During the competition they will be asked to prepare four espressos and four cappuccinos, together with a signature drink of their own creation.
This will all take place under the watchful eye of a judging panel drawn from among senior members of the international coffee community.
Last year’s competition, which was held in London, was won by Ziadabi Nakhoul from Dublin Airport.
For the first time the competition will be screened live and there will be a live twitter feed so that viewers, competitors and friends can post comments and cheer on their favourites.
Also new to the contest this year is a separate prize, sponsored by syrup-maker Monin, which will be awarded to the competitor who produces the best signature drink.
“The benefits of this competition go far beyond the competition itself,” says Stuart Coombes, international operations director for Caffè Ritazza.
“These baristas are a real inspiration to all of our teams across the globe, and help to raise standards at each of our outlets. Caffè Ritazza is all about excellent coffee.
“This competition is one way of helping to foster that excellence, and highlight the importance of the barista in achieving the highest standards.”
The event is adjudicated to the standards of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, which means that the skills of contenders are bench-marked against those of the world’s most successful competitive baristas.
Every country in which Caffè Ritazza is present is represented this year, and the finalists are:
Yip Wai Ho (Kenny) from Hong Kong representing the Asia region
Gregory Dovy from France
Louise Roessell from Denmark
Zoltan Gal from Hungary representing the EMEA region
Ali Torun from Germany
Ricardo Suarez from Spain
Naveed Ahmed from Switzerland
Laura Timpany from UK Air
Tomas Bruckus from UK Rail
Andrea Krogdal from Norway
Kajsa Bysell from Sweden (representing her country for the second time, after coming third in last year’s competition)
The judging panel is:
Head Judge:
Stuart Coombes, Caffè Ritazza
Sensory Judges:
Mark Pierre Dietrich, World Barista Championship head judge
Raphael Jeanniot, senior vice president international marketing and head of Caffè Ritazza, SSP
Yoram Lishansky, FoodLab director, SSP
Nora Smahelova, Chapter One Coffee, Berlin
Technical Judges:
Chris Scott, head of training, international brands, SSP
Paul Meikle Janney, managing director, Coffee Community