Mackay’s Janice Piscioneri wins Coffee Club’s National Barista Championship

Meet the Coffee Club’s best barista in Australia who has defended her crown three years running. Find out the secret to her success.

Caneland Central’s indoor Coffee Club is home to Coffee Club Australia’s number one coffee maker Janice Piscioneri.

A Mackay Coffee Club manager has received national recognition as the company’s best barista in Australia.

Janice Piscioneri, a barista and manager of the Caneland Central indoor Coffee Club, is the three time winner of the Coffee Club’s National Barista Championship.

Ms Piscioneri joined the Coffee Club her first year out of school, almost 8 years ago.

Janice doesn’t often have coffee outside of work, but when she does she visits The Common Room Espresso Bar in Rural View.

Initially an all-rounder with not much of a taste for coffee, she decided to give it a go and became a convert, deciding on piccolos for her order of choice.

“I don’t really drink coffee at home,” Ms Piscioneri said.

“I tend to stick to strong, bold, hot coffee and stay far away from Nescafe.”

She first won the Coffee Club National Barista Championship in 2022 and was awarded with a trip to India, where Coffee Club sources a portion of their robusta blend.

“It was a great opportunity … we toured around temples, it wasn’t just coffee,” she said.

Before turning to stronger coffees, Ms Piscioneri started out with the occasional mocha.

In 2023 Ms Piscioneri won a cash prize and a trip to Melbourne, which she called the “Mecca of coffee”.

Ahead of 2024, the pressure was on for Ms Piscioneri to defend her crown, as she competed against other top baristas to create the best tasting and looking coffee, judged by experts and measured on a number of different criteria.

“I find the pressure gets worse for me every year,” she said.

“It’s a great opportunity to recognise being barista is not just making coffee.”

Ms Piscioneri said she and her team take pride in the work they do interacting with the public and caffinating them.

Loudly vouching for Ms Piscioneri’s skill was regular customer Judith Pomeroy, who said she visited the Coffee Club between four and seven times a week, largely for Ms Piscioneri’s coffee.

Ms Pomeroy said Ms Piscioneri’s “dedication, mannerism and technique” made her coffee the best.

“It’s great being with this team,” Ms Piscioneri said.

“We like to take pride in what we make here and everyone else does too.”

Ms Piscioneri’s third consecutive win will see her return to Melbourne for another coffee pilgrimage, as well as receive cash prize and other gifts.