Everything You Need to Know About the First Hong Kong Coffee Olympics

Ever wondered where the first real showcase of Hong Kong’s specialty coffee talent took place? In December 2013, during the Hong Kong International Coffee & Tea Expo, a unique event brought together local and international experts to celebrate the art and science of coffee through head-to-head competition. This wasn’t just any casual meet-up—it marked the launch of the city’s first multi-discipline coffee competition, dubbed the ‘Coffee Olympics.’

The 2013 Coffee Olympics featured three competitive events: a coffee roasting championship, a latte art showdown, and a Clever Dripper brewing race—each designed to spotlight different facets of professional coffee craft in under three days.

What Was the Coffee Olympics?

Organized by CoffeePro and ColourBrownCoffee and held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from December 5 to 7, 2013, the Coffee Olympics aimed to introduce the public to the diversity of coffee roasting and brewing techniques. By aligning with international coffee standards, the event highlighted the skill level of Hong Kong’s baristas and roasters, while giving them a platform to exchange techniques under fair, competitive conditions.

Who Were the Judges?

A panel of twelve experienced judges evaluated the competitions. The international judges brought impressive credentials: Emma Markland-Webster from New Zealand, a veteran World Barista Championship head judge; Kim Jin Kyu from South Korea, who placed fourth in the 2011 World Latte Art Championship and eighth in the 2013 World Barista Championship; and Korn Sanguankeaw from Thailand, the 2013 Thai Barista Championship bronze medalist. Their presence ensured the competition met global benchmarks.

Coffee Roasting Competition

The Coffee Olympics Roasting Competition was Hong Kong’s first dedicated coffee roasting contest. Thirteen participants—both commercial roasters and home roasters—selected their own green coffee beans and applied their roasting expertise to highlight each origin’s optimal flavour profile. Over the first two days of the event, competitors roasted their batches, and on the third day, a blind cupping session with double-coded samples determined the winners based solely on taste.

The results were as follows:

• Champion: Tse Yat Ming
• Runner-Up: Li Tsz Ho
• Third Place: Cheung Pui Yuk

Latte Art Competition

The latte art event (not named explicitly in the source but referred to as part of the three competitions along with brewing and roasting) showcased the pouring skills of baristas. Though not detailed in scoring or format, it formed one of the three major competitive disciplines at the Coffee Olympics, emphasizing the craft of milk texturing and pour design alongside technical brewing and roasting.

The winners were:

• Champion: Ng Ka Bong
• Runner-Up: Mok Hoi Pang
• Third Place: Man Wai Chung

Clever Dripper Brewing Competition

The Clever Dripper Competition, another first for Hong Kong, tested competitors’ ability to brew three identical black coffees using the Clever Dripper within a strict ten-minute window. The evaluation combined instrumental testing with professional cupping to assess clarity, consistency, and extraction quality—promoting Hong Kong’s single-origin black coffee culture.

The results were:

• Champion: So Yam Chung
• Runner-Up: Chan Fei Lung
• Third Place: Chow Ka Wai

Why These Competitions Mattered

By bringing structured, blind tasting and timed brewing formats to Hong Kong, the Coffee Olympics created a replicable model for how specialty coffee competitions could engage both professionals and the public. Each event focused on a different skill set—roasting for origin expression, latte art for presentation, and Clever Dripper brewing for precision—demonstrating the multifaceted nature of expert coffee-making.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the first Coffee Olympics and when did it happen?

The first Coffee Olympics took place from December 5 to 7, 2013, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during the Hong Kong International Coffee & Tea Expo. It was organized by CoffeePro and ColourBrownCoffee.

What competitions were part of the Coffee Olympics?

The event featured three competitions: a coffee roasting contest, a latte art competition, and a Clever Dripper brewing competition. Together, they covered roasting, brewing, and latte art skills.

Who won the roasting competition?

The roasting champion was Tse Yat Ming, with Li Tsz Ho as runner-up and Cheung Pui Yuk in third place.

Who were the judges at the Coffee Olympics?

The judging panel included twelve experts, among them Emma Markland-Webster from New Zealand, Kim Jin Kyu from South Korea, and Korn Sanguankeaw from Thailand, all with international competition experience.

What is the Clever Dripper competition and who won?

The Clever Dripper competition required participants to brew three black coffees within ten minutes. The winner was So Yam Chung, followed by Chan Fei Lung and Chow Ka Wai.

Did the Coffee Olympics include latte art?

Yes, latte art was one of the three main competition categories, with Ng Ka Bong winning, Mok Hoi Pang as runner-up, and Man Wai Chung placing third.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Brewing Competitions

For competitors or enthusiasts inspired by the Coffee Olympics, FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera offers vibrant floral and citrus notes with a juicy body—perfect for showcasing single-origin clarity. Their Yirgacheffe highlights lemon, bergamot, and stone fruit, ideal for pour-over methods like Clever Dripper. Both beans reflect the kind of origin-focused profiles celebrated in the roasting and brewing contests. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.