HEINEKEN Malaysia Crows Cora Jean Cantwell, the First Female National Champion in Star Academy History

Last week, I was at JioSpace for the 2025 Star Academy National Finals by HEINEKEN Malaysia. Last year, they crowned Jason Dennis Dcruz from Te Amo as the 2024 National Champion and he made us even prouder by winning the Global Bartender Finals in Amsterdam.

Wayne Wong, Commercial Quality Lead, HEINEKEN Malaysia; Jimmy Ding, Sales Director, HEINEKEN Malaysia; Cora Jean Cantwell, Bartender & Star Academy 2025 National Champion, Langkah Syabas Beach Resort , Sabah ; Martijn van Keulen, Managing Director, HEINEKEN Malaysia; Wilson Lim, Head of Trade Marketing, HEINEKEN Malaysia; Cian Hulm, Commercial Quality Manager, HEINEKEN Malaysia; Jen Lyn Sin, Senior Brand Manager, HEINEKEN Malaysia

This year, at the highly anticipated 2025 Star Academy National Finals on 28th of November, HEINEKEN Malaysia has crowned Cora Jean Cantwell from Langkah Syabas Beach Resort, Sabah, the first female National Champion in Star Academy history.

Cora Jean Cantwell triumphs in the 2025 National Finals, celebrating skill, service, and HEINEKEN Malaysia’s commitment to elevating the services sector.

The remarkable victory has secured her an exclusive trip to the Home of Heineken®—Amsterdam, where Cora Jean Cantwell will experience the brand's heritage and innovation firsthand, brewing the Joy of True Togetherness.

Sarawak Champion, Richard Jugie from The Sarawak Club

Now in its seventh year, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s Star Academy programme continues its vital mission to elevate the services sector across the nation. It achieves this by consistently training and enhancing the skills of Malaysia's talented local bartenders, thereby setting new benchmarks and raising the bar of excellence in the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Perak Champion, Gajendran A/L Arumugam from Dejavu 2.0

Star Academy 2025 also unveiled "Tap Into The Future," a groundbreaking immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience. This innovative module redefines skill mastery, offering a fully multisensory learning environment where bartenders engage sight, touch, and sound. The gamified, scenario-based approach significantly enhances memory retention, deepens product knowledge, and perfects pouring techniques, making complex concepts both accessible and enjoyable, a one-of-a-kind experience by HEINEKEN Malaysia.

KL/Selangor champion, Kenn Cagas from The Beer Factory

Martijn van Keulen, Managing Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia, said, "With over 11,000 bartenders trained to date, Star Academy reflects our commitment to elevating the services industry, strengthening the capabilities of our local F&B sector, and supporting a vibrant hospitality ecosystem. As one of HEINEKEN Malaysia’s flagship programmes, we are incredibly proud to see Star Academy raise the bar for service excellence nationwide."

The 2025 Star Academy National Finals brought together fierce competition, with finalists hailing from KL/Selangor, Sarawak, Sabah, Penang, Perak, and Johor respectively.

The immersive virtual reality (VR) training experience

Jimmy Ding, Sales Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia, said, "We are grateful to our trade partners for their unwavering support and to the dedicated bartenders who continue to challenge themselves and uphold the highest standards. Their passion and dedication are what drives the industry forward. This year, we are especially excited to introduce our pioneering VR training, which enhances the programme with hands-on, immersive learning.”

Jimmy Ding, Sales Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia

The top 3 winners for 2025 Star Academy National Finals!

The competition also featured a distinguished panel of judges, including Cian Hulm, Commercial Quality Manager and Wayne Wong, Commercial Quality Lead of HEINEKEN Malaysia, with special guest judge Jason Dennis D’Cruz, 2024 HEINEKEN Global Draught Champion.

From left: Cora Jean Cantwell, Bartender & Star Academy 2025 National Champion, Langkah Syabas Beach Resort , Sabah and Martijn van Keulen, Managing Director, HEINEKEN Malaysia

National Champion Cora Jean Cantwell expressed,“I feel amazing winning this competition, and I am so proud to represent Sabah at this year's Star Academy National Finals! Thank you, HEINEKEN Malaysia for this incredible opportunity. I am excited to go to Amsterdam!”

If you are interested to find out more info about HEINEKEN Malaysia and the Group’s initiatives, you can visit their site at www.heinekenmalaysia.com.

As usual before I end my post, here's a reminder to all my readers – Remember to drink responsibly, please do not drink and drive. Take public transport, grab an e-hailing ride or get a designated driver. Stay safe, party smart and cheers!!!

.: Peace Out :.