Wake up and smell the London Coffee Festival

When: 6th – 9th April 2017

Where: Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London

£: Tickets for adults cost £16.50 online and £22.50 on the door. Tickets for children (aged 10 – 16) cost £4.50 online and £5.50 on the door. Children under 10 years go free. VIP tickets cost £42 in advance and £65 on the door

What is it?

London Coffee Festival, the largest gathering for coffee lovers in Western Europe, returns to the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, from 6th to 9th April.

This year’s festival is set to be the biggest yet, with hundreds of baristas, roasters, chefs and coffee aficionados descending on London for the four-day event.

The will kick off with an Espresso Martini party featuring a live DJ set from London DJ, Norman Jay MBE.  This year’s event will see the return of the Coffee Masters competition, where the world’s top baristas compete for the title of Coffee Master.

The White Label Kitchen will ensure visitors can feast on the capital’s top food concepts. A variety of street foods will be on offer to cater for discerning coffee lovers and foodies alike.  All visitors will be welcomed and encouraged to taste and drink coffee to their heart’s content, courtesy of the best roasters in Britain.

For those looking to learn as well as being entertained, there will be a host of workshops, including cupping sessions with the Caravan Coffee Roasters and The Nordic Approach, tastings from the UK’s top baristas at La Marzocco’s True Artisan Café, whisky and food pairings, and Matcha Tea ceremonies.  There will also be classes on everything from brewing styles and bean varieties, through to opening your own coffee shop and growing a social media profile in The Lab.

Visitors will be treated to a display of skills, as 16 world-class baristas face off for the prestigious crown of Coffee Master and a cash prize. The competition runs over four days and its disciplines include the Latte Art Challenge (testing a barista’s mastery of milk), The Origin (identifying origins of coffee beans and placing them on a world map), and The Order (turning around a ten drinks order in 9 minutes). Visitors will also be able to join the fun with the Coffee Masters Workshops.

Latte Art Live is a platform for artists to showcase their skills, with plenty of opportunities for people to learn the tricks of the trade and capture trendy photos to bolster any Instagram page. Visitors can also join the Latte Art Masterclasses, run by Shinsaku Fukayama, the World Latte Art Champion, and Dhan Tamang, the UK Latte Art Champion.

The Coffee Art Project is a mixed-media art competition that welcomes emerging and established artists, entrants are required to show personal connection to the concept of ‘coffee’ or a ‘coffee shop experience’. The competition is a fundraising initiative for UK Coffee Week, raising money to give back to the communities that grow our coffee.

A plethora of wonderful coffee aromas will descend on the Old Truman Brewery over the weekend, with a number of roasting experiences open to visitors. The Roastery by Union Coffee will be presenting live coffee roasting experiences, with an interactive coffee tasting challenge. Visitors to The Factory will be treated to talks, cupping sessions and will be able to develop their understanding of coffee cultivation and processing methods as they taste coffee from around the world.

The Tasting Room will welcome foodies and drinks enthusiasts alike. Enjoy an immersive Roastery Experience by UCC Coffee or Chocolate Tasting Experience led by expert chocolatiers from Hotel Chocolat. Visitors can also enjoy wine, whisky, craft beer and tea tasting, with a selection of connoisseurs.

More info: www.londoncoffeefestival.com/Home