London Coffee Festival

Whether it’s a strong black Americano first thing in the morning, a flat white to keep you going in the afternoon or an espresso to finish off a meal, we have become a nation of coffee drinkers: in coffee shops alone 1.7 billion cups are drunk every year.
So, if you’re a coffee connoisseur or just want to learn more about the beans, we'd recommend heading over to the London Coffee Festival at the start of May.
Over the course of three days, the festival brings bean-lovers the opportunity to sample a huge range of artisan coffees, attend interactive demonstrations and workshops and try out some coffee-based cocktails. With over 250 stalls and a jam-packed programme, there's so much on offer, so we’ve picked out some of the highlights you'll not want to miss.
London Coffee Festival 2015
Top of your list should be the Make Decent Coffee Lounge: ideal for casual instant-coffee drinkers or well practiced, would-be baristas who want to hone their skills. Throughout the festival there'll be a team of experts on hand to take you through everything from cafetière basics to the V60 or terrifyingly serious Aeropress.
If you’re more interested in talking about coffee than making it then head over to The Lab, where you’ll be able to debate the ethical issues facing coffee producers, explore the history of your favourite drink or get some tips on how to set up your own coffee shop. Or you can pop over to the Coffee Art Project, a competition that asks artists to create pieces that represent a creative and personal connection to the concept of coffee – with entries that are sure to give you plenty to discuss.
Of course, this is Shoreditch, so it’s unlikely that you’ll get an event without some booze: to satisfy that other hankering you can head over to Milk & Sugar – what the London Coffee Festival are calling their “fashion and design district”. They have a bar area where they'll whip  up a fantastic cocktail, and of course Espresso Martinis are on the menu—you can even pop one in your basket when you buy tickets online if you want to be really ahead of the curve.
In addition to all the tastebud tingling there’s a wealth of musical entertainment across the weekend, with some brilliant blues and acoustic artists lined up.
Hirsute caffeine addicts will no doubt be gathering from the furthest reaches of East London for the event, so if it's your scene, grab some tickets and head down to the Old Truman Brewery for an array of beards, booze and plenty of beans.