Nelson Morales

Champions Jetro Chua and Robie Flavier with runner-up Syrene Villaverde. Jeeves de Veyra

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Jeeves De Veyra

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17796906518573 Robie, Jetro, &amp; Syrene.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Champions Jetro Chua and Robie Flavier with runner-up Syrene Villaverde. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Champions Jetro Chua and Robie Flavier with runner-up Syrene Villaverde. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Starbucks partners Jetro Chua of the Greenhills Mall branch and Robie Flavier of Tagaytay Hiraya Store secured their places as the 2026 Starbucks Philippines National Coffee Champions held at Taal Vista Lodge earlier this month.“Our partners are the heart of the Starbucks Experience,” said Noey Lopez, president of Starbucks Philippines. “Now in its 10th year, the Starbucks Philippines Barista Championship continues to be a meaningful platform to celebrate not only their coffee expertise, but also the passion, dedication, and genuine human connections they create every day in our stores.”From a pool of 4,588 qualified Coffee Masters, 54 advanced to the district eliminations. The field was narrowed to 24 at the area level, before six finalists competed at the finals.The Starbucks competition tests the baristas&#x27; skills in both manual brewing and espresso. Contestants select a Starbucks coffee bean as the foundation of their 15-minute routine. This includes a milk drink that also showcases their latte art, a signature beverage, and a manual pour-over using the Starbucks Melitta-style drippers. Besides execution, contestants engage the judges and the audience through storytelling, connecting their coffee selection to their creative concepts.Sensory judges evaluate the accuracy of flavor descriptions and overall taste, while technical judges scrutinize every detail from espresso extraction and workflow to cleanliness and consistency.As Starbucks is more known for being a commercial coffee chain, it was nice to see elements of specialty coffee techniques among its partners. Competitors experimented with blending beans, brewing with different temperatures, and applying post-extraction methods to highlight nuanced flavor profiles.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1779690624817ROBIE FULL.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Robie Flavier. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Robie Flavier. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Flavier stood out with her reinterpretation of Starbucks’ Sumatran beans through her signature drink, Shakerato Sumatra Dan Aku, an iced shaken coffee featuring berry molasses syrup and guyabano purée.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17796905850962 Jetro - Signature Beverage 1.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Robie Flavier. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Jetro Chua. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Chua chose a blonde roast Veranda Blend. His pour-over started at a higher temperature then used room temp water for his second pour that I thought would preserve the lighter notes of his chosen beans. His signature beverage, Brave Heart, with his own fermented kvass with salt, strawberry, filtered brown sugar, and tonic water.This year follows a pause in the competition last year, allowing Starbucks Philippines to award two champions.Beyond prizes and national recognition, Flavier and Chua will represent the Philippines at the Asia-Pacific Regional Barista Championships, set to take place in Bonifacio Global City this September.

From more than 4,000 qualified Coffee Masters, Starbucks Philippines named Jetro Chua and Robie Flavier as its 2026 National Coffee Champions, highlighting craft, creativity, and storytelling in the brand’s 10th annual barista competition.

From more than 4,000 qualified Coffee Masters, Starbucks Philippines named Jetro Chua and Robie Flavier as its 2026 National Coffee Champions, highlighting craft, creativity, and storytelling in the brand’s 10th annual barista competition.

Starbucks PH crowns 2026 Coffee Champions after nationwide barista showdown

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Starbucks PH crowns 2026 Coffee Champions after nationwide barista showdown

Jeeves De Veyra

Published May 25, 2026 02:59 PM PHT

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Updated May 28, 2026 02:15 PM PHT

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