Dongseo Food Hosts '2025 Kanu Championship'... Barista Kim Gaeun Wins

Winner Awarded 30 Million Won Prize
Second Edition of the Barista Competition This Year

Dongseo Food announced on September 29 that it held the "2025 Kanu Barista Championship" at the Open Stage of Central City in Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam Branch, Seoul, from September 27 to 28.

Award winners are taking a commemorative photo at the finals award ceremony of the "2025 Kanu Barista Championship" held by Dongseo Food on the 28th. [Photo by Dongseo Food]

The "Kanu Barista Championship," organized by Dongseo Food, is a barista competition aimed at highlighting the expertise of the coffee brand "Kanu" and promoting the spread of premium coffee culture. This year marks the second edition of the event. Starting with participant recruitment in May, the competition proceeded through preliminary rounds, and a total of eight contestants advanced to the finals, where they competed in both designated and creative menu categories to determine the ultimate winner.

On the first day of the finals, participants competed in Americano and latte categories using Kanu coffee beans. On the second day, contestants showcased their creativity in the creative menu competition. The judging panel included coffee experts such as Um Boram, the winner of the 2023 World Barista Championship (WBC).

The grand prize went to barista Kim Gaeun. She presented a creative beverage called "Golden," which combined Kanu espresso with green tea, allulose, and mango syrup, earning high marks for creativity, practicality, and storytelling. Kim received a winner's prize of 30 million won and a trophy. The second prize went to barista Hwang Inkyu (10 million won), and the third prize went to barista Kim Hyunmin (5 million won).

Barista Kim Gaeun said, "It was an honor just to make it to the finals, and winning feels like a dream. I will continue to work with my fellow baristas to foster a great coffee culture."

Kang Seongryong, Executive Director of Marketing at Dongseo Food, stated, "It was an opportunity to witness firsthand the outstanding capabilities and creative efforts of domestic baristas. We will continue to work towards the advancement of coffee culture in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.