Free. WHAT'S ON Festival features from artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls to interactive workshops, live music and art.

Transcription

1 The London Coffee Festival Free WHAT'S ON Festival features from artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls to interactive workshops, live music and art. THE SCIENCE OF ESPRESSO L'Accademia di Cimbali talks pressure profiling and brewing techniques for the perfect espresso. TRUE ARTISAN CAFÉ La Marzocco hosts baristas from the best independent coffee shops and roasters to serve crafted signature drinks. BARISTA COMPETITIONS Talented baristas aiming for the top compete in the toughest coffee competitions in the country.

2 2 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Welcome The joy of great coffee enriches our lives everyday. The London Coffee Festival not only epitomises the exciting coffee journey the UK has experienced for the last decade, but is a bold statement that London is fast becoming one of the most advanced coffee cities on earth. Having been fortunate enough to have lived and worked in London during this coffee revolution, I can confidently say that Londoners are now pretty serious about their coffee. The thirst for knowledge, experimentation and new flavours show that the London coffee scene still has many bright years to come. The opening of quality cafés, microroasteries and coffee-led eateries have played a key role in making our streets and local communities a better place to live. Coffee is now an obsession - evidenced by the queues at coffee shops or your local restaurant now proudly serving quality beans from a reputable roaster - testimony that quality prevails. Coffee is becoming a lifestyle - seductive and stylish, yet technical. The fourth wave or the science of coffee is injecting a new dimension to how coffee is served in cafés, enjoyed at home or at the office. Our vision for The London Coffee Festival is to promote the diversity and excellence of the UK coffee scene and as part of this, its lifestyle, spanning from food, design and art to music and fashion. The richness and breadth of coffee experiences offered at the festival, we hope, will stir your senses and enable to elevate coffee standards across London and beyond. I would like to acknowledge my team for their absolute dedication and enthusiasm since day one, without which we wouldn't have been able to keep pushing boundaries and our visitors coming back. To all our sponsors, supporters, suppliers - a massive thank you for making this journey possible. Finally, I'd like to thank all our visitors for being such an engaged and passionate crowd. We hope you'll enjoy reading this new version of our festival magazine and the exciting features we have designed for you. Looking forward to seeing you all at The London Coffee Festival Ludovic Rossignol Head of Events & Festival Co-Founder [ RRP 9.99 ] EXCLUSIVE LONDON COFFEE FESTIVAL PRICE THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE BEST INDEPENDENT COFFEE VENUES IN LONDON PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY FEATURING / 38 NEW CAFES / 150 VENUE PROFILES / COFFEE MAPS / EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS / HOME BREWING GUIDE AND MORE... CREDITS Editor: Kay Lockett Graphic Design: Andy Mac Manus Photography: Gary Handley Kay Lockett Joan Torrelles Kate Beard What s On L Accademia di Cimbali - The Science of Espresso Make Decent Coffee - Master The Aeropress La Marzocco & The True Artisan Café The London Coffee Scene DRWakefield - Catalysing Coffee UK Barista Championship Spotted - Snapped Around Town Cravendale - Marvellous Milk Plant Power - The Healthy Option Union Hand-Roasted Coffee - World Coffee Tour Time For Tea Brita - The Importance of Water The Lab Programme The Kahlúa Coffee House Coffee and Chocolate Pairing Project Waterfall & UK Coffee Week The Coffee Art Project Music - Beats from the Coffee Belt & Vintage Sounds Milk & Sugar Photography Series

3 4 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival What s On Celebrating the thriving and vibrant UK coffee scene, The London Coffee Festival 2014 promises to be an unmissable event for discerning coffee lovers and those working within the industry. The festival will feature over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, tastings and demonstrations from world-class baristas, interactive workshops, street food, coffee-based cocktails, live music, DJs, art exhibitions and much more. Visitors will also gain access to Milk & Sugar, a new feature showcasing some of London s most inspirational brands spanning from fashion and design to craft beer and food. The London Coffee Festival is also proud to be the official launch event of UK Coffee Week Our pick of the festival features L Accademia di Cimbali The Science of Espresso Deconstructed will look at the importance of all areas surrounding coffee production from bean to cup. Share thoughts on coffee origins, roast, brewing, temperature, pressure profiles and drink profiles with a range in the latest espresso equipment technology on show. Geek out with the La Cimbali team. See pages 7-9. Union World Coffee Tour The Union World Tour will have an originthemed espresso and brew bar, showcasing Union Direct Trade sourcing, with tastes from South America on Thursday and Sunday, Africa/Arabia, Pacific Asia on Friday and Central America on Saturday. Jeremy Torz and business partner Steven Macatonia will expertly demonstrate their craft roasting in a vintage San Francisco Roaster and you can take part in a proamateur flavour challenge. See pages Catalysing Coffees DRWakefield will be hosting a series of green coffee masterclasses in conjunction with some of their trade partners covering topics such as sustainability, varietals and microlots, while roasters will share a corner to showcase their offering and serve a great brew. DRW itself will be running tailored cupping sessions and competitions to challenge even the most experienced palette as well as share some great stories from its 43 years in the industry. See pages True Artisan Café Watch, be inspired and drink some damn good coffee in La Marzocco s pop-up coffee shop. Meet baristas from UK's best coffee shops and roasters, sample bespoke coffees and cocktails, listen to live DJs and learn how to make professional coffee. And it s all for charity too. In two years the True Artisan Café has raised more than 4,000 for Project Waterfall - The London Coffee Festival's chosen charity. See pages UK Barista Championship The festival is hosting the UK Barista Championship (UKBC) alongside Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits, The Brewers Cup and Cupping competitions. Watch talented baristas aiming for the top compete in the semi finals of the UKBC on Saturday and the intense finals on Sunday. This competition tests coffee knowledge, presentation, preparation and all round barista ability. See pages Milk & Sugar Creativity, craftsmanship and coffee culture will be celebrated at Milk & Sugar, a new event to quench your thirst for all things urban and artisan. Created for those who have an eye for aesthetics, the event will showcase inspirational brands from fashion and design to craft beer and food. Head down to the ground floor of The Old Truman Brewery on April 3-6. See pages

4 6 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Mario Herran - Good Coffee (Detail) The Science of Espresso Meeting the expectations of the coffee connoisseur means boundaries have to be pushed to create the perfect espresso. St Ali Sample the ultimate Aussie brunch experience at Milk & Sugar, with Head Chef Andrew Gale crafting a bespoke menu with a selection of dishes focusing on seasonal produce, bringing you a taste of how they do things over in Melbourne. Try the The Daddy - Peter Gott s wild boar Cumberland black pudding, scrambled eggs, English bacon and house made brown sauce. See pages The Lab The Lab will be running an engaging programme of live interactive demonstrations, workshops, talks, theatre and debates throughout the festival. Witness cutting-edge coffee art and science, experience first-hand the latest brewing techniques and new taste sensations. Discuss and debate coffee s most critical ethical issues, gain top tips for setting up a coffee shop, explore the history of coffee or relax with a drink and enjoy a good story. See pages Brewers & Union Craft Beer Bar Brewers & Union will be bringing its specialist craft beer back to the festival, they are even brewing a limited edition beer - LCF Lager. Also enjoy Sunday Easy IPA on tap - the golden, hazy orange pour intimates the undertones of tangerine and grapefruit before greeting the palate with a rich malt presence. The finish is pure citrusy, resiny, hoppy loveliness. Kahlúa Coffee House Mexican coffee liqueur Kahlúa will be collaborating with bartending collective The Liquorists and local coffee legends Nude Espresso to host The Kahlúa Coffee House in the Soho seating area. The pop-up experience inspired by the unique heritage of Veracruz, Mexico, will feature Mexican inspired coffee cocktails such as the Kahlúa Espresso Martini. See page 45. The Coffee Art Project Coffee-themed artwork, from sculpture, watercolour and pencil drawings to photography, film and illustrations will be on display showcasing the creations of finalists in an art competition that aims to represent a creative, unique and personal connection to the concept of coffee or a coffee shop experience. The winner will be announced at the festival on Sunday and artwork submitted will be auctioned with all proceeds going directly to Project Waterfall. See pages Make Decent Coffee Lounge Specialist baristas will be on hand in the Make Decent Coffee Lounge, showing visitors how to brew on different methods using the Aeropress, Chemex, V60 and French Press. Check out the pop up shop where you can buy all the tools you need to get making decent coffee straight away. See pages The World Music Stage Hackney GT and Latinos in London have joined forces to bring the sights and sounds of the coffee belt to The London Coffee Festival. You will be dancing to beats from Brazil on Friday, Columbia on Saturday and Africa on Sunday. Enjoy sounds of Samba, Bossa, Jazz, Afro and DJ s spinning the decks in a celebration of dance, music, coffee and storytelling. See pages Vintage sounds from Faema Hoxton Radio will broadcast live from the Faema stand during the weekend, playing a signature mix of vintage, swing, rock n roll, blues and classic rock. Faema will be looking at its glorious cycling heritage as sponsors of the Eddy Merckx team in the late 70 s and early 80 s with its vintage Faema E61, the team from La Bottega Milanese (specialty continental espresso bar in Leeds) will be pumping shots of espresso to the vintage soundtrack. See page 55. According to L Accademia di Cimbali, the appliance of science is the future for the next generation barista looking to respond to the demand for precision and quality that is driving the fourth wave coffee movement. As the world s largest manufacturer of espresso and cappuccino machines, and over 100 years in the industry, La Cimbali is hitting the demands of today s coffee lovers head on by aiming to be at the forefront of technology, taking coffee connoisseurship to another level with innovative mechanisms and brewing techniques. Here comes the science it s all about the pressure While the amount of pressure applied and the point at which it is applied during the brewing cycle will have a direct impact on the texture, flavour and tactile sensations of the finished drink, the use of pressure to exploit the characteristics of the coffee is a difficult skill to master. Technology integrated into La Cimbali s M100, features an integral pressure profiling system that in effect gives the barista direct control of the pressure at any point during the extraction process, allowing for scope to experiment. We decided to geek out with Daniel Clarke from La Cimbali UK to deconstruct the science behind a great espresso. Dan has been working with La Cimbali for the past eight years and in that time has built up a wealth of knowledge around all things coffee. He said: I m not so much a coffee geek, more of an extreme coffee enthusiast. Grind "Obtaining the perfect grind for an espresso isn t always that simple. If the grinder is producing coffee that is too fine or there is too much coffee in the porta filter, the end result will be poor and you can expect to find a burnt coffee with an astringent or bitter taste with white staining within the crema. This is not good. "It is just as easy to under extract the coffee as it is to over extract it. Perhaps the grinder is producing coffee that is too coarse or there is insufficient coffee in the porta filter. The espresso will have very little body or flavour with a light and thin crema. "Setting the grinder can be a challenge. A grinder has two burrs and the distance between these two burrs defines the fineness of the ground coffee. The closer the burrs are together the finer the grind. Temperature changes will affect the fineness of the grind. It is therefore important to check the grinder a few times during the day." Pressure profiling "Single origin coffees and ever changing house blends will require more flexibility and involvement from the barista to ensure that a perfect extraction is achieved each and every time. The traditional approach to pressure profiling through the brewing cycle is very simple. Apart from the initial and final steps, a constant nine bar pressure is applied throughout. "However, the new approach to creating that perfect espresso is very different. It is accepted that adjustments to the pressure need to be made throughout the brewing cycle in order to take into account the varying coffee blends in use and the type of drinks required - single espresso, double espresso or a piccolo."

5 8 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival The brewing cycle should encompass three different pressures: 1. Pre-brewing pressure: the pressure on the coffee cake that mainly affects cream and texture in the cup. 2. Brewing pressure: the pressure that mainly affects body, sour and bitter sensation. 3. Tail pressure: the pressure that mainly affects bitterness and astringency in the cup. Temperature "The water temperature should be somewhere in the region of degrees centigrade and it is very important that the chosen temperature is maintained and consistent throughout the brewing process. Your choice of beans will influence the temperature that you need to set the espresso machine. For example if you were to choose an Ethiopian single origin and you want to bring out the natural acidic side, a higher temperature would be most suited to help develop these flavours. Or if you are using a darker roast of maybe an Italian blend with a percentage of Robusta the temperature would be lower. Milk "If fresh milk is overheated the protein is destroyed and this affects the taste and surface characteristics of the finished drink, as well as possibly burning your palate. Poor milk prep affects the texture of the milk, which in some cases means there is no texture. If the basics aren t right then the coffee menu is severely restricted. The aim is for perfectly textured milk with consistently dense and velvety cream." The Science of Espresso Deconstructed will be showcased at The London Coffee Festival, looking at the importance of all areas surrounding coffee production from bean to cup. The La Cimbali knowledge share map will invite you to comment and share thoughts on coffee origins, roast, brewing, temperature, pressure profiles and drink profiles with a range in the latest espresso equipment technology on show. La Cimbali is also hosting artisan roasters York Coffee Emporium on Friday night and all day Sunday when Peru Tunki meets Moorlands Farm Cyder in a unique taste busting experience. Coffee and cider? Intrigued? We are. Single origin coffees and ever changing house blends will require more flexibility and involvement from the barista to ensure that a perfect extraction is achieved each and every time.

6 10 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Make Decent Coffee Tasteless coffee at home can be a thing of the past by banishing that jar of instant from your kitchen and making a fresh brew from quality beans instead. By mastering a few basic brewing techniques, you will no longer be devoid of a decent cup of coffee. And you don t need to be a skilled barista or own a fancy espresso machine either. We turned to specialist barista, Sean Pittaway from Make Decent Coffee to tell us how we can make a consistently good cup of coffee at home. Meet Sean I started off working on coffee carts and bars for an events company based out of Earls Court, Olympia, Excel and the NEC before moving on to work for various coffee shops around London including Grind Coffee Bar, Notes Music & Coffee and Ozone Coffee Roasters. Most of my time with Make Decent Coffee is spent making sure the coffee available through the website is of the highest standard. This is achieved with constant cupping sessions, making sure a fresh supply of coffee of a consistent standard is available to customers, acquiring coffees to be sold and writing up training tips, blogs and general coffee related information. Why he loves coffee A great cup of coffee can have a multitude of flavours and characteristics depending on where it s from. It isn t just the country but the region in which it was grown which will impact the flavour. This is something that has always fascinated me as much as the routine and ceremony of making coffee. It s seen as just a drink by many people but it s so much more than that. It s a product that is cultivated, roasted, brewed and served over a large space of time by a vast array of people all over the world who share a similar passion, which I find is something hard to not be extremely proud and passionate about. Part of my role is trying to get the message across that brewing good coffee at home is quite easy - it just needs care and attention to detail. I honestly believe this will benefit the industry as a whole because if the general consumer knows what good coffee is and how to make it at home, it means independent shops and chains will have to make a good product and constantly adapt and improve. Keeping it fresh All coffee is seasonal due to it being in essence a fruit. Coffee itself is the seeds of the coffee cherry and just like all fruit it needs to be grown, picked when ripe and processed before it can be prepared to be consumed. With this in mind, coffee is best treated as a fresh produce. While most origins of coffee are available throughout the year, the closer to the crop date the more expansive, unique and exciting the origins taste. But as more months go by, flavours fade and coffee starts to lose its unique characteristics. Freshness of coffee is key, it s often best to grind fresh each time you brew a coffee. This has a massive impact on the overall flavour of your coffee as pre-ground coffee can give a slightly duller flavoured brew. While it will still taste good, it won t have the same depths that freshly ground coffee would give you. Brewing methods Most coffees will generally have one brew method that brings out its qualities. For example, I ve always found Kenyan coffees brewed through paper filtered drip methods, such as the Chemex or V60, create a clean brew which helps emphasise the incredibly bright blackberry notes prevalent in the coffee. Likewise, Colombian coffees brewed through the Aeropress emphasises the amazing mouth feel and body they are renowned for. I d recommend you experiment with different coffees and brew methods to discover what each method brings to the final brew. Make Decent Coffee at The London Coffee Festival The main thing we want to share is how easy it actually is to make a good, consistent coffee across all the brew methods. Our team of specialist baristas will be on hand in the Make Decent Coffee Lounge, showing visitors how to brew on each of the different methods using the Aeropress, Chemex, V60 and French Press. We ll be using one coffee across the bar for the whole weekend, which will help us get across the message of the different flavours and tastes of coffee each brew method brings out. We ll also be covering the importance of the coffee recipe, grind and water quality. These three things are probably the most important factors of making coffee and sometimes overlooked by the home barista. The idea is that once visitors leave our lounge, they ll understand how to brew coffee well and know how to play around to get an even better cup of coffee at home.

7 12 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Mastering the Aeropress With some helpful hints from Make Decent Coffee specialist barista Sean Pittaway, Kay Lockett attempts to master the Aeropress. There are several things you will need: An Aeropress 14 grams of freshly ground coffee 300ml fresh filtered water Pouring kettle Filter paper Grinder Scales Timer It feels a little like a science experiment as I pick up the unassuming interlocking plastic tubes while waiting for the kettle to boil. As soon as I hear the water begin to rumble before boiling, I take it off the heat so I don t burn the coffee. I set up the Aeropress by removing the black filter cap and place a new, clean filter paper into the filter cap and re-fit to the Aeropress chamber. I then place the complete chamber on to my favourite mug and pour 40ml of hot water through the chamber and filter. Sean tells me this is an important step to wash away the papery taste of the filter and prevent it entering the cup, as well as heating up my mug. I grind 14g of beans slightly finer than your average filter grind. I use a helpful funnel to prevent spillage as I pour the ground coffee inside the Aeropress, but still manage to make a bit of a mess. A wave of excitement hits me as it s time to add the hot water and begin my brew. After a little shake to level out the coffee inside, I balance the Aeropress back onto the top of my mug and with iphone in hand I slowly pour in the water. My timer starts as soon as the water hits the coffee and I pour up to the number four marked on the side of the chamber. Once up to four, I give the coffee a quick stir eight times. After waiting for the longest 30 seconds ever to give the coffee time to infuse with the water, I slowly push down on the plunger, fighting the urge to press too hard. Sean said that there is no need to be heavy handed as the air pressure pushing down onto the Aeropress is the important part. I wait for the hissing sound and stop pushing as going any further may force coffee grounds into my cup, which will spoil the coffee. I lift off this magical piece of kit, add a splash of cold milk and then thoroughly enjoy drinking my fresh, at home brew that was not as difficult to create as I had anticipated. Head to the Make Decent Coffee Lounge at The London Coffee Festival to learn home brewing techniques from the experts and check out the pop up shop where you can buy all the tools you need to get making decent coffee straight away.

8 14 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival La Marzocco The London coffee scene is being admired globally and setting an example for others to aspire to. London has managed to marry a culture of coolness, with great produce, food and stunning coffee within well designed independent stores. London has created a coffee lifestyle. Others are watching London build this culture and looking to emulate the social element and great food offerings alongside artisan coffee that London does so well, explains Paul Kelly from La Marzocco. a family run Italian company that has been handcrafting espresso machines since The demand for quality coffee outside of London is growing and from suburbs to seafronts, regional roasters and coffee shops are raising the bar by changing local attitudes and pioneering growth across the country. The coffee industry is seeing a huge shift nationally. Speciality coffee will soon be the norm throughout the country, it will be what people expect no matter where they are. As an industry we need to support this growth by evolving and opening up opportunities to all and respond to the change in attitudes towards coffee across the UK." La Marzocco hand-builds every machine in Florence and in 1939 developed and patented the first coffee machine with a horizontal boiler that is now an industry standard. The company opened up its first UK office in Shoreditch in 2012 to connect with the evolving market. The team is now looking to facilitate innovation in the UK market place and it s not just about the capital. Paul explains: We started to hear stories of different coffee shops opening outside of London that were proud to be real artisan coffee shops - they are the pioneers now - they are people who are changing attitudes in places like Newcastle, Manchester and Cornwall, making a real statement about quality coffee and trying to shake up the norm. I think that these people should be celebrated." The coffee industry is thriving outside of London, regionally there is Origin in Cornwall, Small Batch Coffee in Brighton and Extract Coffee Roasters in Bristol - which have been pushing the boundaries of local quality. In Edinburgh and Glasgow the likes of Dear Green Coffee Roasters and Steampunk Coffee are producing great quality coffee. It doesn t matter where We started to hear stories of different coffee shops opening outside of London that were proud to be real artisan coffee shops - they are the pioneers now." you are, you now have the choice to get something special with a story behind it. La Marzocco is bringing the True Artisan Café to The London Coffee Festival again this year, where baristas from some of the best independent coffee shops and roasters across the UK will take over this pop-up café to serve carefully crafted signature drinks. So far top baristas from London cafés such as Allpress, Ozone, Nude, Timberyard and Bulldog Edition have all signed up for this special feature alongside the likes of Colour Coffee from Newcastle, Number 35 from Dorchester, Tamper Coffee from Sheffield

9 16 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival and Warwick University representing the regional stars. Paul added: It seemed the right time to put an extra bar on the True Artisan Café - so this year there will be four - providing a platform for speciality coffee supporters and pioneers from inside and outside of London." Regional roasters and coffee shops from across the country will be able to join the True Artisan Café and have the opportunity to shine. La Marzocco will also be bringing elements of the Florence factory to the festival, where visitors can watch workers building machines, with Q&A sessions to discover more about the handmade story. Paul Kelly ON THE UK COFFEE SCENE The English palate is maturing and changing - we see this with emerging trends in artisan food and craft beer, people want quality and value for money, an interaction and education from the products they buy - understanding where their coffee comes from and the processes it goes through - we want to be informed and are proud to understand how much has gone into what we drink and eat. Hotspots for coffee outside London are Bristol, Brighton, Cornwall and Sheffield. These are places that are coming alive with quality, passion and bravery to go against the old school, people are embracing it and it s fantastic. "Regional roasters and coffee shops from across the country will be able to join the True Artisan Café and have the opportunity to shine." Come and see us at stand S09 during The London Coffee Festival Stockist enquiries: suzie@keepcup.com

10 18 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival The London Coffee Scene Today Londoners are spoilt for choice; we can sip a perfectly steamed latte at a lido, watch live roasting in a spectacular roastery café or even join a class to perfect our home barista skills. Kate Beard Just a few years ago, there were barely a handful of places serving quality coffee and an order for a flat white outside Soho would be met with a bemused stare. Innovation, quality and variety have now propelled London to the status of global coffee city, rivalling even Melbourne and New York. The London Coffee Guide co-editor, Guy Simpson shares his pick of top spots across the capital to help you explore the superb coffee culture this great city has to offer NEW OPENINGS Muff Customs Café Swaggering into the creative hotbed of Hackney Wick, Muff Customs is a motorcycle workshop and café. If it has two wheels and makes a loud noise, they re interested. However, the Muff Customs Café (short for muffler, in case you were wondering) is a surprisingly tranquil setting to enjoy a coffee. Housed in a separate building from the workshop, it s a laid-back space adorned with custom motorcycle memorabilia. Like its soupedup creations, this café boasts a genuinely unique character you won t find elsewhere. 4c Roach Road, E3 2PA Tuckshop Banish from your head any thoughts of mealy school fare; Tuckshop is a choice cut for coffee and delectable antipodeaninspired food. Opened by Australian chef Magnus Reid, Tuckshop is a simple, yet inspiring space softened by the flowing fonds of numerous potted plants. The café fronts the workspaces of White Rabbit Studios, and a large internal window affords a fascinating glimpse at the creative projects of the neighbouring workshop. While Magnus oversees the food, coffee is expertly poured by Sam, formerly head barista at Nude Espresso , The Arches, Dereham Place, EC2A 3HJ Fabrique Bakery Bakery café Fabrique is a cinnamonsprinkled slice of Stockholm nestled in a railway arch near Hoxton station. The Swedish coffee break, known as fika, is a national institution almost always involving baked goods, and the sweeter the better. So it s just as well that Fabrique s artisan bakers are revered for their decadent buns, bejewelled with sugar crystals and doused with cinnamon or cardamom. The coffee is crafted with beans from Johan & Nyström, a highly respected Nordic artisan roaster. Arch 285, Geffrye St, E2 8HZ More than just great coffee The Attendant The Attendant is a coffee bar sited in a former Victorian public lavatory. This astonishing conversion has artfully preserved several original features. Suffice to say that the cups and saucers are not the only porcelain the visitor will encounter. Caravan coffee is accompanied by a mouthwatering array of New York deli style sandwiches, with orders taken through the toilet attendant s old window. Don t be shy to spend a penny or two at one of London s most original coffee venues Foley St, W1W 6DY Tower 47 Camden has long been a destination for exhilarating music, but its coffee scene has lagged behind its sister neighbourhoods like a woebegone groupie. Tower 47 is on a mission to put Camden back in the limelight. The space incorporates a coffee bar, music shop, art gallery and a set of rehearsal rooms. An ensemble of London s rock star roasters grace the coffee menu, served with plenty of New York style enthusiasm. Tower 47 draws on a shared love of coffee, music and the electric energy of Camden s streets. 47 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ Sharps Bar by DunneFrankowski An impressive collaboration with Sharps Barbers is the latest endeavour by wellgroomed coffee gents Rob Dunne and Victor Frankowski. The space is smartly partitioned: barber shop and coffee bar complementing one another without a whisker of encroachment. Coffee here is top drawer, featuring guest beans from renowned international roasters. There s an intriguing food offer too, including a series of pop-up lunchtime food residences by independent food companies. The café feels very neatly pulled together as a whole; every detail from the trim tiling to clean-cut branding befits this dapper Fitzrovia location. 9 Windmill St, W1T 2JF

11 20 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival oz 1.7bn UK consumers drink 1.7bn cups of coffee in coffee shops annually. 28% of Londoners listed artisan roasters as an important factor when ordering coffee compared with just 14% in the rest of the UK. Takeaway is king, in fact 1 in 4 Londoners have takeaway coffee every day. Londoners like their coffee short, with 21% ordering an 8oz compared to 12oz which is the most popular beverage size UK wide. 43% Londoners care about sustainability, with 43% stating that ethically sourced coffee is important to them, compared with the average 36% of UK consumers. Time is of the essence for Londoners who spend the least amount of time in a coffee shop, under 15 minutes. 23% Londoners are all about the quality of espresso. When asked what makes a great coffee 23% claimed espresso quality was key compared with 15% from the rest of the UK.??? Clued up Londoners look for country of origin when purchasing coffee to drink at home, 1 in 4 consider it important. Source: Allegra Strategies Thank You The good people at Seda provided this year's limited edition London Coffee Festival cups. We would like to say a big thank you to Seda and the coffee shops that stocked the cups and helped spread the love. 119 Lower Clapton, 46b espresso hut, Allpress Espresso Roastery, Andronicas World of Coffee, Arancini Brothers, Arlo & Moe, Artisan, Bar Italia, Bean About Town, Bea's of Bloomsbury, Ben's Canteen, Black Craft Coffee, Black Sheep Coffee, Boyce Da Roca, Cà Phê VN, Cafe at 36, Caffè Fratelli, Camden House Coffee, Caravan, Carmelite Café, Carter Lane Coffee, Climpson & Sons, Coast Coffee, Coffee Charisma Unplugged, Coffee Circus Ltd, Coffee Plant, Craft Coffee, Curators Coffee, Daily Goods, Dark Fluid, Drink Shop & Dash, Dose Espresso, E5 Bakehouse, Espresso Bar, The Ethiopian Coffee Company, Everbean, Fabrica 584, Fee & Brown, Flat Cap Coffee Co., Fleet River Bakery, The Fleet Street Press, Four Corners Café, FreeState Coffee, French & Grace, Full Stop., Giddy Up Coffee, Ginger & White, Haggerston Espresso Room, Harris + Hoole, Host Café, Kaffeine, Knot Pretzels, Lantana Café, Lazy Rhubarb, Leyas Coffee, Lily Maila, Lily Vanilli Cakes, Loaf, Local Blend, The Loft Coffee Company, Lomax Chelsea, look mum no hands!, Maison d'etre, Melrose and Morgan, Merito Coffee, New Row Coffee, Noble Espresso, Notes Coffee, Nude Espresso, Oliver's Village Café, Ozone Coffee Roasters, Pacific Social Club, Pizza Pilgrims, Prufrock Coffee, Rave Coffee, Ruby Dock, Sacred Café, Salvation Jane, Sharps Coffee Bar by DunneFrankowski, Shoreditch Grind, Slate Coffee London, Small Batch Coffee, Sophie's, Street Coffee, TAP, Taylor St. Baristas, Terrone & Co., The Adam and Eve, The Advisory, The Attendant, The Black Lab Coffee House, The Coffee Run, The Fields Beneath, The Haberdashery, The Hackney Pearl, The Modern Pantry, Platform Cafe, Bar & Terrace, The Prince Albert, The Providores and Tapa Room, The Shop, Timberyard, Tomtom Coffee House, Tower 47, Tried & True, Volcano Coffee Works, White Mulberries, Workshop Coffee Co. To enquire about our full range of products please contact us on: T: E: sales_uk@sedagroup.org A: Hawtin Park, Gellihaf, Blackwood, Gwent, NP122EU

12 22 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival DRWakefield Tackling treacherous roads to extremely remote villages and stealth money drops out the window of a low flying aircraft is all part of the day job for Simon Wakefield. As director of coffee merchant DRWakefield, Simon believes trips to origin to build long-standing relationships with farmers and roasters is the key to delivering consistent high quality conventional grades. Acting as a catalyst that brings grower and roaster together, DRWakefield aspire to transform the supply of the world s most essential coffees and Simon can often be found on adventures to origin to make this happen. Here he shares his story with us. Once upon a time The business was started by my father in This meant that our family holidays were also his business trips, so I have been visiting producing countries for many years. My working life started in logistics for a cocoa importing company in London, drawing up invoices and grading the cocoa beans. I then spent a year in Papua New Guinea working for the leading coffee exporter, who DRW represented in the UK. This involved buying parchment coffee from farmers, blending for export and cupping, but also understanding the production side and what coffee meant to a smallholder farmer. I joined DRW in 1986 as the tea boy, cupper and junior trader. Fast forward 27 years and I am some 15 years into running the business since my father took a step back. I am still regularly at the cupping table and involved in overseeing the trading practices and direction of the company. We are a healthy 100% independent company, based in London trading globally. Field trips to origin Papua New Guinea was an annual visit - usually including Sumatra and Australia at the same time totaling three weeks. We still buy our Fairtrade organic PNG coffee from the same producer group as we did 20 years ago - it was about an eight-hour drive or 40 minute helicopter flight. This particular time was payday for the farmers but the money could not be sent back to the farm by road because it would be stolen, so a four seat Cessna aircraft would be hired to make a money drop. This involved wrapping some $30,000 cash up in a coffee sack, flying up to the coop and flying low over the drying areas at stalling speed and throwing the cash out of the window and flying back to town. There was no space to land a plane and helicopters were too expensive to hire, so that s how it worked. This really emphasised the fact that coffee is produced in some extremely remote areas, picked by hand and still made its way over to the UK in a condition that meant someone could enjoy a great cup of organic coffee. This does not happen easily - it takes experience, time, money and trust. Responsibility DRW has a privileged position in the chain, which comes with responsibility. Coffee is grown a long way from home, by people who have different cultures, expectations and challenges. If we want to get a reliable source of coffee, we need to really understand its roots - where is it grown, who grows it, how is it processed and how it gets to be exported. As an importer, if we do not visit our suppliers, in my humble opinion, we cannot honestly say we are experienced physical coffee people. While there, we talk and listen to the farmers and exporters who tell us about the coffee, the weather, the logistics and all these factors contribute towards our decision of what to buy from who and when. We also learn about new farms, processes and varietals that farmers are working with, and we take the requirements of the consumer market back to the farmer so that they can make a decision of what to produce, be it washed vs. Natural, or commercial vs. Certified. We are the catalyst between the farmers and the roasters. Field trips are educational, character building and relationship adhesives. Coffee characteristics Working with all the people that we do gives us a wide appreciation of the different coffees, processes and styles. From the Sumatrans which have their parchment removed at some 40% moisture, giving a unique flavour of rich chocolate and fruits, to Ethiopia where you can have the fabulous delicate flavours from the washed process to the full fruity wow characters of the naturals, from one region, but supplied by Oromia Coop Union. Originally, I favoured the full bright acidity of the Kenyans but over the years I now prefer the softer, sweet flavours of the bourbon, carefully selected from some farms that we work with in El Salvador ( Jasal or Monte Sion) and Brazil (Daterra). These coffees work equally well in drip and espresso methods. If you don t like one coffee, try another and remember, the best coffee is the one you like. DRWakefield will be at The London Coffee Festival for the first time in 2014 with a feature named Catalysing Coffees - a concept to showcase its position in the industry - bringing grower and roaster together with a special focus on provenance, traceability, standards and quality. It will be hosting a series of green coffee masterclasses in conjunction with some of its trade partners covering topics such as sustainability, varietals and microlots, while roasters will share a corner to showcase their offering and serve a great brew. DRW itself will be running tailored cupping sessions and competitions to challenge even the most experienced palette as well as share some great stories from its 43 years in the industry.

13 24 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival UK Barista Championship Talented baristas aiming for the top will be at The London Coffee Festival to compete in the toughest coffee competitions in the country. The festival is hosting the UK Barista Championship (UKBC) alongside Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits, The Brewers Cup and Cupping competitions. After four intense days of qualifying heats at Birmingham s Millennium Point in February, 20 of the UK s top barista talent have made it through to the finals of the UKBC at The London Coffee Festival, to compete for a place in the World Barista Championship which will be held in June in Rimini. In 2013, John Gordon from Square Mile was crowned winner of the UKBC after beating more than 80 entrants and 20 semi-finalists, he will be back this year to defend his title. Last year he took the judges back to their childhoods to discover the sweet and bitter attributes of the coffee while providing them with a full sensory experience. John used a mixing deck and wireless headphones to provide the sensory and head judges with classical music while he was making his coffee. The audience was played three alternative tracks. The final sensory experience came from a smoking chamber filled with an aromatic that complemented his signature drink espresso, filling the glass the ingredients were mixed into, then drawn through a glass pipe. UK BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIP Celebrate the art of coffee making with the UK Barista Championships (UKBC). This competition tests coffee knowledge, presentation, preparation and all round barista ability. During the heats, contestants are required to make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four espresso-based non-alcoholic signature drinks. These drinks are marked by two technical and four sensory judges, who assess the knowledge of the entrants as well as their attention to detail and creativity of their signature drink. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Cup Tasting Competition Thursday April 3 - Morning Latte Art Competition Thursday April 3 - Afternoon The Brewers Cup Friday April 4 - Morning Coffee in Good Spirits Friday April 4 - Afternoon UKBC Competition Saturday April 5: UKBC Semi Finals Sunday April 6: UKBC Finals For more information and timings of all competitions go to The Top 20: 1. Maxwell Colonna Dashwood - Colonna & Smalls 2. Dale Harris - Has Bean 3. John Gordon - Square Mile 4. Darryl Docherty - Artisan Roast 5. Estelle Bright - Caravan Coffee Roasters 6. Joe Meagher - Flat Caps Coffee 7. Dan Fellows - Origin Coffee 8. Diana Johnstone - Avenue G Cafe 9. Heidi Beeton - Prufrock Coffee 10. Ewan Osprey Allan - Brew Lab 11. Casper Steel - J Atkinson & Co 12. Don Altizo - Baxter Story 13. Imogen Ludman - Six Eight Kafe 14. Steve Pearson - Devon Coffee 15. Alex Passmore - Origin Coffee 16. Chris Walton - Union Hand Roasted 17. Emiliya Yordonova - Avenue G Cafe 18. Mark Williams - Relish 19. Jason Gonzalez - Colonna & Smalls 20. Laura Holmes - Small Batch Coffee Company

14 26 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival How To Become A Barista Champion Andrew Tolley, co-founder of Taylor Street Baristas and Harris + Hoole, is a Q grader (professional cupper), sensory judge for the World Barista Championship and head judge for the UKBC. Here he tells us how to become a barista champion. Breakfast s most popular plant-powered partner Find out why plant power has caught the popular imagination and why more and more UK consumers are drinking our plant-based alternatives. Defining a good barista is pretty easy, it is becoming one that is incredibly hard. It is pretty much guaranteed that the top five baristas in the competition today have spent many years working at their craft. This means time spent working on the bar, drinking, thinking, reading, and talking coffee." Winning the UK Barista Championship is the product of dedication - there is no other way you would invest all the time, money, and effort required. Everyone who competes thinks deeply about the coffee they serve, what makes it special and how best to represent it in the cup. In a barista champion we are looking for an ambassador for speciality coffee. It is important to remember that speciality is only 3% or so of the coffee produced in the world, yet for those of us lucky enough to work in this industry it is 100% of our coffee world. The champion represents speciality coffee - it's provenance, defining qualities and flavours, the craft of the barista, and the equipment used to make a great coffee. The 15 minutes presentation time is highly scrutinised. Every word spoken, movement and coffee made is assessed by seven judges. We look for professionalism, coffee knowledge, customer service, technical and sensory proficiency, movement, workflow, accurate taste descriptors, enthusiasm/ communication skills and the barista's personality and ability to get their message across. Under all of this scrutiny it is easy to make simple mistakes. The best routines are clearly well rehearsed and the most successful competitors know the rules and regulations back to front. Baristas often lose points by going overtime, using essences with alcohol or putting liquids on the machine. These are easy mistakes to avoid and will save a lot of points if avoided. A good barista is the sum of these parts Humility Knowing how much you don t know, and honouring all the people who have laboured to get the coffee to you. Enthusiasm Enjoying the challenge of working with a complex raw product, and using tools, skills, knowledge and experience to make it taste damn good. Knowledge Origin, agronomy, processing, technical and sensory - you have to lap it up like a kitten drinking a latte. There is more training and resources available now than ever. Skill It only comes with hours and hours of practice, 10,000 of them if you want to gain expertise according to Malcolm Gladwell. Dedication Don't get distracted, stay focused on being the best barista you can be, few other jobs will offer the same level of satisfaction through mental, sensory, social and physical stimulation. Experience All baristas make mistakes, the best baristas don't serve them. You need experience to minimise mistakes and rapidly rectify them. Training Training is fundamental to any quality focused coffee business and this is why we have developed the training program with Harris + Hoole to be at the forefront of all barista training. I do not know of another coffee business that formally trains its baristas to the standards we do before they step into a shop. An early lesson we have learnt with our barista training at Harris + Hoole is that theory and practical training needs to be enhanced with in shop experience. The real world experience consolidates everything learnt in the training centre and allows us to then develop the baristas further. Our current program has a three-month initiate training, followed by further training in-store. This is a huge investment but we recognise that good coffee and training go hand in hand. To develop our baristas further we also hold the Hoolympics. These competitions emulate the Barista Championships, Brewer's Cup, Cupping, and Latte Art competitions. Competitors are judged to the same standards by our UKBC certified judges." Alpro stand HP4 + HP5 Using Alpro as an alternative to milk in your favourite drink or adding it to your lovingly created porridge or smoothie makes a surprisingly tasty change LCF COFFEE AD.indd 1 11/02/ :32

15 28 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Spotted We snapped you beautiful lot around town enjoying your favourite caffeine fix. Just because. Andy (Graphic Designer) Spotted: Workshop, Clerkenwell Drinking: Flat white Favourite coffee shop: Tap, Look Mum No Hands Favourite places for brunch: Workshop, Caravan Coffee at home: Gaggia espresso machine, French Press, moka pot Rachel (Teacher) Spotted: Federation Coffee, Brixton Village Drinking: Flat white Favourite coffee shop: Federation Favourite places for brunch: Duck Egg Café, Brixton Coffee at home: Cafetiere, Aeropress Tristan (Knowledge Transfer Manager) Spotted: Shoreditch Drinking: Black Americano Favourite coffee shop: Look Mum No Hands Favourite places for brunch: The New Rose, Angel Coffee at home: French Press Juliet (Journalism student) Spotted: Brick Lane Drinking: Chai latte Favourite coffee shop: Craft Coffee Favourite places for brunch: The Barrel Boulangerie, Hackney Coffee at home: Cafetiere Rossi (Digital Marketing Manager) Spotted: The Book Club, Shoreditch Drinking: White Americano Favourite coffee shop: Anywhere that serves Musetti coffee Favourite places for brunch: Bella Italia Coffee at home: Vintage percolator Georgia (Coffee Packer) Spotted: Federation Coffee, Brixton Village Drinking: Flat white Favourite coffee shop: Allpress Favourite places for brunch: Cafeand, Shoreditch Coffee at home: Cafetiere Stuart (Online Marketing) Spotted: Burnt Toast Café, Brixton Village Drinking: Green tea Favourite coffee shop: Fernandez & Wells, Soho Favourite places for brunch: Burnt Toast Café Coffee at home: Aeropress Mark (Designer, Blogger, Photographer) Spotted: Craft Coffee, Brick Lane Drinking: Flat White Favourite coffee shop: Nude Espresso Favourite places for brunch: The Counter Café, Hackney Coffee at home: Aeropress

16 30 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Marvellous Milk Fresh cold milk, steaming techniques and the perfect pour are the all-important factors to get that artistic fern in your latte. As the official milk sponsor of The London Coffee Festival, Cravendale will be setting up its very own Milk Bar bringing with them a whole host of fun activities to show you how milk can be marvellous. On Thursday, Friday and Sunday you can watch top baristas from across the UK compete in the Cravendale M.I.L.K. Battle. The heats taking place on Thursday and Friday will see baristas go head-to-head to test who can create the most elaborate latte art. The final takes place on Sunday where one barista will win the trip of a lifetime to a coffee country of origin. Weekend visitors to the festival are invited to see if they can beat the barista. Throughout the day Cravendale s barista will be offering milk masterclasses, from how to achieve the perfect foam to how to create impressive latte art at home. Everyone who tries to beat the barista will be entered in to a prize draw to win a coffee machine and a year s supply of Cravendale. Head to the Milk Bar to discover why milk matters. Coffee consultants DunneFrankowski share their tips for steaming and pouring milk. 1. Always use fresh milk - would you eat old fruit? For most of us the answer would be no. Fresh fruit is sweet, acidic and tasty and it s the same with milk. Fresh milk will taste sweeter and make a creamer texture when steamed for coffee. The higher the fat content the creamer the milk becomes. Milk develops bacteria as it ages making it harder to steam and texture correctly. 2. Always use cold milk - when steaming milk always use milk straight out of the fridge. The colder the milk is, the longer it takes to heat up, which gives us a longer time to texture it and turn it into a silky smooth liquid. The longer you texture the smoother the milk becomes. 3. Stretch the milk within the first five seconds - in the coffee world we refer to stretching milk when we insert air bubbles into it. Inserting air bubbles into the milk is the first step to creating micro foam and depending on how much air you insert you can create thin or thick micro foam. The large bubbles we insert then get diluted during texturing, hence the reason why we insert air bubbles right at the start. 4. Too much banging doesn t do it a lot of good - all the work which you need to do to the milk should be done on the steam wand, having the milk textured and heated properly ready to be poured. If all is done correctly then you don t need to bang the jug. By banging the jug you are helping gravity come into effect and separate the milk and foam, which you then have to re-texture to pour. The only time you should bang the jug is when you have bubbles on the surface of the milk, which need to be popped. 5. If you don t see a pattern you re too far away - when you start to pour and you want to see a pattern of sorts appearing, it should. If nothing is coming out it usually means that the tip of the jug is too far from the surface of the milk. You might have to change the angle of the cup or the jug to get the tip of the spout closer to the milk. 6. Follow the steps - if you don t have a good espresso, you won t have a good coffee at the end. Imagine you start with garlic in a sauce - if you burn it the sauce just doesn t taste right. The same goes for milk - you need to texture and heat the milk correctly to be able to pour a pattern correctly and get the right texture for the correct drink.

17 32 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival

18 34 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Union Hand-Roasted Coffee Union is a speciality artisan coffee roaster based in east London where it hand roasts coffee every day in small batches to display the coffee s fullest expression of flavour and aroma. There is a whole host of plant-based pick-me-ups available in our favourite coffee shops such as soya, almond and hazelnuts alternatives to milk for a dairy-free flat white or gluten and wheat free snacks full of fruit and natural ingredients. They can help you take care of your wellbeing and waistline, or provide a tasty option for those with allergies and intolerances. Research from Allegra Strategies shows that soy drink consumption in coffee shops is now considered mainstream with 11% of coffee shop users drinking a soy based beverage once a month. Attitudes towards what we put into our bellies are changing - 95% of consumers surveyed in 2013 by Allegra Foodservice stated that they either have or would want to have a healthier lifestyle. Fairly obvious Plant Power So much good stuff grows straight from the ground and you don t need a spade, just a spoon to enjoy healthy plant powered foods. as a stated intention, however this was an increase from 90% in Kate Arthur, Alpro UK s dietician said: Plant-based eating is easy - just incorporate whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables into your diet - such as picking up an almond porridge or a soya latte to add more nutrients to your diet. Almond or soya alternatives to milk are low in saturated fat and calories, while being packed with essential nutrients and vitamins. We are increasingly choosing plant-based foods as we look for healthier choices and free-from products are appearing on menus so we can still enjoy a dense chocolate brownie or two without the guilt or anaphalic shock. Nude Espresso cafés for example, have a delightful gluten and wheat free peanut butter with chocolate ganache cookie and gluten free orange and almond cake with berries and compote on its list of baked goods. There will be plenty of delicious and healthy treats at the festival. Check out Bee Me Yogurt serving up natural, low fat, make-yourday frozen yogurt to nurture your body and soul, Nakd Wholefoods snack bars are made from fruits and nuts lovingly smooshed together to make a delicious healthy whole food snack with no added sugars or syrups and are wheat, dairy and gluten free, plus one of your five-a-day, Moma Pots of Bircher Muesli are packed full of plump, apple juicesoaked wholegrain oats, tangy fruit and low fat probiotic yoghurt, Arancini Brothers will be whipping up its hand made wholesome risotto balls and Rola Wala (pictured above) will create fresh Indian inspired street food with super thin naan filled with colourful crunchy salad and sharp pickles. Someone told me some time ago that coffee roasting is nine-tenths science and one-tenth witchcraft - it s very true, said Jeremy Torz, co-owner of Union Hand-Roasted Coffee as we talk about the importance of knowing and nurturing your beans for the perfect roast. When it comes to roasting I tend to look at coffee like photographic negatives - some pictures you see are very tonal, bold and emotive and there are other images that are very soft, subtle and gentle - I think of coffees in the same way - there are coffees with big personalities and character so they need a little bit more development, a bit more driving, a firm hand on the roaster, with a hotter roast, where as other coffees will need something a bit more gentle so not to override their delicate inherent characteristics. You really have to know your coffees, what potential it has and where it has been grown to inform how you roast it. You learn through experience. The most important thing for someone roasting coffee is to learn to critically taste it - if they can critically taste the coffee then they can relate that back into the roast. Every batch consignment we bring from origin we will do two, three or four test roasts, then taste those in detail, looking at times and temperature and then decide on the best way of roasting that particular coffee. It all comes down to the micro-climates in which they were grown and the way they were processed. For example we have some wonderful coffees that we call honey coffees - they are produced in a particular way after harvesting where by there is a small amount of the coffee cherry fruit left on the bean and left to sun dry. If they are roasted too hot then all of the extra sugars are destroyed, explains Jeremy. You really have to know your coffees, what potential it has and where it has been grown to inform how you roast it. Union is returning to The London Coffee Festival this year with its Roastery on Tour where visitors can experience the intensity of the roast first hand, as Jeremy and business partner Steven Macatonia expertly demonstrate their craft roasting in a vintage San Francisco Roaster. There will also be an origin themed espresso and brew bar and you can take part in a flavour challenge to test your senses. Jeremy said: The London Coffee Festival is a great environment for people to come and find out more about coffee and we want to give visitors a point of difference and a learning opportunity. We are again roasting coffee live to demonstrate the roasting process and show how much of an artisan skill it really is. There will also be a taste challenge. When we talk about great flavours and nuances that coffees have, some of these flavours are really broad and bold, then some are more subtle, so what we will be doing is inviting people to take part in a challenge where they have three cups in front of them and they have to pick the odd one out against the clock. It s a chance for people to participate in a tasting that replicates the way we taste coffee as professionals to evaluate and buy it. There will be prizes too.

19 36 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival We will have a selection of our supreme micro-lots, which are coffees that are incredibly characterful with amazing flavours and represent small parcels from individual farms that may only be one or two sacks - coffee from where the sun, moon and stars all come into alignment on the day of harvesting. Jeremy recently returned from an origin trip to Ethiopia where he is working to preserve the sustainability of natural coffee reserves, he said: The whole premise behind Union is that we want the best coffees year in, year out, we are not interested in opportunistic buying, we try to develop multi year relationships with communities that are producing great coffee. In Ethiopia they have a real challenge with farmers encroaching into some of the wild forest areas which are long standing natural forests, where a lot of the trees are being cut down to increase farm land, but in reality there is a lot of coffee that grows wild in the forest and if the forest canopy is managed carefully you can get quality coffee production in those areas without disturbing the forest. We are now working in conjunction with the Royal Horticultural Society Kew Gardens to work together on a forest canopy stabilisation project. Coffee is very sensitive to its environmental temperature and in a number of growing countries the coffee does not do well in direct sunlight so they have to be given some shaded tree protection but the amount of shading is The most important thing for someone roasting coffee is to learn to critically taste it - if they can critically taste the coffee then they can relate that back into the roast. important to get the balance right. A lot of the work we are going to be doing over in Ethiopia alongside buying coffee, is a lot of technical training with other specialists to advise the farmers how much they need to thin and manage the forest canopy, without disturbing the sustainability and in fact in turn protecting the sustainability of coffee. It all comes down to trust - for 150 years that coffee has been in commercial cultivation, farmers and growers have been told that they are not worth anything and are at the bottom of the chain - but our work moves them significantly up there by giving them respect and dignity for what they do and that goes a long way in building important and strong relationships. The real gem is that Ethiopia for us is the birth place of coffee and most of the coffee that is grown around the world nowadays has a very narrow genetic diversity which means its very susceptible to pests, diseases and a narrow range of temperature. We believe that the coffee that is growing naturally in wild forests retains the full complete gene pool of coffee - so it s very important for the future of coffee to look after the natural reserve.

20 38 The London Coffee Festival 2014 The London Coffee Festival Time For Tea Whether it s a mug of strong builder s with two sugars, soothing floral chamomile or fragrant loose leaf jasmine tea, us Brits love a good cuppa. According to The UK Tea Council 66% of the British population drink tea every day, that s 165 million cups daily or 60.2 billion per year. So alongside being a nation of coffee lovers there is also still a thirst for all aspects of tea. Coffee shops across the UK are also taking tea seriously, such as Sacred cafés that serve its own house loose leaf tea blend which is grown in co-owner Tubbs Wanigasekera s family fourth generation plantation - Nandana Tea Factory in Akuressa, Sri Lanka. All the teas at Sacred are loose-leaf and hand filled at ordering in specially made pouches - teabags are banned. Make sure you drink-in to enjoy your tea from a beautiful antique teapot from Tubbs extensive collection. The London Coffee Festival is not only all about the bean, it is also flying the flag for tea-totallers too. From Indian inspired 99% caffeine free Chai latte by Drink Me Chai and slimming infusions by EqualiTea to organic tropical green tea by The London Tea Company, there will be plenty to sip and sample at the festival. Chill Out Cold brew teas are a perfect pick-meup for a refreshing post lunch slump fix and will prove a staple tipple during the summer months. The Brew Tea Co use hand-picked, rolled, whole leaf tea that is perfect for cold brew. Co-founder Phil Kirby, said: We small batch blend classic teas, but do them as they should be done - for a proper cup of tea. We encourage a less is more approach - quality rather than quantity - this leaves plenty of room for innovation, like cold brew. Cold brew iced tea has its advantages. Brewing the tea for longer over many hours helps to extract a full range of balanced flavours from the leaf, but equally the tannin doesn t infuse, leaving a super crisp and refreshing drink. It presents endless opportunities to customise and offer healthier cold drinks, plus the iced tea market is long overdue a makeover. We re finding that by focusing on real tea and classic blends our customers are getting excited by what tea can offer them - particularly when they know about how to prepare a great cup. English Breakfast is around 75% of our business which just goes to show that folks absolutely love tea, they just need a quality brew which has been blended and prepared with care. Phil Kirby s tips for a proper cup of tea: Something the coffee guys are amazing at is taking the time and effort to make great drinks with their ingredients. While tea perhaps needs less equipment, there are three critical things to look out for: How Much Tea? You need to use just the right amount of tea for your water. It varies slightly with the leaf shape and size but we recommend 2.5g for every 200ml of water. Water Temperature The water temperature for classic English Breakfast (or any black tea) needs to be boiling, anything less and the tea can taste a little flat - this means brewing the tea before you add milk - it ll cool the water and stop the brew. Brew This is the most important thing for rolled, whole leaf tea. You should allow between three and five minutes depending on your preferred strength, never more than five as this is when the tea will start to stew and become a little bitter. Armed with the best tea and these steps you can t go wrong. Brew Time Brew Tea Co s Earl Grey & Vanilla Cold Brew Ingredients Earl Grey loose leaf tea 400ml cold, filtered water One fresh vanilla pod Tea Pot The Method Place three teaspoons of Earl Grey loose leaf tea into the teapot. Gently split the vanilla pod and scrape all of the seeds into the teapot. Fill the pot with either cold or room temperature filtered water and stir it all up a little. Throw in the vanilla pod and pop the lid on. Leave your cold brew in the fridge for around five hours, or overnight, and pour over ice into a chunky glass when you re ready to go.