Sabah barista wins gold at World Coffee Blending Championship Global Finals in China

KOTA KINABALU (March 12): A barista from Sabah has won a Gold Award at the World Coffee Blending Championship (WCBC) Global Finals, held in Guangzhou and Jiangmen, Guangdong, China, from March 5 to 8.

Ivershaun Voo stood out in the Best Americano Blend category. With his exceptional blending techniques and keen sensory perception, he secured the prestigious Gold Award.

Vivian Liew from Sabah and Angie Liaw from Sarawak also participated in the competition.

The strong performance by the East Malaysian representatives marks a new milestone for Malaysian coffee craftsmanship on the international stage.

In the elite competition, which gathered top coffee professionals from around the world, the East Malaysia representative team delivered an impressive showing, successfully showcasing the unique charm of Bornean coffee globally.

The WCBC Global Finals were hosted in Jiangmen, widely known as the “Capital of Overseas Chinese”.

The East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) delegation was jointly organised by the Borneo Coffee Alliance (Federation of Sabah Industries) and the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (Sabah Branch).

This marked the second time these organisations led an East Malaysian barista team to the Global Finals.

The delegation was led by key representatives from both organisations, including Dick Lee, Chairman of the Borneo Coffee Alliance; Alexander Francis Yulik, Vice Chairman; committee members Lucas Tiong and James Lee; as well as Chew Heng Hock, Vice President of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (Sabah Branch).

Dick said the achievement was not only a personal honour for the winners but also strong recognition of the coffee industry standards in East Malaysia.

By participating in the WCBC Global Finals, East Malaysian baristas were able to compete with world-class talents, promote Borneo’s unique coffee culture internationally, and strengthen exchanges between Malaysia and China in both the coffee industry and cultural sectors.

The WCBC is a professional competition dedicated to the art of coffee blending, aiming to explore the limitless possibilities of bean-blending techniques within the global coffee industry.