The London Coffee Festival returns to The Truman Brewery from 15-18 May 2025, offering coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals a caffeine-fueled celebration featuring over 260 artisan coffee and gourmet food brands, interactive workshops, tastings, and competitions across dedicated industry days (15-16 May) and public sessions (17-18 May).
The Lab by Lavazza
The Lab presented by Lavazza stands as one of the festival's intellectual hubs, offering thought-provoking talks, debates, and interactive workshops on key industry topics. For the 2025 edition, the program features several must-attend sessions including "Rising coffee prices and the £5 flat white" with three-time UK Barista Champion Maxwell Dashwood, and a standout "Women in coffee" panel featuring influential industry leaders like Freda Yuan (Origin Coffee), Caroline Ottoy (WatchHouse), and Emma Loisel (Volcano Coffee Works).
- "The world of coffee: Trends from across the globe" (Thursday, 11:30-12:00) with Gerd Mueller-Pfeiffer exploring global coffee trends
- Sustainability discussions examining environmental priorities during economic challenges
- The Coffee Leaders Panel featuring executives from prominent companies like Caravan Coffee Roasters and Ozone Coffee
- Interactive demonstrations and workshops providing valuable insights for both professionals and enthusiasts
Latte Art Live Competitions
Latte Art Live at the 2025 London Coffee Festival transforms into a competitive arena with the LCF Latte Art Championship as its centerpiece. Following preliminary rounds, sixteen skilled baristas will battle in head-to-head throwdowns across Thursday and Friday, with the top performers advancing to Friday's grand final to compete for the coveted title of LCF Latte Art Champion 2025.
The competition zone features several unique challenges that push the boundaries of latte art creativity:
- "Extreme Latte Art Challenge" where professionals pour into unconventional vessels like coconuts, wine glasses, and even dustpans
- "Pour Off Against Adam" where participants compete against a pro while the audience chooses amusing forfeits for the loser
- "Complex Latte Art Patterns" demonstrations by 2025 UK Latte Art Championship Runner-up Ernie, showcasing competition-level designs
- "Matcha-off" competitions featuring OMGTea's matcha products, expanding latte art beyond traditional coffee
- "Quickfire Latte Art Training" sessions offering hands-on experience for beginners and enthusiasts alike
Coffee Masters Knockout Battle
The Coffee Masters competition at the 2025 London Coffee Festival features an exhilarating knockout tournament where 16 elite baristas will battle head-to-head across multiple disciplines from May 15-18. The competition follows a structured bracket format with first-round battles on Thursday and Friday, quarterfinals on Saturday, and semifinals and the grand final on Sunday (13:30-15:00). Each competitor must demonstrate exceptional skill, knowledge, creativity, and passion as they're evaluated by a panel of industry figureheads.
The 2025 competition offers substantial rewards, with the champion receiving £2,000, the runner-up earning £600, and all 16 finalists taking home £150. Competitors face rigorous challenges across various disciplines that test every aspect of coffee craftsmanship, including:
- The Cupping - testing ability to identify and memorize taste profiles under time pressure
- The Brewing - evaluating skills in selecting appropriate brewing methods (Chemex, AeroPress, Kalita, V60) to maximize flavor
- The Latte Art - challenging baristas to create specific patterns with plant-based or dairy milk against the clock
Staying at Hotel Indigo London Paddington?
If you're visiting the London Coffee Festival 2025 and staying at Hotel Indigo London Paddington, you're perfectly placed for a seamless London experience. Just a short Tube ride from the event venue at The Truman Brewery (via the Hammersmith & City Line from Paddington to Liverpool Street), the hotel offers:
- Stylish, boutique rooms inspired by London’s heritage
- On-site dining with locally sourced ingredients
- Fitness facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi
- Concierge services to help plan your coffee-fueled itinerary
Ask the front desk for travel tips to The Truman Brewery or nearby coffee hotspots to explore before or after the event!
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