The London Coffee Festival 2012

Goody Bag PILE :-O

I have a confession to make. I’m an addict. Yes, I’m admitting to it. Coffee has a hold on me like nothing else does. Pretty much, anyway. So what's a coffee addict to do when the London Coffee Festival tosses ads and invites my way every day via email for months in advance? Give in to temptation, of course!

It was only in its second year but it was clearly a ginormous hit. The lofty Shoreditch showroom was completely packed...packed like the ground espresso beans in each filter basket of every portafilter (sorry, I couldn't resist). 5 zones, named after areas of London (Soho and Shoreditch, for example) connected to create a winding pathway of sensory stimulation: aka coffee heaven...or at least a space to sample the best the independent London coffee scene has to offer. Unlimited, real artisan coffee. From dozens of different brewers.

Zone 1, Hyde Park: After waiting in a long line – or should I say QUEING – in the pouring rain and wind and cold, we ascended the concrete steps and emerged in this, the largest room, with high ceilings and white walls and live music wafting toward us from its center. The location and the band and the attendees each decked in blacks and browns and sweaters and earth-tones and leather and skinny jeans all combined to scream 'Indie', which was totally fine by me. In this room you could approach any stand and ask for a latte, a flat white, a cappu, or a tiny espresso shot and you could try 100 drinks for free, if you wanted, while still enjoying the slow-made perfection of each creation. Nothing was rushed and each drink, as coffee ought to be, was made with tender love. In the back of this zone was the Tea Garden, for all those Brits who can't survive without their nice cuppa. Leafy experts and master herbalists offered new product samplings and the latest innovations in tea. The adjacent Chocolate Factory was, well, such a delightful array of chocolate based awesomeness that we had to pass through several times. It's impossible to have too much chocolate.

Zone 2, Soho: Naturally, the room for the avant gard, edgier coffee experiences. Here you could watch the coffee being roasted, watch live barrista demos, and soak up those excellent aromas.

Zone 3, The Showroom: New for 2012, this room housed the barrista championships and showcased the latest equipment and newest innovations, for in your home or in a coffee house. On the UKBC stage they “celebrate[d] the art of coffee making in what is considered the hardest of the SCAE competitions, testing coffee knowledge, presentation, preparation and all round barista ability. The winner of this year’s competition will represent the UK at the World Barista Championships in Vienna, Austria on 12th-15th June.”

Zone 4, The Lab: The smallest of the rooms was used for live demonstrations and talks, workshops and story-telling. The Brew Bar, facing opposite, demonstrated purest brewing techniques including stovetop, aeropress, and drip methods.

Zone 5, Shoreditch: The always-necessary food room where you could sample and buy a range of gourmet products.

Oddly enough, I wasn't tweaking out on caffeine after 3 hours of sampling. I think I was actually so tired that the typical jolt I ought to have gotten barely brought me back to normal operating levels.....to some homeostatic balance in an unbalanced world, I suppose.