Introduction:Luckin Coffee has once again partnered with a world-class barista, announcing that Anthony Douglas, the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC) champion, has joined its “Champion Team.” Starting in March 2024, he will personally lead a green bean sourcing team to Ethiopia and Panama, two renowned coffee-producing regions, to participate in the selection and procurement of green beans. This marks the fifth WBC champion Luckin has signed following four previous champions including Tetsu Kasuya, signaling that the “Little Black Cup” series is set to introduce more international flavors, with particular attention on the potential inclusion of Panamanian Geisha.
Luckin Coffee has once again drawn industry attention by officially announcing on February 20, 2024, that it has signed Anthony Douglas, the 2022 WBC World Barista Champion, as a member of the “Luckin WBC Champion Team.” Starting in March of the same year, this Australian barista will personally lead a professional green bean sourcing team to the coffee capitals of Ethiopia and Panama, going deep into the heart of the producing regions to participate in the selection and procurement of specialty green coffee beans.
This is the fifth WBC champion-level barista Luckin has signed, following Tetsu Kasuya (2014 WBC Champion), Andrea Lattuada (2003 Italian Champion), Pete Zhimin Pan (2017 China Champion), and Agnieszka Rojewska (2018 World Champion). With the endorsement of these international competition winners, Luckin continues to enhance its expertise and global perspective in specialty coffee.
In the 2022 WBC competition, Anthony Douglas impressed the judges with his innovative techniques. He applied laboratory-grade “cryodesiccation” (freeze-drying) technology to milk processing, concentrating the milk into a powder-like state before re-integrating it into the milk. This process not only enhanced the richness of the milk aroma but also significantly improved the texture and stability of the milk foam, thereby elevating the overall flavor profile and visual consistency of the cappuccino.
During the competition, he paired this innovative technique with an anaerobic natural Sidra coffee bean from Colombia’s Huila El Diviso region, crafting an unforgettable cappuccino. This creation not only demonstrated an exceptionally high level of flavor complexity but also received high praise from international judges for its milk foam structure and overall taste, ultimately helping him secure the championship title.
In fact, Anthony had already garnered significant industry attention even before winning the championship. Last month, the renowned coffee machine brand La Marzocco announced via its official social media channels that Anthony has been invited to become a global brand ambassador for the brand, further elevating his influence in the professional field.
Anthony was born in Melbourne, Australia. In his youth, he worked at a local Spanish restaurant, where he developed a strong interest in coffee. At the age of 19, he returned to Melbourne and decided to pursue a career as a barista. Starting in 2015, he joined the well-known local coffee brand Axil Coffee Roasters. Under the guidance of founder Dave Makin, he honed his skills through years of competitions, advancing from local competitions to national events in Australia, and eventually making his mark on the international stage.
During his seven years at Axil, he not only developed solid brewing and blending skills but also stepped onto the stage of the World Barista Championship in 2022. With his solid technical foundation and innovative mindset, he won the championship. After the competition, he transitioned from his previous role as Training Manager to the R&D department, focusing on deeper exploration of coffee flavor development and technical innovation.
Anthony’s collaboration with Luckin will focus on ensuring the quality of coffee beans at their source. He will lead a team to Ethiopia and Panama, two globally renowned specialty coffee regions, to conduct on-site inspections of bean quality from plantations to processing facilities, participating in the bean selection process to ensure that every batch of green beans entering Luckin’s supply chain meets high standards.
Looking at Luckin’s recent moves in the specialty coffee market, it is clear that while rapidly expanding its store network, the brand is also continuously launching innovative beverages that frequently become hot topics on social media. The invitation of newly crowned Anthony Douglas and his direct involvement in green bean selection suggest that the future “Little Black Cup” series, in addition to current popular offerings like Yirgacheffe and Huā Kuí, may very well introduce more internationally renowned single-origin beans such as Panamanian Geisha, offering consumers a more diverse and high-quality coffee experience.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
