![]() “With its skill, quality and just a little bit of madness – DJs playing and cocktails flying around while baristas are working on the drinks – The London Coffee Festival has become a very energised event. “As it’s grown over the years, you now see roasters showcasing their café partners and vice versa, championing their beliefs and mission statements,” says Kelly. In doing so, the interactive format provided a vital boost for fledgling businesses to experiment and gain exposure. “It was the first event to have the vision to invite consumers to try new coffee experiences and that sparked a lot of interest and passion,” recalls Kelly.įrom the outset, The True Artisan Café sought to provide a platform for roasters and cafés to showcase signature drinks, cocktails and food and test new innovations on an eager public. With a critical mass of specialty coffee businesses now buzzing in the UK capital, in 2011 the very first London Coffee Festival was launched to catalyse growing consumer appetite for boutique café experiences and artisan beverages. The True Artisan Café invites baristas to showcase their signature drunks and coffee cocktails “Many of these new businesses gave people their very first taste of the artisan coffee shop experience – then it spread out across the country." “Shoreditch was turning into a media hub because of the dotcom boom and the rise of digital businesses in the area, which led to increased demand for coffee shops and bars. “London embraced specialty coffee culture quite quickly,” recalls Kelly. In particular, the rise of Shoreditch in East London as a hub of digital entrepreneurship provided the ideal incubator for UK coffee shop culture to develop and thrive. Specialty coffee innovators such as Climpson & Sons, Nude Espresso, Allpress Espresso, Grind, and Ozone were all making their mark in the UK capital in the 2000s and 2010s. That’s not to talk them down: they changed a lot of perceptions.” “Many of these cafés had a very basic aesthetic when they first opened – a lot of pallets and coffee sacks – because all their money went on quality equipment. In doing so, they spurred a newfound appreciation for coffee among the UK public, making it possible for a new wave of coffee shops and roasteries to flourish. Recalling the wave of Australian and New Zealand coffee talent that jumpstarted the UK’s specialty coffee scene, Kelly says these young entrepreneurs were among the first to foster respect for coffee as an artisan product. "The passion that is put into the delivery of a coffee or cocktail is remarkable” ![]() “There wasn’t really a coffee culture in the UK back in the early 2000s, but you could see the change coming,” he tells 5THWAVE. Specialty coffee terms such as single origin and roasting profiles are becoming increasingly common fixtures in the UK’s coffee lexicon – testament to the hard work of the industry in championing the value of artisan coffee and boutique café spaces.Ī longstanding member of the UK coffee industry, La Marzocco UK & Ireland General Manager Paul Kelly has enjoyed a front seat at the development of UK coffee culture, which has changed beyond recognition since his early days working in the foodservice industry. Pairing esteemed roasters and cafés in an interactive setting, the concept has given countless consumers their first taste of artisan innovations including cold brew, nitro – and of course – the now legendary espresso martini. ![]() Making its debut at the first ever London Coffee Festival back in 2011, La Marzocco’s The True Artisan Café was designed to celebrate the visionaries and pioneers of the independent coffee community. Main image: The iconic Linea Mini at the London Coffee Festival | Inset: Paul Kelly, General Manager, La Marzocco UK & I | All photos courtesy of La Marzocco
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