Proudly supported by Lavazza...
Get into the nitty gritty details of the coffee industry with exciting sessions at The Lab to stimulate thought, which have been hand-chosen for all baristas, café owners, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs and straight up coffee fanatics. From sustainability to inspiring women leaders to the data behind what makes the coffee consumer tick, the sessions will cover the emerging trends and important topics impacting the coffee industry. Proudly supported by our friends at Lavazza, the Industry sessions are curated to educate, inspire and entertain.
View the 2023 programme below.
10:30 | The Coffee Consumer: How Have They Evolved?
Blonnie Whist, Insight Director, Lumina Intelligence
Where, when, what, with who… Join food and drink insight experts Lumina Intelligence for this session dedicated to the coffee consumer. Find out what motivates them to visit, how their behaviour has changed over time and how you can attract more of them in the future...
11:15 | Faemina Sensory Experience: The Perfect Espresso in the Palm of Your Hand
Angelo Sportelli, Trainer at MUMAC Academy Coffee Specialist, Gruppo Cimbali
Join Angelo Sportelli, Trainer at MUMAC Academy, for this interactive session showcasing the Be Faema app. The app that allows users you to set the parameters, as well as be part of the community of coffee lovers and be constantly updated on the coffee world.
12:00 | WatchHouse: Driving Growth Through Crowdfunding
Roland Horne, Founder and CEO, WatchHouse
In September, WatchHouse launched its first ever crowdfunding campaign. The campaign closed seven days earlier than expected, having raised over £3million - 308% above the target. Join this session, our WatchHouse discuss the process of crowdfunding, sharing actionable advice to other businesses looking to grow through investment.
12:45 | Coffee Masterclass with Rasty, Coffee Master Champion 2022
Rastislav "Rasty" Kasár, Head of Coffee, Four Boroughs
Rastislav Kasár is the reigning Coffee Master Champion (2022) and Coffee in Good Spirits Champion (2023). ‘Neither barista nor bartender, but equally both’ is Rasty’s moto, fusing together the complex notes of coffee with alcohol to compliment and curate stand-out cocktails. Rasty has dedicated his passion of coffee and spirits to his métier and has worked in some of the best bars in the world including the American Bar at the Savoy and Kwānt by Erik Lörincz.
14:00 | The State of the UK Coffee Shop Market: Highlights from Project Café UK 2023
With Jeffrey Young, CEO & Founder, Allegra Group
The £4.9bn UK branded coffee shop market has defied economic challenges and difficult trading conditions to achieve strong growth over the last 12 months. In this session, Jeffrey Young presents the key findings from Allegra Group's Project Café UK 2023 report and discusses the consumer trends and key dynamics shaping the future of the UK branded coffee shop market.
14:45 | Innovative Ideas in Sustainability, from Green Coffee to Single-Use
A panel discussion hosted by Emma Haines, UK Sales Manager, Algrano. Panelists include: Shaunagh Duncan, Head of Sustainability, UK & BENELUX, Oatly | Malin Helgman, Head of Digital Innovation, Lofbergs | Luiza Pereira Furquim, Head of Content, Algrano
Coffee is a sustainability leader among commodities, with the highest percentage of certified products. As an industry, we remain hyper-aware of the barriers to reducing carbon emissions and improving the prosperity of coffee producers. Join this panel, hosted by direct trade platform Algrano, to learn how different companies are having an impact at different stages of the supply chain and discover the disruptive ideas that are pushing sustainability forward.
15:30 | Reaching new heights at home
Panel session hosted by Professor Jonathan Morris, The Coffee Historian. Panelists include: Ben Brooker, Sales Manager, La Marzocco | Luke Powell, General Manager, Brewed By Hand | Kristian Lincoln, Speciality Coffee Manager UK, Sage | Carles Gonzalez, Product & Coffee Competence Manager, Rancilio Group.
Innovation across the industry is rife. Join this session, as Jonathan Morris, The Coffee Historian, sits down with leading coffee machine manufacturers to discuss the future of at-home coffee. What do consumers want from their coffee machines? What's driving innovation? What does the future look like?
10:20 | Supporting the Industry: An Update from the British Coffee Association
Paul Rooke, Executive Director, British Coffee Association
The UK is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, which is resulting in significant headwinds that are being felt across the entire supply chain. At the same time there are ongoing regulatory changes and some significant global challenges for the whole coffee sector. Join this session as we hear from the voice of UK coffee, the British Coffee Association on the recent work it has been doing to support and represent our industry...
10:50 | Virunga National Park Coffees: Producing Speciality Arabica Coffee Against the Odds
Martin Holliday, Head of Business Development, Farm Africa and Dirk Sickmueller, Senior Trader, Speciality EMEA, Volcafe Ltd
Farm Africa invites partner and collaborator Dirk Sickmueller, Head of Volcafe Ltd, to share the story behind Arabica coffee produced by smallholder farmers in eastern DR Congo. We explore how Farm Africa and the Virunga National Park, with funding from the European Union, have invested in increasing the quality and quantity of coffee produced by local cooperatives to take it to a global market. We look at the journey from origin to roaster, the challenges faced by coffee growing communities and the National Park, and what it means to build an ethical coffee value chain.
11:30 | Inclusive Onboarding: Welcoming Fresh Talent to the Industry
Panel session with hosted by Aashifa Hussain, Senior Coffee Trainer and AST, Well Grounded. Panelists include: Jordan Moore, Head of Talent, GAIL's Bakery | Tina Morgan, Barista & Well Grounded Graduate, Gather & Gather | Lynne Christie-Deutsch, Account Director, Gather & Gather | Sophia Browne, Operations Director Popham's Bakery
Staff shortages are causing signifcant challenges across the hospitality industry.Resolving this crisis is key to growth for the industry. In this session, hosted by Well Grounded Senior Coffee Trainer and AST Aashifa Hussain, we explore some of the barriers faced by new talent to the industry and how businesses can adapt to create more inclusive onboarding practices.
12:15 | Scaling up a coffee business with La Marzocco
Panel session with: Rosie Lowery, Marketing Manager, La Marzocco UK & Ireland | James Hennebry, CEO, Rosslyn | Haydn Darke, Director, Kin and Ilk | Chelsea Finch, Director, District and Where’s Fred’s
Ever wondered how your favourite coffee business grew from one shop to many sites? Join La Marzocco and their guests to hear a wide variety of stories, all ready to discuss how they began, how they grew, and what keeps them going.
13:00 | Women in Coffee: Inspiring Leaders Showing the Way
A panel discussion hosted by Camilla Morgan, Community Manager, SCA and Sales Manager, Victoria Arduino.
Panelists include: Bharti Radix, Founder, BloomsYard | Emma Haines, Sales Manager, Algrano and Director, Caffeina Consulting | Jessica Worden, Head of Coffee, GAIL's Bakery
The coffee industry strives to be inclusive and continues to drive change in key areas, such as diversity, gender equality and sustainability. During this session, we will be hearing from influential, inspiring women leaders showing the way. Learn about their journey, what they have achieved and be inspired to make a positive change in your business.
13:45 | Good, clean and fair. How blockchain can support the evolution of the specialty coffee paradigm. A real 'bean to cup journey' in Brazil.
Hosted by Michele Cannone, Global Brand Director - Away from Home Channel, Lavazza. Panelists include: Andrea Londono, Partners Manager, ALO | Matteo Vanotti, Founder, xFarm
Michele Cannone is the Global Brand Director for the Away from Home Channel at Lavazza. Michele has been instrumental in the implementation of 1895 by Lavazza. This specialty coffee range features a selection of the finest coffee beans sourced from independent plantations and certified cooperatives.
15:00 | Working Together for a More Sustainable Future
Camilla Morgan, Sales Manager, Victoria Arduino and Josh Brown, Interim Head of Coffee, GAIL's Bakery
Sustainability is high on the agenda and the need for action is becoming increasingly urgent. The coffee industry is already making great strides in the right direction, but there is still some way to go. However, we cannot work alone. Join this session with Camilla Morgan, Sales Manager, Victoria Arduino to understand why sustainability is so important, what the industry can do and how these two leading brands are working together to create a brighter future…