Rules First Barista of Belgium

The Federation of Table Masters vzw (FETAM) organises the competition for the title of “FIRST BARISTA OF BELGIUM”, an official mastery competition recognised by the Minister responsible for Small Businesses under the Act of 13 May 2009.

Article 1 – Purpose of the Competition

As part of its activities, FETAM organises the national competition for the title of “FIRST BARISTA OF BELGIUM 2027”. This competition is officially recognised by the Ministry responsible for Small Businesses as a mastery competition in accordance with the Act of 13 May 2009.

Article 2 – Eligibility

The competition is open to all hospitality service professionals carrying out their activities in Belgium, either as self-employed individuals duly registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and compliant with their tax and social security obligations, or as employees of a small or medium-sized commercial or craft enterprise that is also registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and compliant with its tax and social security obligations.

Article 3 – Professional Knowledge and Skills

Candidates must demonstrate the professional knowledge and skills required of a barista, including, but not limited to:

Knowledge and professional attitude when welcoming and assisting guests.
Adjusting and calibrating the coffee grinder and coffee machine.
Knowledge of the coffee roasting process.
Product knowledge, covering both beverages and raw ingredients.
Serving methods in accordance with the standards of official organisations such as ASI and IBA.
Knowledge of the Act of 13 May 2009 concerning official mastery competitions.

Candidates must possess these skills in Belgium’s national languages as well as in English.

Article 4 – Competition Procedure

The competition will take place in several stages:

Registration: Candidates must register via the website. Registrations close on 1 December 2026.
Preliminary tests: All officially registered candidates are expected to arrive at the Schuilenburg premises in Dendermonde on 10 March 2027 at 9:00 a.m. Each candidate will complete one theoretical test and one practical test. Four finalists will be selected from among the candidates. These finalists will complete two practical tests during the final in the afternoon.
Announcement of results: The bronze, silver and gold medal winners will be announced following the competition.
Press conference: Candidates will attend the press conference on Monday, 7 December 2026, at the salons of Domaine de la Blommerie in Mouscron.
Ceremonial award ceremony: The prizes will be formally presented during the Dinner Evening by FETAM on Monday, 22 March 2027, at the salons of Domaine de la Blommerie in Mouscron.

Article 5 – Final

The final will take place on Wednesday, 10 March 2027.

The competition is open to the public.

Candidates must present themselves in professional work attire and are responsible for providing their own equipment required to perform the service. Any exceptions to this requirement will be announced in advance when the competition tests are published.

All other equipment will be provided by the organisers. The use of personal equipment other than that specified above is not permitted.

The competition will consist of written, oral and practical tests.

Only the results obtained in the final will count towards the overall result. In the event of a tie for first place, the scores obtained in the questionnaire and the semi-final test will also be taken into account to determine the winner.

Article 6 – Ambassador and Jury

X is the ambassador of the “First Barista of Belgium 2027” competition and also serves as Chair of the Jury.

The jury shall consist of:

A representative appointed by the Minister.
A representative of the High Council for the Self-Employed and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.
One or more representatives appointed by the organising committee.
One or more representatives from the education and/or training sector, appointed by the Minister upon the recommendation of the organising committee.

The jury shall have full discretionary authority at every stage of the competition. Its decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

The jury reserves the right not to declare a winner if the candidates’ level of performance is deemed insufficient. In such a case, the highest-ranked candidate will receive a certificate of merit.

Article 7 – Announcement of Results and Award Ceremony

The results will be announced on the day of the competition. The prizes will be presented during FETAM’s annual gala dinner.

Article 8 – Title and Prizes

The winning finalist will be awarded the title of “FIRST BARISTA OF BELGIUM 2027”.

In addition to receiving various valuable prizes, the winner will be presented with the First Maître d’Hôtel of Belgium pin jewel by the Federation of Table Masters vzw.

If the winner of the 2027 competition wishes to do so, they may represent Belgium at international competitions.

The candidates finishing in second and third place will each receive a certificate bearing the title:

“FINALIST OF THE FIRST BARISTA OF BELGIUM 2027 COMPETITION”.

Article 9 – Acceptance of the Regulations

By participating in the competition, candidates confirm that they fully accept and agree to abide by these regulations without reservation.

Article 10 – Image Rights

FETAM retains full ownership rights over all images, whether moving or still, directly or indirectly related to the competition.

Article 11 – Privacy Policy

By registering, candidates accept all provisions stated in the registration form under the section “FETAM Privacy Policy”.

Article 12 – Cooperation with FETAM

The winner agrees to cooperate in activities organised by the Federation of Table Masters vzw, either independently or in collaboration with its partners. These activities may include television appearances, media engagements, reports and promotional appearances.

Such cooperation shall be conducted in the mutual interests of both parties and with due respect for each party.

Article 13 – Amendments to the Regulations

The organisers reserve the right to amend these regulations unilaterally where deemed necessary for the purposes of the competition.