Daria Bila’s journey to becoming the 2026 UK Barista Champion is about much more than competition. In this episode, she talks about moving from Ukraine to Dublin and then to London, discovering specialty coffee from scratch, and finding a sense of comfort and community in coffee while building a new life. She shares how that journey led her to Formative Coffee, management, and ultimately the UK Barista Championship - which she won on her first attempt. We also look ahead to her preparations for the World Barista Championship in Panama, her connection to Ukraine’s coffee community, and what might come next