The 2026 World Coffee Roasting Championship (WCRC) was held from June 25–27, 2026, in Brussels, Belgium, as one of three world titles decided at World of Coffee Brussels 2026. The event took place at Brussels Expo (Heysel), marking the first time the World of Coffee trade fair and its championships were staged in the Belgian capital.
Organizers
The championship was organized by the World Coffee Championships (WCC), operating under the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), and presented by title sponsor InterAmerican Coffee. The WCRC evaluates roasters on green coffee grading, roast-profile development, and final cup quality, with certified judges scoring competitors across pre-roasting preparation and production roasting rounds.
Competitors
Roughly 30 competitors took part, each representing a national or regional Competition Body and having won a qualifying title in their home country. Countries represented included Belgium, China, Greece, Chinese Taipei, Austria, the Czech Republic, Norway, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Brazil, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
Competitors roasted two coffees using identical green coffee provided to all: a single-origin coffee from Ecuador and a blend of Tanzanian, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan beans. Roasting was carried out on Stronghold roasters, the championship’s official production equipment.
The Winner
Benjamin Brassart of Belgium, co-founder of Boo Coffee Roasters in Anderlecht, was crowned champion on June 27, becoming the first Belgian ever to win the title. His winning blend leaned heavily on the Tanzanian lot (roughly 80%), paired with smaller portions of Peruvian and Nicaraguan coffee. He finished with 619 points out of a possible 720.
Other Winners
The runner-up was Li Zhong Xiang of China, finishing just two points behind with 617 points, making it one of the closest finals in the competition’s history. Third place went to Thanasis Angelopoulos of Greece, who finished more than 40 points off the top two. Rounding out the six finalists were Ashton Huang (Chinese Taipei), Andrea Trevisan (Austria), and Wang JianNing (China).
As with other World Coffee Championships, the winner receives the WCRC trophy and title for one year, defending it at the next edition; specific monetary prize figures were not publicly disclosed.
See Also
- 2026 World Brewers Cup
- 2026 World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship
- 2026 World Cup Tasters Championship
- 2026 World Latte Art Championship
- 2026 Cezve/Ibrik Championship
References
- wcc.coffee – World Coffee Roasting Championship / WCRC Winners 2026
- europe.worldofcoffee.org – World of Coffee Brussels 2026
- perfectdailygrind.com – What’s Happening at World of Coffee Brussels
- perfectdailygrind.com – Coffee News Recap, July 3, 2026
- comunicaffe.com – World Coffee Championships in Brussels: China, Malaysia and Belgium on Top of the World
- baristamagazine.com – Highlights from World of Coffee Brussels 2026 (Parts One and Two)
- beanscenemag.com.au – Australian Competitors Shine at World of Coffee Brussels
- thebasicbarista.com – World of Coffee Brussels: Meet the 2026 World Coffee Champions
- dhnet.be – Benjamin Brassart, de Boo Coffee Roasters à Anderlecht, premier Belge champion du monde de torréfaction
- lavenir.net – Boo Coffee Roasters, champion de Belgique de torréfaction