Confessed 'coffeeholic' among best in country

Tauranga's Shine Kim made it through to the semifinals of the New Zealand Barista Championships in Wellington at the weekend.

The barista went up against the best coffee-makers in the country at the competition.

She made it through the qualifying stages and was one step away from competing in the final before she was eliminated.

It was her first time competing at the event and she was happy to make it so far.

She is now eyeing next year's event and hopes to make it through to the finals in 2017.

The 37-year-old has been making coffee for almost six years.

Originally from Korea, she started working at a cafe in Auckland as a way to improve her English skills.

She has been employed as a barista at Dry Dock Cafe on Wharf St in Tauranga for two-and-half-years.

A self-confessed "coffeeholic", Ms Kim said she loved everything about it and would drink up to five cups of coffee herself a day alternating between espressos and flat whites.

Ms Kim said she loved competing, meeting other baristas and learning new tricks of the trade.

Dry Dock Cafe owner Sandra Johnson said everyone at the cafe was proud of what Ms Kim had achieved because they had seen the hard work she had put in.