{"id":598602,"date":"2026-04-12T06:45:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T06:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/598602\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T06:45:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T06:45:19","slug":"markham-barista-eyes-world-latte-art-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/598602\/","title":{"rendered":"Markham barista eyes world latte art championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some it is just a cup of coffee, but for a barista in Markham, it’s a blank canvas. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a morning routine shared by millions: a cup of coffee to start the day.<\/p>\n

For most, it\u2019s simple \u2014 in the cup, down the hatch, and out the door.<\/p>\n

For Arthur Chu, the ritual is something more.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Chu was pursuing a business degree when a part-time job at a coffee shop sparked a competitive spirt \u2014 and changed his path.<\/p>\n

He has since won the Canadian Latte Art Championship twice, most recently this year, earning another shot at the world\u2019s top baristas.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chu Arthur Chu, Markham barista wins second national latte art title, eyes world stage (CTV News photo). <\/p>\n

\u201cI did a lot of pencil sketching when I was younger,\u201d Chu told CTV News Toronto.<\/p>\n

Foamed milk has replaced those pencils, with coffee cups now his canvas.<\/p>\n

For Chu, the work goes beyond competition. He describes latte art as a blend of storytelling and precision \u2014 with the reward being the quiet moment when someone stops to take it in.<\/p>\n

\u201cLatte art is more like a bonus part of your coffee,\u201d explains Chu. \u201cYour coffee journey starts with your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

An intricately poured stag secured his latest national title at the competition in Mississauga in February.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chu Arthur Chu, Markham barista wins second national latte art title, eyes world stage (CTV News photo). <\/p>\n

Chu is already looking ahead to the world championships in 2027, where he plans to debut new designs. He previously reached the semifinals in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like if I want to be more competitive on the world stage, it has to be something more for the judges,\u201d said Chu. \u201cI\u2019m going to do something special. I\u2019ll be featuring three animals; a tiger, a timberwolf, and a stag.\u201d<\/p>\n

His one-minute creations appear effortless, built on a technique known as \u201cskate dragging,\u201d which emphasizes fluid pours with minimal brushing.<\/p>\n

Chu says his success comes down to one thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think I\u2019m the hardest worker,\u201d he states, without hesitation.<\/p>\n

He likens his routine to a \u201clatte art gym.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a typical day off, he practices at least 50 pours. His personal record is 150 cups in a single day, more than nine hours spent refining his craft.<\/p>\n

The discipline comes with limits. Chu says he caps himself at three to four cups of coffee per day.<\/p>\n

At Markham\u2019s Hatch Coffee Roasters, customers often seek out his award-winning designs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do take requests, but if you see a line, maybe not,\u201d said Chu, laughing. \u201cThe best part is the smile. When people take pictures, post it or tag me, it feels like my art is being appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For some it is just a cup of coffee, but for a barista in Markham, it’s a blank…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":598603,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[712,45,49,48],"class_list":["post-598602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-apple-news","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}