Luckin Coffee Signs with 2022 WBC World Coffee Champion Anthony, Launches Global Bean Sourcing Initiative!

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Another Champion for Luckin: Anthony Douglas Joins the WBC Champion Team

First came 2014 World Coffee Championship (WBC) champion Hidesuke Izaki, followed by 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics freestyle skiing champion Gu Ailing, then the 2021 League of Legends World Championship team EDG... Luckin's other identity might be that of a champion harvester.

On the morning of February 20th, Luckin Coffee announced across multiple platforms that 2022 WBC World Barista Championship winner Anthony Douglas has officially become a member of the "Luckin WBC Champion Team." Starting from March this year, Anthony Douglas will lead Luckin's bean sourcing team to Ethiopia and Panama, two famous coffee producing regions.

This marks the fifth WBC champion that Luckin has invited, following 2014 champion Hidesuke Izaki, 2003 Italian champion Andrea Lattuada, 2017 Chinese champion Pan Zhimin, and 2018 World Barista Championship champion Agnieszka Rojewska.

Innovative Competition Techniques

Previously, Coffee Workshop published an article introducing this champion's hardcore operation of moving his laboratory to the barista competition stage. At that time, he used "cryodesiccation" technology to concentrate milk into "milk powder," then added it to milk liquid to double the milk flavor and fat content.

Anthony paired his "concentrated milk" with anaerobic natural Sidra coffee beans from Colombia's Huila El Diviso region to create a cappuccino with rich texture and better-preserved foam structure. His unique preparation method left a deep impression on the judges, ultimately earning him the crown of the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC).

From Local Barista to Global Ambassador

The title of WBC World Barista Championship winner has brought Anthony more attention from industry professionals. Just last month, premium coffee machine brand La Marzocco announced through social media that Anthony would serve as La Marzocco's official global ambassador.

Born in Australia, Anthony is a true Melbourne native. At age 18, he ventured to Sydney, working at a Spanish restaurant where he developed his interest in coffee. The following year, he decided to move back to Melbourne to officially begin his barista career.

In 2015, driven by his love and passion for coffee, Anthony joined Melbourne's local coffee brand Axil, where under the mentorship of founder Dave Makin, he continuously honed his coffee-related skills. Over seven years, from regional competitions to the Australian division finals, Anthony relentlessly pursued the ultimate expression of a good cup of coffee. This championship title is a testament to his years of dedication and accumulation. After winning the world barista championship, Anthony transitioned from training manager at Axil Coffee Roasters to research and development, hoping to further explore specialty coffee.

Luckin's Specialty Coffee Strategy

Looking back at Luckin's moves in specialty coffee in recent years, while rapidly expanding stores, they haven't forgotten to launch innovative beverages that dominate various social media platforms. This time, they've invited the "freshly crowned" champion Anthony Douglas, who will also lead a bean sourcing team to Ethiopia and Panama's origin regions, deeply participating in the green bean purchasing process.

It's believed that soon, Luckin will launch classic single-origin bean varieties beyond Yirgacheffe and Flower Queen as part of their "Little Black Cup" series. Could there be Panama Geisha? Let's wait and see!

Image source: Internet

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