meant Raymond’s coffee and Indonesia got another day on the world stage, and that’s what this routine was always about. I gave it everything, and I’m already thinking about what comes next,” said Gab.

“Five years ago Gab started with us at Veneziano as a barista and told me straight up that he wanted to compete at the World Barista Championship. Big goal. Then he went out and came second in his very first Australian Championship. Every year since, he's put in the work, kept learning and come back better, so seeing him on stage at a World Final today isn't a surprise to any of us. We're incredibly proud of Gab and how he's represented Veneziano and Australia on the world stage,” said Craig Dickson, CEO, Veneziano Coffee Roasters.

Thank You

To Raymond Ali and Finca Ali, Maria Amoruso and Finca Lerida and the Altieri Family and Finca Altieri, whose coffees made this routine possible. To the Veneziano team who trained, tasted and travelled alongside Gab. And to everyone who stayed up late or woke early to watch live.. thank you.

Congratulations, Gab. Fourth in the world.