Words, photo and infographics by Emily Wilkinson
Fancy a cuppa Java? Most of us love our morning coffees – as well as our afternoon and evening ones. That often milky, caffeine-fuelled infusion gets us through the day, and also keeps our coffee-loving taste buds happy.
So, if you can’t go without your morning Jo, we have a special treat in store for you. This weekend will see the ninth annual London Coffee Festival, a stimulating festival packed with all kinds of coffee-related events for both baristas and consumers at The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane.
Industry events will be held on March 28thand 29th, with events for the general public starting on Friday evening. They include everything from mindful coffee tasting experiences to latte art masterclasses.
Johanne Wang Corneliussen, 22, barista from Kentish Town says: “Although I have worked as a barista for two years, I don’t know how to do latte art, and would actually love to go, just to learn that.” 2019 exhibitors include Billington’s, Lavazza, and Barista & Co.
The Coffee Festival is not unique to London; it’s also held in Amsterdam, Cape Town, New York, Los Angeles and Milan. In its first year in the British capital in 2010, the festival had more than 7,000 visitors and 100 exhibitors. Organisers of the event are expecting around 30,000 coffee-lovers to attend this year.
The event isn’t all about drinking coffee – although there will be a lot of that around. It also will feature The Coffee Art Project, an art competition linked to the theme of – you guessed it – coffee. From drawings to sculptures, the art competition allows you to espresso yourself (geddit?) and raise money for charity at the same time.
The festival falls at the beginning of UK Coffee Week, where various fundraising events take place nationwide for the charity Project Waterfall, a charity committed to giving coffee-growing communities clean water.
There’s something for everyone at the festival – even your chance to create your own espresso martini. “Coffee cocktails sound intriguing and I would be more inclined to have them if they were more to my taste,” said Amy Berg, 20, a student from Islington.
So, even if you’re not partial to a cappuccino, a personalised (coffee-flavoured) cocktail may take your fancy. If not, there should be a tea festival coming up in the near future…
Tickets start from £18.50 with 50% of the money going to Project Waterfall.
Address: 15 Hanbury Street, The Old Truman Brewery, London E1 6QR
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