London Coffee Festival 2017
Recently some of the Java Republic team, Monika and Gerry, along with Emiliano from KC Peaches, headed to the London Coffee Festival. They had some really interesting stories to share from their experiences, so here is a snippet of what each of them thought about the festival:
Monika
We kicked off bright and early, meeting my wonderful team at the airport. It was an early start and a long day but hey, I wouldn’t have it any other way! We landed few minutes ahead of time and with loads of enthusiasm, laughter and….gin and ice (And it’s not what you think! The gin was needed for our amazing signature drinks!) We headed straight to the event after landing. The place was extremely busy, with loads of coffee and tea and of course…and a massive chocolate masterpiece that was the height of a Grizzly bear! So fabulous!
If you are coffee lover, this place is a must! You can find anything here, from Steampunk Cold Drip, (which looks nearly like a time machine), to Floral Teas- and I literally mean tea that has real flowers in it. Absolutely spectacular.
Also, if you like challenges, you can test yourself to a sensory skill test by trying to match four different samples of filter coffees to its flavours: spices and nuts, citrus and floral, chocolates and caramel, and berry-like fruit. I was really proud to be on the top of the list after trying! Overall, it seems that the London market is very proud of its juicy, sweet and mellow range of coffees, but I personally am a lover of chocolaty, nutty and caramel notes…so will stick with Ireland for now!
Emiliano
Hello guys! First of all, I would like to thank the guys from Java Republic, Gerry and Monika. Both of them were brilliant from start to finish. It was the first time I have ever attended the festival, and I loved the vibe that you could feel in London, the passion everywhere for coffee, and how excited the people were about the festival.
The set-up of the festival was amazing. It was very well organized and showed a lot of new items and various types of equipment I had never seen before. One of the most interesting things was the Floral Tea, with the flower immersed in the glass. It was very cool and extremely effective. One thing that I think will work well here in Ireland is the new cactus water plant. It is 100% natural, no added sugar, and half the calories of coconut water!
There were so many different types of coffee. There were several that were very close to what I like to drink, and others that were a bit too elaborated for me, but it was interesting to see how they are made and what equipment is used, such as the new cool Nitro Brew. I am really looking forward to the festival again next year!
Gerry
On a chirpy Thursday morning I awakened to my alarm singing the latest tunes. My head turned toward the display…. 3.00 am. It was the London Coffee & Tea festival and I was to meet the team at Dublin Airport for 4.30!
The London Coffee & Tea festival is a huge affair, covering two floors with everything you need to know and see. Speciality teas with new flavours, such as pickle, were available to taste. There were some of the old favourites too, (Floral Tea), with the flower bulb on display in water in the glass. Amazing to see. And instead of coconut water you now have Cactus water….interesting! Frank & Earnest’s Cold Nitro brew has improved a lot. Instead of that typical cold coffee with a bitter taste, it now has a light milk chocolate taste and is sold in cans and bottles. It would work in a warmer country, but I can’t see it taking off in a colder climate. And who ever knew that Tate & Lyle, (the sugar people), did syrups for coffee?! There were of course lots and lots of coffees to taste. The London scene still promotes the lighter fruitier style of coffee, although there were the medium & darker roasts available, such as dark chocolates and nuts or caramel. All of them were well made with great balance of tastes. We came across an IKAWA sample roaster. I saw this last year and I still think it’s a good product, although I haven’t used it. Not cheap, but it could be what the budding roaster needs!
The team, consisting of Monika Mak, Emiliano Gargiulo and Gerry Hughes, went on to the La Marzocco stand, and were the first people to use the new La Marzocco 90 in England and Ireland. What a pleasure and an honour!
The signature drink they created was called A Sweet Beauty (named in honour of Emiliano’s girlfriend!).
It consisted of a double Rwandan espresso with two brown sugars added on top and brewed. The cup was half filled with ice and Tonic water, allowing room for the double espresso. Result = nice, crisp, light finish with the fruity, sweet tastes coming along for the ride. Overall, a balanced drink that was well received by the public.
Until next time,
Monika, Gerry and Emiliano 🙂
