Julius Meinl

TIM STURK 

HEAD JUDGE

Over 20 years of experience in specialty coffee, quality assurance and education. A Licensed Q Grader and World Barista Championship Sensory Judge, he is Director of Coffee Education at Cherry Coffee Training, helping businesses improve coffee quality and develop high-performing teams.

JUNIOR VARGAS

HEAD JUDGE

With over 15 years in specialty coffee, Junior is an Authorised SCA Trainer (AST), Q Grader and Q Instructor. A five-time Austrian Barista Champion and 2022 World Espresso Champion, I focus on education, quality and sustainability.

ALI VOGEL

SENSORY JUDGE

Ali Vogel is CEO of Vogel Kaffee Roastery, recognised among Vienna's top specialty coffee shops. With 20 years in hospitality and 10 years in specialty coffee, he is the 2024 Austrian Latte Art Champion and Austrian Latte Art Coach for 2025/26.

RAUL JUAN SORITA

SENSORY JUDGE

Raul Juan Sorita has over 12 years of international experience across the coffee value chain. A Food Engineer, Licensed Q Arabica Grader and Q Instructor, he is Senior Specialist in Process Optimisation and Global Coffee Expert at Julius Meinl.

MARCIN KOZICKI

SENSORY JUDGE

Over 18 years of experience across the coffee value chain. As Brand Ambassador for Julius Meinl Poland and an Authorised SCA Trainer (AST), Marcin leads coffee training and quality initiatives. A finalist in several national coffee championships, he is passionate about coffee education and excellence.

PRADIP DHUNGEL

SENSORY JUDGE

Pradip has over 15 years of experience in the coffee industry. As Head of Quality and Training for Julius Meinl UAE & MEA, he leads quality and training across the region. A certified coffee trainer, licensed Q Grader and coffee competition judge, he is passionate about coffee excellence.

BEN HELT

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Ben Helt has over 20 years of experience in specialty coffee. As Technical Training Director at BWT water+more and an SCA Q Instructor, he helps coffee professionals optimise water for better coffee quality.

TAMARA NADOLPH

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Tamara is an Austrian coffee professional with over 15 years of experience in specialty coffee. A coffee roaster, latte art trainer and four-time Austrian Latte Art Champion, she is passionate about coffee quality, craftsmanship and education.

Designed and produced in Italy with almost a century of experience, Rancilio coffee machines are globally renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship and quality. The Rancilio Specialty RS1 is the professional coffee machine that has been used by competitors in the regional and global competitions.

Fiorenzato has been designing and manufacturing high-performance professional grinders for over 80 years, delivering consistent, precise results time after time for state-of-the-art coffee. Competitors used Fiorenzato’s professional grinders in the regional and global competitions.

DaVinci Gourmet joins as the official syrups partner, delivering smart beverage solutions for menu-defining flavour experiences. Developed for beverage professionals, DaVinci Gourmet syrups offer performance, balanced sweetness and premium flavour across hot, cold and signature drinks.

BWT is dedicated to water, which plays a crucial role in creating the perfect coffee and the protection of your coffee machine. BWT offers innovative solutions to raise the sensory quality of water for gastronomy. The competition used the innovative BWT bestaqua ROC systems with unique reverse osmosis technology setting new standards in water optimisation.