Emma Markland-Webster

British-born, Emma moved to New Zealand in the late 1990s with her husband and there started another love affair, this time with coffee. In 2001 she became New Zealand’s first official Barista Champion and has been leading the charge on barista events in that country ever since.

As an owner of the New Zealand School of Coffee (a certified SCAA Lab as well as a boutique coffee company), Q grader, Sales Rep for leading equipment brands and Event Manager for the NZ Specialty Coffee Association, Emma wears many hats! She enjoys using her years of experience as a WBC Certified judge to now mentor and train new judges.

Best experiences so far within WCE? After being at fourteen different World Barista Championship events in fourteen different cities around the world, Emma says it’s the culmination of them all. How professional the Championship has become, how many more barista disciplines are recognised and celebrated, and how many different people she’s met and friends she’s made on the way.