I ride to coffee festivals to meet the people behind the cups, from first-time exhibitors to roasters who have been at every event. This page collects every festival story in one place, with the exhibitors I met and what stood out at each.
Nottingham Coffee Festival 2026
I rode about 100 miles up the motorway on a chilly October morning to reach St Mary’s Church in Nottingham. I spoke to ten exhibitors, and the day is split into two stories.
- Nottingham Coffee Festival 2026: Meeting the Roasters, Part 1: 200 Degrees Coffee, Beanworks, Nott Coffee, Tilted Coffee Roasters and Outpost Coffee
- Nottingham Coffee Festival 2026: Meeting the Roasters, Part 2: Cartwheel Coffee, Saints of Mokha, Kickback Coffee Roasters, North Star Coffee Roasters and Coffee Central Roasting Co
Bristol Coffee Festival
This was my first Bristol Coffee Festival. The event first opened its doors in September 2023, and I found four floors and more than 50 exhibitors, with James Hoffmann due to take the stage in Beacon Hall that afternoon.
A few frames from the day
Watch
Short films from the road and from the festivals. More will be added here as I make them.
Coming up
Oxford Coffee Festival is next on my list. The write-up will be added here once it is published.
What I look for at a festival
Festivals are less about being told what to drink and more about tasting widely and finding what you like. As one exhibitor put it, they are as much about finding what you do not like as what you do. Every story here is built from conversations on the day, so you hear it in the exhibitors’ own words.
