More than 22,000 visitors (8,034 industry / 14,598 consumer) attended The London Coffee Festival from 3 – 6 April at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane.
The hybrid event (both B2B and B2C) launched with two dedicated industry days on 3 and 4 April attracting more than 250 exhibitors and 8,000 industry visitors.
This unique festival model has been designed to ensure that industry days provide an ideal platform for visitors to source new products and innovations as well as take part in a vibrant mix of interactive coffee experiences.
Intensive programme of events, information and competition
The sold out event saw latte art battles, DJ collaborations, design wear, pop up restaurants & coffee shops, pro-triangulation tests, live roasting, mixologists, brewing tutorials, cooking lessons, sounds from the coffee belt, the best baristas in the country, experiential workshops in the Lab as well as the launch of new event feature: Milk & Sugar (a showcase of urban lifestyle and culture).
Sunday saw the UK Barista Championship final come to a climax where Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood (Colonna & Small’s, Bath) took the coveted title of Britain’s best barista.
Elsewhere, in the ‘Hyde Park Zone’ of the festival, Dhan Tamang of Caracoli won the Cravendale M.I.L.K Battle and the trip of a lifetime to Peru.
Other features included: La Cimbali’s Science of Espresso ‘deconstructed’ workshops, La Marzocco’s pop up coffee shop the True Artisan Café, DRWakefield’s green bean masterclasses ‘Catalysing Coffees’, the Kahlua Coffee House; Union Hand-Roasted’s world Coffee Tour & Roastery; and UCC’s Make Decent Coffee Lounge.
Incredible four days
“We are so thrilled that so many were able to join us for an incredible four days. The response we have seen from the industry has been incredible, people flew in from all over the world to visit and the quality of experiences delivered onsite by our exhibitors set the bar in coffee excellence”, said festival organiser, Ludovic Rossignol.
“The exciting coffee journey London has been experiencing for the last decade is an indication that it is fast becoming one of the most advanced coffee cities on earth.
“More than an obsession, coffee is becoming a lifestyle, not just in London but across the UK. The informal environment at The London Coffee Festival provides exhibitors with the opportunity to engage with our industry visitors in an interactive and memorable way.
We look at the latest trends and implement event features that respond to the demand of the current marketplace. It is our vision to promote the diversity and excellence the UK coffee scene has to offer.”
£77,000 for Project Waterfall
The festival, which is the launch event of UK Coffee Week 2014™, also managed to raise an incredible £77,000 for Project Waterfall – to support water projects in Tanzania, Africa.
The London Coffee Festival will return on 23-26 April 2015 for its fifth year at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane.
About The London Coffee Festival
The London Coffee Festival (www.londoncoffeefestival.com) celebrates London’s vibrant coffee culture and features gourmet coffee, speciality tea, artisan food, demonstrations from world-class baristas, live music and a comprehensive educational ‘lab’ programme.
The festival is the launch event of UK Coffee Week which takes place nationwide between 7 and 13 April 2014 and features fundraising events in aid of Project Waterfall, a charity that delivers clean water projects to coffee-producing countries.
About Allegra Events
Allegra Events is a young, passionate and fast-growing events company. We create powerful, interactive events that engage and inspire audiences. Operating across food, retail and lifestyle events, we work with our clients to create meaningful campaigns and event experiences.
Allegra Events is part of the Allegra Group and sister company of Allegra Strategies, a leading strategic consultancy focusing on food, retail and hospitality.