About Time: You Discovered The London Coffee Festival 2018By Angelica Malin

Embark on a journey of discovery at The London Coffee Festival (13th-15th April), celebrating London’s vibrant coffee scene and its creative subcultures. Rub shoulders with burgeoning start-ups, industry pioneers and long-established companies to a soundtrack of live DJs and musicians. From specialty tastings to industry talks, artisan workshops and showcases from world-class baristas, the party is on.

The London Coffee Festival: What to Expect

Now in its eighth year, The London Coffee Festival is Europe’s largest gathering of coffee aficionados, and this year, it’s set to be bigger than ever. Over 250 exhibitors and 35,000 coffee lovers are expected to join the celebration over four days. For the first time, the festival will take over four floors to accommodate the best of the UK specialty coffee movement.

From coffee pros to average Joes, there’s something for everyone with a penchant for coffee, food, music and art. For an around the world coffee flight experience, book in to the La Cimbali sensory bar; a brand new feature showcasing three stand-out coffees, three ways. Offering small artisan roasters and cafes the chance to showcase their high-end craft, La Marzocco’s True Artisan Café returns once more. Experience refined taste as you’re hosted by baristas and roasters at the forefront of the specialty coffee scene.

The London Coffee Festival: Latte Art

Dreaming of pouring the perfect glossy rosetta? Or simply head over heels for milky coffee? Good news: Latte Art Live is also back, bringing the world’s top latte art specialists along with it. You’ve seen them on Instagram, and now they are at work right in front of you; expect a series of throw downs, showcases and hands-on workshops. That and a lot of free coffee.

The London Coffee Festival: Espresso Martini Party

Every visitor deserves a delicious coffee cocktail, and nothing whips-up a party like an espresso martini. The Espresso Martini Party, the festival’s annual knees-up on the Friday night, is always a highlight. Dance and socialise to a live DJ set with a Classic Espresso Martini or Flat White Martini in hand, shaken up by Baileys and Sandows Cold Brew. Can’t make it on Friday? The Espresso Martini Bar is open all festival long, so make a pitstop for a quality cocktail at any time.

The London Coffee Festival: Interactive Demonstrations

If you want to take a step further and get into the nitty gritty of coffee, there’s plenty of opportunity to learn about the industry, from bean to cup and everything in between. Book into a session at The Lab for an exciting line-up of live interactive demonstrations, workshops, talks and artisan tastings.  The Roastery by Union Hand-Roasted is also set to draw crowds: the small-batch roaster will be live-roasting beans throughout the weekend, discussing the process with inquisitive onlookers.

The London Coffee Festival: Industry Days

Interested in opening your own cafe? Thursday and Friday at The London Coffee Festival are dedicated industry days, providing a modern take on the traditional coffee trade show mould. With a fresh vision, the industry days will cover all aspects of trade, from the latest equipment innovations to the hottest F&B products. An inspiring selection of speakers, with their finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving coffee industry, will be out in force.

The London Coffee Festival: Tasting Menus

A new addition to this year’s festival, ‘The Niners Tasting Menu’ will give attendees the chance to sample some of the world’s finest coffees in an exclusive cupping under the supervision of one of Caravan’s award-winning coffee roasters. This cupping will be followed by a visit to The Niners Bar, where guests can experience each coffee again in a new and unique way – from the ultimate single origin Negroni to clarified coffee milk punch, coffee kombucha and coffee beers.

For more information on The London Coffee Festival and to buy tickets, visit the website here.