It was third time lucky when Jack Simpson was name the world’s best barista. He came third the first time he represented Australia at the World Barista championships, second on his second attempt at the title. So, you guessed right: third time, he won. So what was he doing pouring me a flat white in Durban?
For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons…. T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
“Come and meet the current World Barista Champion. He’ll be in Durban for Creative Coffee Week.” The invite in my WhatsApp is from Melanie Winter, co-founder with, Iain Evans, of The Coffee Magazine (dedicated to coffee culture). Mel is also owner of Durban’s Bean Green coffee roastery and café, a long-time favourite coffee and meeting spot in Glenwood.
And let me add, the pair of them are largely responsible for all things good that are happening around coffee in South Africa. Aside: Mel’s dad, Peter Winter, a coffee legend in Durban, started Bean Green and bringing in beans from Ethopia. A few years ago, after she made coffee her career (she is the magazine’s editor, Iain is the publisher), she bought the business from him. He still does all the roasting.
“We try and bring talent and inspiration to South Africa,” says Winter. “To share the international standards. To create coffee community.”
Melbourne is widely known as the coffee capital of the world. The international world barista competition is based around three categories: espresso, milk-based and specialty. Each barista had 15 minutes to create four of the same drink, which were then judged on key criteria like taste, technical skills, presentation and storytelling. (Read in this article what he was judged on.)
Simpson, Head of Innovation at Axil Coffee Roasters, based in Melbourne, is a delightful guy, down-to-earth, friendly. Inspiring (to me) in view of his commitment and dedication to his coffee journey. Talk about the T.S. Eliot “Prufrock” line… From the story he tells, he pretty much measured his life with coffee spoons for three-plus-plus-plus years and counting.
I read a 2024 Coffee Magazine blog that quotes Simpson as saying: “I started working in a local bakery and cafe in a small country town when I was 16. We were one of the only places in town to get a coffee. Luckily, I was working with someone that was involved in the start of speciality coffee in Melbourne and she taught me lots. From there I was hooked! After finishing school, I was working as an apprentice carpenter. This job allowed me to travel around Melbourne and I would always leave an extra half an hour in the morning to get a coffee. I was trying the best coffee in Melbourne every morning and it was the highlight of my day, so much so that I quit my job to become a barista!”
I (and a couple of invited “influencers”) get to meet and drink coffee with Simpson at the Durban corporate headquarters of Dorne Investments, which “hospitality brands” company (as CEO Imraan Ismall explains it to me) represents the Faema espresso machine brand in South Africa. Simpson tells us that he has been making coffee, learning and improving, for nine years.
Almost immediately after his World Champ win, he was approached to be global brand ambassador for Milan-based Faema espresso machines, Founded in 1945 in Milan, Faema has an ancient history rich in tradition.
Back to 2023, his first year representing Australia in the world champs, “I thought I could win and I gave up everything” to train, practice, focus — and win.
“We work hard and we train super hard. I was training roughly eight hours a day, every single weekend. Every single night for months and months.”
So yes, he was crowned Australian “top barista”, he prepresented his country. And came third in the world.
“I probably trained the most that first year because it was my first go and I didn’t want to stuff it up and in the end I probably trained too hard. I was probably close to, it would have been 500 run-throughs of my set. I think, subsequently, I evolved every year.”
The following year, he again “…gave up everything that didn’t contribute to winning.” He won the Australian title for the second time. And that time, made it to second place in the world. Just one point behind the winner.
Remarkably, after all that blood, sweat and Joe, he still wanted to learn and grow.
“I will be the World Barista Champion.”
He chose to compete using a Columbian bean. He travelled to the farm in Columbia, which involved an eight hour drive after arriving in the country (I have written in my notes). He wanted to see the farm, to meet the family. To talk with the family, even though talking was in signs and gestures as he doesn’t speak Spanish and they did not speak English.
For his third time lucky 2025 World Barista Champion win, as part of his training, he worked with a sports psychologist and got beyond his earlier “imposter syndrome” issues.
He started manifesting winning, he says. Holding and repeating the mantra, “I will be the World Barista Champion.”
“Now in 2025, Jack has risen to the top, taking home 1st place: a true reflection of sheer determination, resilience and dedication,” Axil Coffee wrote in a post.
Speaking to us in the boardroom at Dorne, he tells us that for last year’s World’s, he practices every night until 11pm. I have visions of him brewing coffee after coffee, whew, how many cups? So ask about this. To discover, it is all far more complex and involved that I ever would have imagined.
“You write the speech, you choose the coffee, you roast it.” Then… He practiced, probably 400 times. All for 15 minutes on stage where you want to be in the moment. You want each word and each sentence and each gensture synced with what you’re doing, so you can do it without thinking about the words.
After he won, he gained 50,000 Instagram followers in one day. And had 100s of messages and offers land in his email inbox.
He tells me that in Australia, where espresso-based cappuccino, latte and flat white are the brews of choice, they are trying to serve more filter and black coffee. They are also trying to encourage more flavoured coffee, as such drinks can be priced higher.
But unlike the US, where I know for a fact, flavours and syrups are huge, syrups are not popular in Australia. And when there is flavour, it is developed through fermentation rather than syrups. He pours me a coffee that immediately tastes fruity and yes, it has an orange infusion through fermentation.
At home, as I suspected, “…much as I love espresso, it’s my V60 pour over and hand grinder. I take them everywhere.”
Now, Simpson says he is returning to the things in life he pretty much was required to neglect during the three years of competition. His relationship. Sport. And training his dog. Meanwhile, he is traveling, mentoring, consulting — and taking pleasure in making coffee in a more relaxed way. Something he loves.
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