How Did a Coffee Roaster Shape a World Barista Champion?

Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters in Melbourne won the 2022 World Barista Championship on home ground in Melbourne. Born in Noble Park, he left high school early, moved to Sydney, and worked in the deli section of a Spanish restaurant before returning to Melbourne at 19 to start his barista career. Seven years later, he held the world title.

His path ran through Axil, a coffee roaster where a single espresso convinced him that coffee could reach another level. Owner Dave Makin, runner-up at the 2008 World Barista Championship, hired him on the spot and encouraged staff to compete. That environment turned a curious beginner into a stage-ready professional who later drew attention from Luckin Coffee.

The World Barista Championship is the coffee industry's most prestigious competitive stage, where contestants convey the multi-dimensional allure of coffee to professional judges through exquisite skill and vivid expression. In 2022, Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters in Melbourne, Australia, took the crown at the WBC held in Melbourne. A high school dropout who started out in the deli section of a Spanish restaurant, this barista went from regional competitions to world champion in just seven years. This article will review his growth journey, competition preparation details, and winning creations, and share his understanding of the barista's role.

The World Barista Championship is the highest-level international competition in the coffee field, and every move on stage vividly reflects practitioners' application and exploration of coffee across different dimensions. Contestants take on the role of messengers, using words and actions to present exquisite coffee craftsmanship to stringent professional judges, thereby enabling tasters to enjoy a superior coffee experience.

At last year's WBC held in Melbourne, Australia, Anthony Douglas from local café Axil lifted the champion's trophy. Yes, this is exactly the "big name" that Luckin recently announced it had heavily invited.

Anthony was born in Noble Park and is a true-blue Melburnian. He dropped out of high school, moved alone to Sydney, and worked in the deli section of a Spanish restaurant.

Recalling his first days brewing coffee, Anthony said: "I made about four or five cups a day, and I really enjoyed the hands-on process and loved the whole workflow." The limited daily output made him fall in love with the barista profession. The following year, 19-year-old Anthony returned to Melbourne and officially began his career as a barista.

In 2015, with some coffee foundation already in place, Anthony walked into Axil Coffee Roasters, and a single espresso completely stunned him. "I was blown away—I'd never tasted coffee like that, and that's when I understood that coffee could reach this level."

So he applied for a position at one of the brand's stores, and owner Dave (Dave Makin) hired him on the spot, making Anthony a member of the Axil team. Dave was the runner-up at the 2008 World Barista Championship, and he often encouraged employees to enter competitions, which sowed the seeds for Anthony's later competition path.

Over seven years, from regional qualifiers to the Australian national competition, he constantly reviewed and refined his techniques and workflow. In 2022, Anthony finally won the national championship, representing Australia at the World Barista Championship for the first time and taking the title in one fell swoop.

Speaking of the victory, Anthony said: "I'm incredibly proud to be named this year's world champion, and I'm honored to represent Australia, and more specifically Melbourne. I couldn't have done this without the support and dedication of the Axil Coffee Roasters team." He firmly believes this honor belongs to the shared efforts of himself and his team.

His team (including coach and roaster) spent a full six months preparing, cupping hundreds of coffee beans, and ultimately selected an anaerobic-fermented coffee from Colombia's Huila region, of the Sidra variety—a cross between Typica and Bourbon.

The espresso Anthony presented featured tasting notes of blackberry, cherry, and white wine, with a finish as long and lingering as fine wine, mainly thanks to the effect of anaerobic fermentation.

In the milk-based coffee segment, he used freeze-drying technology to turn milk into "milk powder," then blended it with fresh milk, doubling the milk's sweetness, fat, and protein. This not only intensified the coffee beans' original cherry flavor but also added distinctive notes of butterscotch and chocolate mousse.

When making the final signature drink, he chose date honey produced by the coffee's farm of origin to achieve complex sweetness, used lactic acid bacteria-fermented passion fruit to enhance fruity notes, added hibiscus cold brew tea to increase red wine tannin-like qualities, and used "freeze-dried" date syrup to boost the drink's overall body. Ultimately, this gave the coffee a flavor reminiscent of sweet truffle.

Through this series of operations, Anthony not only intensified the coffee's own flavor characteristics but also expanded the signature drink's taste spectrum and brought new sensory experiences. Because of this, his outstanding presentation left a deep impression on the judges and stood out among contestants worldwide.

After winning the World Barista Championship, Anthony moved from training manager at Axil Coffee Roasters to the R&D department, hoping to further explore specialty coffee. "I think the barista's role is to bridge the gap between specialty coffee and customers, by providing the best possible experience that represents coffee and everything in it, and sharing it in an approachable way, so customers can appreciate coffee's charm."

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.