The Golden Bean coffee roasting competition is the largest event of its kind in Australia – and one of the biggest in the world. Held annually and rotating between cities (last year it was in Melbourne), the event brings together roasters from all over the country to battle it out across a range of categories - espresso, milk-based, decaf, organic and filter.
It’s a celebration of coffee excellence – and an intense showcase of what the country’s best roasters are producing.
Fish River Roasters at the Golden Bean
With this year’s results, 2025 marks Fish River Roasters’ 18th consecutive year winning a medal at the Golden Bean – with a total of 43 medals collected over that time.
Sometimes it’s just one medal. Some years it’s more. But year after year, our coffee is consistently judged among the best in the country.
Even better? The competition has grown bigger and more competitive over time – and in the last five years alone, we’ve earned 18 of those 43 medals, demonstrating our continued improvement and consistency as the coffee world evolves.
Why Does It Matter?
Because the Golden Bean competition is independent, blind judged, and incredibly competitive, these awards aren’t about branding or popularity – they’re about flavour, quality, and technique.
Winning medals year after year proves something important to us:
- Our green bean selection process works.
- Our roasting profiles are consistent.
- We’re delivering award-winning coffee to our customers – not just once, but every single day.
How Is the Golden Bean Judged?
The judging process is highly structured and totally blind.
Our head roaster has previously served as a judge, and here’s how it works:
- You sit in a quiet room with some of the best baristas in the country making coffee for you.
- You receive coffees with no branding or identifiers – just the cup.
- There’s no latte art or presentation. The focus is 100% on flavour.
- You and a “buddy taster” taste, assess and score each entry using a standardised score sheet.
- A head judge oversees scoring to ensure accuracy and fairness.
It’s intense: 25–30 coffees a day over three caffeine-fueled days. It leaves you buzzing – and exhausted – all at once.
What Kind of Coffee Do We Enter?
Some roasters create special “competition blends” for the event. We don’t.
We send the exact same coffee we send to our customers. Because if we win with what’s already in your cup, then it’s a win for everyone who brews our beans.
To us, that’s the point – and that’s why the awards are a real pat on the back for our team.
Coffee Bean Selection process in action!
The Golden Bean isn’t just a shiny medal. It’s a measure of consistency, quality, and craft – and we're proud to have been part of it for nearly two decades.
Next time you brew your Fish River Roasters coffee, know that it’s part of a legacy that’s earned its stripes, cup after cup.
