Rebecca Yang, Portugal
W YOU coffee
Please tell us a little about yourself:
I’m very new to the competition scene — the national championship in Portugal on October 4th was actually my first time competing ever. With only two weeks between that and the world stage, it’s definitely a rollercoaster!
I decided to compete to push my understanding of coffee—my background has always been more in brewing and processing than behind the bar—and to challenge myself mentally and physically. Nothing accelerates growth quite like a high-pressure setting.
Fun fact (which is also how I got into coffee): my coffee journey really started on a farm. Back then, I was craving something more hands-on—after years in an elite education system that trained me to think and analyze, I wanted to do, to repeat, to learn directly through the body and through the earth. So I reached out to a bunch of coffee farms in Yunnan, China, and ended up working on an experimental farm. By “experimental,” I mean small-lot processing trials—natural, washed, and all kinds of fermentation experiments. And before I ever learned how use an espresso machine, I was already knee-deep in cherries, learning not from books, but from the “crazy” experiments we were doing.
During the time, I was the only one living up on the mountain—my two colleagues would drive back to the nearby city every evening—and I loved the quiet, the zen, and that deep connection with nature. On average, we processed over a ton of cherries a day. At first, my coworkers joked that I looked too “city-like” for the job. But I think I surprised them, in a nice way—turns out I could lift more than they expected!
Now I’m work with W YOU Coffee based in Lisbon, Portugal. We are a relatively young specialty spot here. I’ve been with the team since the very beginning—even during the preparation stages before our doors opened. We’ve now grown to two locations in Lisbon, and it’s been amazing to be part of a great team.
What are you excited to do while you are in Milan?
I'm simply excited to be back in Milan. The last time I visited was almost 10 years ago—I only transited in Milan though, I was living in Cremona then for a summer music camp (yes I was a flutist back then). I'm also excited to practice my language a bit, every since I took italian courses in university, i haven't really got a chance to practice
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
First, Francisco (Chico) Artal, my coach, for keeping me grounded and guiding me through all the technical prep and training.
Su Dy, my friend and sponsor, for believing in me from the very start and making this adventure possible.
Livia Petarnella, who somehow manages a million things at once — from logistics and communication to presentation feedback, and always supporting my wild recipe ideas.
Caicai, my friend who’s connected me with beautiful coffees from different farms in Yunnan, even back when competing was just a premature idea.
And finally, my boyfriend, Qiwei, without whom I might never have discovered specialty coffee at all. He’s the one who first showed me what sincerity, support, passion and belief really mean.
