More takeaways from Belgium’s first World of Coffee, including highlights from Europe’s 100 Best Coffee Shops awards and the World Coffee Championships.
BY ISABELLE MANI
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of Isabelle Mani
From June 25 to 27, 2026, World of Coffee (WOC) Europe lit up the Brussels Expo in Belgium, serving as a stage for some exciting coffee competitions and product launches. Yesterday, I shared some of my favorite highlights from the event—the first-ever World of Coffee to be held in Belgium. Today, I’ll share more exciting takeaways from the weekend.
Europe’s 100 Best Coffee Shops: The Coffee World Cup
WOC Brussels hosted the first Europe’s 100 Best Coffee Shops awards. The ceremony lasted nearly three hours, with industry professionals staying, cheering, and reacting to the results almost as if it were a kind of “coffee World Cup,” showing how much value the industry continues to place on coffee shops as cultural and commercial flagships.
The top spot went to Tim Wendelboe, the iconic Oslo café and roastery—and a familiar name to Barista Magazine readers, having appeared on the magazine’s cover back in 2015.
But looking beyond the winner, the broader list revealed a major shift in the continent’s specialty coffee geography. The Anglo-Irish axis still carried significant weight, but the presence of coffee shops from Italy and Spain showed that new consumption rituals can thrive even in conservative espresso strongholds. The spread of recognized operations into countries such as Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, and Estonia, showcasing the spread of craft coffee culture.
Historic Wins at the 2026 World Coffee Championships
WOC Brussels also saw some historic World Coffee Championship wins. Nas Jaafar became the 2026 World Brewers Cup Champion, giving Malaysia its first title in the competition. Benjamin Brassart won the 2026 World Coffee Roasting Championship on home ground for Belgium, while Andy Philein of China was crowned the 2026 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. The finalists were as follows:
2026 World Brewers Cup Championship
1. Nas Jaafar, Malaysia
2. Simon Gautherin, Australia
3. Bavis Kwong, Hong Kong SAR
4. Jackie Tran, Czech Republic
5. Ethan Junseong Park, South Korea
6. Angie Molina, France
2026 World Coffee Roasting Championship
1. Benjamin Brassart, Belgium
2. Li Zhong Xiang, China
3. Thanasis Angelopoulos, Greece
4. Ashton Huang, Chinese Taipei
5. Andrea Trevisan, Austria
6. Wang JianNing, China
2026 World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship
1. Andy Philein, China
2. Sion Wu, Chinese Taipei
3. Akira Zushi, Japan
4. Serene Yu, Australia
5. Dmitrii Shkliarov, Indonesia
6. Ricky Chan, Hong Kong SAR
Catching up with Nas Jafaar
We also caught up with Nas Jaafar, who brought Malaysia to the top of the World Brewers Cup podium for the first time after a highly competitive final round in Brussels. Nas placed first ahead of finalists from Australia, Hong Kong SAR, the Czech Republic, South Korea, and France.
For Nas, the moment took some time to fully land. “But after a good night’s sleep, I felt relieved and happy, not just for myself but also for the team and everyone back at home,” he says.
His winning routine used a Panama Finca Nuguo Geisha Anaerobic Natural, brewed with a UFO V3 Dripper and a Hario Switch base through a combination of percolation and immersion. The method reflected the central idea behind his presentation: Darcy’s Law, which explains how liquids flow through porous materials, and the way brewing principles can also become a way to think about life experience.
Nas has been in the coffee industry since 2014 and started competing in 2019. “I really want to contribute more to this industry, not just from a competition standpoint,” he shared with Barista Magazine, “but also by educating consumers about the reality and beauty of the coffee industry and by continuing to inspire the next generation of coffee professionals.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabelle Mani (she/her) is a writer, journalist, and communicator specializing in the international coffee industry. Since 2017, she has focused on writing articles and features for various international coffee news outlets. Isabelle has traveled to coffee-producing countries such as Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, China, and Brazil to study and research coffee. She holds training certifications from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Coffee Quality Institute (Arabica Q Grading).
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