Australian International Coffee Awards draw record-breaking 800 entries

The Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA), Australia’s first international coffee roasting competition, has received a record-breaking 800 entries in its second year. Entries have been received from 167 roasters from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Conducted by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), the AICA celebrates and promotes coffee roasting excellence in Australia and around the world, with categories including Espresso, Milk Based Coffee, Filter Coffee and Syphon Coffee. RASV CEO Mark O’Sullivan said the increase in entries shows roasters internationally are constantly in the pursuit of delivering top quality coffee to their customers. “We are delighted that roasters from the Asia Pacific region have entered their coffee into the Australian International Coffee Awards,” said O’Sullivan. “It is a unique opportunity for them to benchmark their products against competitors and to have their coffee assessed by a panel of industry experts.” Judging for the AICA is taking place 24 – 30 March in Melbourne, with international judge Chester Tam, Director of the Hong Kong Coffee Academy, joining 34 expert judges from across Australia. The AICA winners will be announced 15 – 18 May as part of the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), Australia’s biggest coffee event and partner of the AICA.