Bella Thu Pham, Vietnam
HQJ Coffee School
Please tell us a little about yourself:
Where do you work?
I’m based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I’m a barista champion and coffee trainer. I run HQJ Coffee School, an SCA Campus focused on professional coffee education. I’m also involved in Tam Thể, a coffee, bar, and dining concept where we explore coffee alongside food and other beverages.
How long have you been competing?
I started competing in 2019, so competition has been part of my coffee journey for about seven years now. I became the Vietnam Barista Champion in 2023 and again in 2025, and I represented Vietnam at the World Barista Championship. In 2024, I reached the semi-finals.
What made you want to compete?
At first, competition was a way for me to challenge myself and understand how far I could push my skills. Over time, it became much more than trying to make a technically perfect coffee. I became interested in how we can use a 15-minute presentation to communicate an idea, tell a story, and help people understand coffee from a different perspective.
Competition has also taught me a lot about persistence. There is so much work that nobody sees—dialing in again and again, questioning yourself, rebuilding ideas, and continuing even when things are not working. That process is probably one of the biggest reasons I still love competing.
Anything fun about yourself?
I’m also a pianist!
How did you get into the coffee industry?
I entered the industry through the translation work for our coffee academy, but what kept me in coffee was realizing how deep the subject actually is. The more I learned, the more questions I had—about sensory, brewing, green coffee, processing, roasting, and eventually education.
Over time, my role evolved from working as a business owner into competing in coffee competition, training other coffee lovers, and building coffee education programs. Today, one of the things I enjoy most is connecting what I learn through competition and international coffee experiences with the next generation of coffee professionals in Vietnam.
What are you excited to do while you visit the Panama city?:
I’m excited to experience Panama beyond the competition—exploring the local coffee culture, tasting Panamanian coffees, meeting producers and coffee professionals from around the world, and discovering the food and culture of Panama City.
What are your interests outside of coffee?:
Music and art.
Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize, or who helped you to prepare for the WCC?:
I’d like to thank my family, my coach Sam Choi, and Edward Choo for all their support throughout my preparation. I’m also very grateful to my teams at HQJ Coffee School and Tam Thể for always being there and supporting me behind the scenes.
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