Brew Camp: Supporting competitors behind the scenes

In the days leading up to the world’s most prestigious coffee competitions, the focus is often on the performances on stage. Months of preparation are distilled into just a few minutes, where competitors present their coffees, techniques, and ideas to judges and a global audience.

What is less visible, however, is the work that happens before those routines are delivered. Competitors must finalise roast profiles, test brewing approaches, and ensure every detail of their preparation is aligned with their intended flavour presentation.

To support this process, Nucleus Coffee Tools created Brew Camp — formerly the LINK Access Program – an initiative designed to give competitors access to equipment, technical guidance, and a dedicated environment where they can refine their coffees before stepping onto the competition stage. Since its launch, Brew Camp has become a collaborative space where competitors can experiment, share ideas, and prepare with confidence in the final days before competing.

In 2026, as we head to the World of Coffee in Brussels, we are joined by OPTION-O and Black Potion in making this program come to life.

Creating a space for focused preparation

Prior to the World Brewers Cup in 2024 – hosted in Chicago, USA – the Nucleus Coffee Tools team launched a new initiative designed to assist competitors travelling from across the globe. This initiative, the LINK Access Program, was provided in collaboration with Metropolis Coffee in Chicago, and provided a training space at the Metropolis roastery as well as individual competitor access to LINK roasters.

In 2025, this program has its second iteration in Jakarta, Indonesia, hosted by Curators Coffee Company. Over a week, competitors of the World Brewers Cup from more than 20 countries came together to train, roast, experiment and prepare for the world stage.

Coffee competitions place unique demands on competitors. Unlike daily café service, competition routines require a level of precision and repeatability that can only be achieved through extensive testing and refinement. The 2026 program, now called ‘Brew Camp’, was developed to provide exactly that environment.

Hosted in the days leading up to major competitions such as the World Brewers Cup, the initiative provides competitors with access to equipment including the LINK sample roaster and other brewing tools from the Nucleus Coffee Tools range. This allows competitors to roast and prepare their coffees close to the competition venue, reducing the uncertainty that can come with transporting roasted coffee across long distances.

Jordan Montgomery, Marketing and European Sales Manager at Nucleus Coffee Tools, says the concept emerged from conversations with competitors who needed greater flexibility in the final stages of preparation.

“Competitors invest enormous time and resources into preparing for these events,” Jordan says. “Brew Camp was created to provide a space where they can continue refining their coffees right up until competition day, with the equipment and support they need.”

The goal is not only to provide tools, but also to create an environment where competitors can work calmly and methodically during an otherwise high-pressure period.

Technical support and collaboration

Alongside equipment access, Brew Camp also offers technical support from the Nucleus Coffee Tools team. This ensures competitors can troubleshoot roast profiles, adjust brewing variables, or explore different preparation approaches as they finalise their routines.

Jerome Rosler, Technical Support and American Sales Manager at Nucleus Coffee Tools, works closely with competitors during Brew Camp sessions.

“Our role is to make sure competitors have everything they need to execute their ideas,” Jerome says. “That can involve helping dial in roast profiles, discussing brewing variables, or simply making sure the equipment is set up correctly so they can focus on preparation.”

Because competitors often arrive with highly specific goals, the support provided during Brew Camp is tailored to each individual routine.

“At this level of competition, small adjustments can make a significant difference,” Jerome says. “Having the ability to test and refine those details in the days before competing can give competitors greater confidence in what they present on stage.”

The environment also encourages collaboration between competitors. While each competitor ultimately presents their own routine, Brew Camp often becomes a place where ideas and insights are exchanged between participants from different countries and coffee cultures.

Brew Camp 2026 - a collaborative effort

While Brew Camp provides practical support to competitors, it also reflects the collaborative spirit that defines the specialty coffee industry. Preparing for international competitions often involves a network of partners, from producers and roasters to equipment manufacturers.

For Brew Camp, this collaboration extends beyond Nucleus Coffee Tools.

The initiative is supported by partners including OPTION-O and Black Potion, whose equipment and expertise contribute to the preparation environment available to competitors. Together, these companies will provide access to equipment and the space needed to help competitors refine their approach to grinding, brewing, and roasting in the days leading up to competition.

Jordan says this collaborative model reflects a broader philosophy shared across the industry.

“Coffee competitions bring together people from all over the world who are pushing the boundaries of flavour and preparation,” Jordan says. “Working alongside partners like OPTION-O and Black Potion allows us to create a space where competitors can explore those ideas with the best tools available.”

By bringing together multiple companies with a shared commitment to innovation, Brew Camp helps ensure competitors have the resources they need to present their coffees at the highest level.

“Our goal is simply to support competitors in the best way we can,” Jerome says. “If Brew Camp helps them present their coffees with clarity and confidence, then it has achieved what it set out to do.”

Join Brew Camp

Brew Camp is open to coffee competitors preparing for upcoming championships, as well as volunteers who wish to support the initiative and contribute to the competition community.

Competitors can apply to participate through the Nucleus Coffee Tools website, where they can request access to the equipment, workspace, and technical support available during the program. Applications are reviewed ahead of each event to ensure the facilities and resources can support all participating competitors.

Volunteers are also encouraged to apply. Brew Camp relies on the wider coffee community to help create a welcoming and productive environment for competitors during the final days of preparation – all volunteers will be able to experience the ‘behind the scenes’ preparation of World Coffee Championships competitors, and experience some of the best coffees in the world.

Those interested in participating or supporting Brew Camp can find more information and submit an application via this page.