A Glasgow barista has won a national competition leading to the launch of her own festive drink.

Kamilla Virag Csava, 25, was crowned the winner of Pret A Manger's Barista Competition 2024, which had more than 500 entries.

The contest consisted of several challenging rounds, including quizzes, latte art challenges, and taste tests.

Her creativity and customer-first attitude set her apart, but it was her exceptional skill at creating two identical latte art masterpieces that won her the title at Pret's London headquarters. She works at the city's Gordon Street branch.

Kamilla created her own drink which is a Maple Pecan Latte (Image: Pret A Manger) As a result of her win, Kamilla had the opportunity to create her own festive drink, the Maple Pecan Latte, which will be available in Pret shops across the UK from November 5.

She said: "I had a confident feeling throughout the competition.

"In the final, we had to make identical latte art on stage in front of an audience, and I was really proud of how well I did.

"Winning felt surreal, but I’m so grateful.

"I’ve never felt so appreciated for doing my job."

Kamilla, who moved to Scotland a year ago, was inspired by an old Pret recipe for a vegan nut roast Christmas sandwich when creating the Maple Pecan Latte.

She added: "Maple naturally complements the sweetness of pecans.

"I originally made the drink with oat milk, which has a neutral flavour that really brings out the nuttiness."

"My customers were all rooting for me during the competition.

"It’s heart-warming to know they feel lucky to have me as their barista."

Aimee Leverett, UK Head of Coffee at Pret, said: "Kamilla’s incredible knowledge, talent, and passion for coffee have shone through at every stage of this competition.

"We’re so proud of her achievement in becoming our barista of the year.

"Her commitment to excellent service and her creativity in crafting the Maple Pecan Latte are a true reflection of what makes Pret’s baristas so special."

Alongside creating her own drink, she also won a £4,000 prize and a trip to Milan.

Kamilla hopes her journey will inspire other workers, and would love to train new baristas at the organisation.