MILAN – The Global Coffee Awards (GCA) has recognized the best specialty coffee roasters based in producing countries around the world, celebrating roasting excellence and the producers behind each coffee.
The 2025 Origin edition was held on October 1 in Houston, Texas, and brought together roasteries from the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
The Overall Regional Winner, Casa Landino from Bogota, Colombia, earned the title of Best Roaster in a Producing Country.
How did the competition work?
All coffees were blind-judged by an international panel of experts, including certified Q graders and professionals with experience in the Cup of Excellence and World Barista Championships.
Each coffee was evaluated across multiple categories: Filter, Espresso, Flat White (Dairy), and Flat White (Alternative Milk), using an objective and transparent scoring system designed to provide constructive, actionable feedback.
Each participant received individualized feedback from judges, including roast development suggestions, sensory notes, and food pairing recommendations, supporting professional growth and continuous improvement across the industry.
“As an industry, we rarely recognize roasters in producing countries, and that’s what makes this edition so valuable,” said Jayson Galvis, two-time Cup of Excellence international lead judge and Lead Judge for the GCA Origin competition. “It highlights the excellence happening at origin and the people driving it.”
Market insights and trends
The Origin competition highlighted the diversity and innovation of roasting at origin, with entries from Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and India, among others.
The Filter category once again proved the most popular, reflecting the growing appreciation for pour-over and filter coffee culture in producing countries.
Traditional washed and honey-processed coffees remained dominant, while a rising number of experimental lots, including anaerobic and carbonic fermentations, showcased a new level of craftsmanship and sensory exploration.
“Roasters at origin are redefining what it means to add value locally,” said Henry Wilson, Founder of the Global Coffee Awards. “They’re building stronger brands, creating jobs, and keeping more of the coffee story within their own countries. The quality we’re seeing is world-class.”
Top winners
Overall winner: Casa Landino in Bogotá, Colombia
Category winners:
Filter – Casa Landino
Espresso – Galani Coffee in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Flat White Dairy – DeLa Finca Specialty Coffee in Managua, Nicaragua
Flat White Alternative – Café de las Nubes in Alvarado, Mexico
All Category Gold Medalists will advance to the Global Finals, held at Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF) El Salvador on March 26–27, 2026, where they will compete for the title of World’s Best Roaster.
You can find all the Origin category and subcategory winners here.
Recognizing producers behind every winning coffee
The GCA team reverse-engineered every winning coffee to identify and credit the producer behind it. Each producer receives an official GCA Certificate of Excellence and winner’s seal, and will be invited to the Global Awards Ceremony at PRF El Salvador 2026.
“A key part of the GCA is ensuring that roasters at origin receive more of the global spotlight,” said Wilson. “By recognizing both the roaster and the producer, we’re strengthening visibility and connection across the entire value chain.”
About the Global Coffee Awards
The Global Coffee Awards (GCA) is an international competition that celebrates roasting excellence and the producers behind each coffee.
Regional competitions include the U.S. & Canada, Origin, and Europe editions, culminating in the Global Finals at PRF El Salvador 2026.
Unlike other competitions, the GCA recognizes the entire roastery while also celebrating the producer, helping strengthen transparency and collaboration across the coffee value chain.
The GCA is organized by PDG Global, the media and events company behind Perfect Daily Grind and Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF), which reaches millions of coffee professionals worldwide.
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