Third Coffee Festival in Madrid Brings several Novelties
Third Coffee Festival in Madrid Brings several Novelties
Coffee Network (Bogota) - With an expected annual growth of 22% in coffee shops and the volume of specialty coffee in Europe in 2024- 2030, CoffeeFest, the international coffee festival, will host its third edition from February 15 to 17 in Madrid (Spain) gathering professionals from the sector, but bringing novelties such as the first Summit Coffee, the first first green coffee auction in Europe and the launch of the world ranking The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.
Speaking with Coffee Network, Cesar Ramirez, director Coffee Fest Madrid, said the coffee summit to be held on 14 February will lure 600 people, while the coffee festival will bring around 40,000 people, the largest number of visitors for a coffee event in Europe.
The Coffee Summit will take place on 14 February , while the Coffee Fest will host its third edition from February 15 to 17 at Ifema.
With a per capita coffee consumption of around 11 kilograms for Nordic countries including Norway, Finland and Sweden; 8 kilos for Denmark, 6kg for Germany and 4kg for Spain and Italy, the coffee summit and a coffee fest will center on talks about specialty coffee, Ramirez told Coffee Network.
“Currently, two to three coffee shops are opening in Spain each week. Hotels are improving the coffee they served,” he said. Although the numbers of imports of speciality coffee are not well-studied in Europe, it is estimated that 20% to 25% of total imports of coffee in Northern Europe are specialty coffee. In Spain and Portugal, it is estimated that specialty coffee contributes with 2% of total imports, becoming the steeping stone for a spectacular growth in the future, he added.
Coffee Summit
As a prelude to the festival, the first Summit CoffeeFest will be held on 14 February. Titled Europe, the new gateway to specialty coffee, this congress (which will also take place at Ifema) will bring together leading international figures from the coffee industry with the aim of analysing Europe's role as the next big growth market for specialty coffee. Key topics such as sustainability and traceability, new technological tools, marketing or the impact of coffee on the global economy will be on the agenda.
The Coffee Summit will gather together some 200 roasters from Spain as well as coffee roaster from Portugal, Italy, Greece, who will meet in person with coffee growers coming from Latin America. Coffee growers supported by the coffee growers federation of Colombia, the Costa Rica coffee association Icafe, as well as coffee growers from Honduras and Guatemala will attend this summit. The Coffee Summit will also gather some African coffee producers.
“This is the first time that we have a coffee summit with this kind of people so that we work in depth to strengthen relations with them, “ he said.
The summit will have speakers that will deal with the economic trends of the global coffee market, as well as topics such as the European Union deforestation law after European Union lawmakers voted in favour of start implementing the measure in an additional 12-months.
Coffee Festival
The Coffee Festival will explore the latest trends in specialty coffee, gastronomic experiences, top-level championships and a who's who of the big 40,000 names in this growing industry. Meanwhile on February 16, the first green coffee auction in Europe will take place, allocating part of its profits to social projects in coffee-growing communities.
The auction will bring 11 lots of specialty coffee produced at the country’s Cauca province, known for producing one of the best coffees at the world’s third-largest coffee producing nation.
“We will bring 11 coffee growers with 11 lots from Cauca. Some of the lots come from growers who were former members of FARC (the former guerrilla group) after the amnesty with the government. This initiative arose with the Cauca department committee. This is important so that the consumer understands the value of the coffee and the process to grow beans, “ he said.
This Coffee Festival will also include the latest trends in specialty coffee, gastronomic experiences, top-level championships and a who's who of the big names in this growing industry. In addition, the offer is expanded with themed areas dedicated to cocoa, infusions, pastries and an exclusive green coffee zone. Once again, the Roaster Village will bring together more than 50 micro-roasters, with the support of leading brands such as La Marzocco and Alpro.
At the coffee festival, organizers will also publish the world’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, and the first global ranking of specialty coffee shops. In addition, the best in Spain will be revealed in the second edition of the national ranking The Best Coffee Shops.
The 2025 edition will also feature the participation of renowned experts from the world of coffee, such as James Hoffmann, one of the main international coffee influencers, author of The World Atlas of Coffee, pioneer of the third wave movement in Great Britain; Darveris Rivas, certified taster and Venezuelan coffee grower, known for his work at
Mucucay Coffee Farm and his educational work at the Coffee Quality Institute; Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, world barista runner-up and international consultant, noted for his experience as a sensory judge at coffee championships; or Samo Smrke, a scientist specializing in coffee chemistry and co-author of important publications such as the SCA Freshness Handbook.
By Diana Delgado
