We’re all about innovation, and there’s nothing better than a heritage brand that is dedicated to pioneering technology. That’s why The London Coffee Festival is proud to partner with Cimbali UK for 2018.
From the production of its first coffee machine – the Rapida – in 1930, to winning the prestigious Compasso d’Oro prize in 1962, for its striking, minimal and modern design, La Cimbali has long been one of the great Italian innovators.
This year’s London Coffee Festival is no exception. Get ready to trial and test your senses at their brand-new experiences, set to educate even the savviest of coffee connoisseurs. Here’s what they’ve got planned.
Imagine you enter a room, knowing you’re about to embark on a journey of taste discovery. You take a seat at the bar and forget everything but your senses. Your four-part tasting experience begins with their newly created espresso Barbarella mkIV, exclusively curated for The London Coffee Festival; a fruity mix of Washed Kenyan Kathakwa Embu AA , Natural Rwandan Gatare and Washed Colombian Cauca Totoro.
Part two is about deconstruction. See, smell and taste the three individual components of Barbarella mk IV in espresso format. Then, compare the flavour development of one of the coffees served as a cold brew.
Finally sample all three of theBarbarella mk IV coffees as individual pour overs. Cimbali’s Group Coffee Specialist, Rob Ward, will lead you through the flavour journey. Ask questions, challenge presumptions and take your coffee knowledge to the next stage.
Now tell us; can you imagine a more compelling foray into the world of coffee?
(The Sensory Bar is open Thursday and Friday by invite only. Email info@londoncoffeefestival.com for information.)
But perhaps you something straight up? Turn, instead, to the Benchmark Bar, located just next door. This menu represents the benchmark standard of high quality coffee – deliverable even when your cafĂ© is full to the brim – and you’ll have four options to choose from.
The Benchmark Blend, a chocolatey blend, of Natural Beneficio Pedra Branca Brazilian Yellow Bourbon and Red Honey Las Lajas Finca Sebana Redonda Costa Rican beans, and the same fruity Barbarella mk IV that’s deconstructed in the Sensory experience above. The former is served long, and the latter short; choose each either with or without milk and leave with the perfect cup.
(Available throughout the festival.)
Guest presenting the Sensory Bar from 3pm on Trade Days and all day all weekend-long are one the finalist duos from Coffee Mixologists, our barista-mixologist competition taking place in March at The Amsterdam Coffee Festival.
Expect the more great coffee, worked into a landmark cocktail, curated by leading competitors in the coffee mixology scene. Expect to be wowed and entertained, in a visual and flavour experience that breaks out of the box.
(Bookable experience, available soon.)

Having sponsored The London Coffee Festival since its inception in 2011, Cimbali UK have been dedicated to the burgeoning specialty coffee industry since the beginning, championing the sharing of key coffee knowledge and expertise. MUMAC, the Cimbali coffee machine museum, opened its doors to the public in Italy, 2012. With almost 25,000 visitors having crossed its threshold since, it’s the beating heart of this Cimbali spirit. Click here for more on MUMAC