Monday 4 May 2015

Calling All Coffee Addicts: London Coffee Festival

This year the UK's largest coffee and artisan food event returned back to Brick Lane's Old Truman Brewry to celebrate London's bustling and vibrant coffee scene. Being a massive coffee enthusiast and having never forgiven myself for missing out on the event last year, I left every virtual reminder possible in hopes of getting my hands on some tickets this year round - I have the likes of iPhone reminders and post-it notes to thank for this!
For those of you that are not so crazy about coffee, or are unaware of this exhibition, London Coffee Festival takes place just in time for the UK's Coffee Week (May 4th - 10th). Featuring over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, live demonstrations, workshops, live music and art exhibitions, LCF is an unmissable event for coffee lovers and those working in the coffee scene.
Coffee Master Competition Finals
'Hyde Park' inside the exhibition where live music and DJs performed whilst coffee lovers sipped away
The festival kicked off to the public on Friday 1st May through to Sunday 3rd May with three 3-hour daily sessions - brunch (10am-1pm), lunch (1-4pm) and tea (4-7pm). Myself and a friend purchased tickets for the lunch slot on Sunday, so we took ourselves to Brick Lane and waited in line for the start of the exhibition. Upon scanning our tickets and arriving inside the Old Truman Brewery we were greeted by barrista's handing out official LCF tote bags filled with goodies - this, I was extremely excited about! We then proceeded from stand to stand, trying various coffee blends, teas and artisan bakery bits.
Obviously I made a friend from the Starbucks stand! I even bagged loads of goodies and had tasters
A few drinks stood out to me and one of them was a 20 hour steeped cold brew from Starbucks - only available in small batches at 20 UK Starbucks', this cold brew is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for hours on end. This slow method makes the drink far less acidic and more smoother, unlike the result of ordinary cafetiere/boiling water brew method. Another Starbucks favourite of the day was the 'Mintspresso' -  essentially a double espresso, a handful of fresh mint leaves mixed with sweetener and poured over ice. The mixture was then shaken in a cocktail shaker until the ingredients became a 'muddle', it was then poured into a glass and topped with sparkling water. If you like a cold brew, like myself, and a fan of mint then you should give this drink a go at home. The incredibly kind barista talked me through the whole process, and let me have a go at making my own. Very easy drink to make!
Waiting in line for my espresso martini!
Ladies and gents, may I introduce you to the Martini Espresso Bar where I tried quite possibly one of my favourite and most delicious alcoholic cocktails to date! Blended with coffee liquor, an espresso shot and topped with vodka that has been distilled in the Czech Republic. 
What's a day out without indulging in some mouth watering street food? I was surprised when I found out the exhibtion had a whole section dedicated to artisan gourmet food and pop-up food stalls. There was food courtesy of Arancini Bros, Herman ze German and St John Bakery. Being the bratwurst fan that I am, I had to opt for Herman ze German. Their menu had a range of bratwursts from pork, smoked pork, veal, beef and veggie options - I went for the 'chilli beef', which was served in a brioche roll with ketchup and mustard and topped with sauerkraut and crispy onions (totally wanting to relive this delicious moment).

I would totally recommend this festival for anyone debating to go next year, I'm sure I'll be paying the exhibition a visit every year from now. A very interesting, exciting and tasty day. Let me know what your thoughts were if you went this year, I'd love to hear of your experiences!

Saina
xo

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