Event Review: The UAE International Coffee & Tea Festival

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“Did you know that the UAE is the only country that has a coffee pot on its currency?”

I never really paid any attention to this fact until Sofia Khan, Marketing Manager at the International Conferences & Exhibitions organization told me about it as I sampled a freshly brewed cappuccino at the espresso and brew bar.

The espresso bar was one of many stands at the fifth edition of the Dubai Coffee & Tea Festival. An event that brings together coffee and tea exhibitors, talented baristas and caffeine addicts like me 🙂

The cappuccino made from Nicaraguan coffee beans was not my first coffee cup for the day. In fact,  from the time that I had arrived at the caffeine-infused trade show and while waiting to meet with the organizers to get quotes for my journalism feature story, I had been sampling various types of coffee from the different exhibitors. So by the time I had met with the organizers, I was already in an extremely hyper and high-energy mode! The caffeine high left me with no choice but to attack the organizers with my endless questions on everything from the event aim and vision, to the coffee industry in the UAE, the types of coffee and tea and the coffee roasting and brewing process!

 

I even sat in a corner of the hall near the organizers’ section and I had what one of the organizers called “my own office”!

I greatly enjoyed my conversation with the event director, Ryan Godinho. Ryan had so many interesting facts to share with me about coffee and about the event.

For example, did you know that there are more than 50,000 types of coffee? and more than 200,000 tea varieties?

Ryan, who started his career as an apprentice barista in Australia, also spoke to me about the progressive coffee industry there, the developed cafe culture and the highly-respected and well-paid barista profession.

The event wasn’t only about exhibitors promoting their coffee products or coffee machines though. The event hosted SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) certified training workshops. These programs covered coffee grading and evaluation techniques, coffee preparation and craft roasting skills.

Another main feature of the show was the National Barista Championship. In which local baristas compete in front of an International panel of judges who came from various destinations. The winner of the UAE Championship gets the opportunity to represent the country at the 2014 World Barista Championship taking place in Rimini, Italy.

I was also delighted to speak to Anselm Godinho, Managing Director at the International Conferences & Exhibitions organization. Anselm explained to me about the event and the coffee industry from a rich business perspective. He gave me insight on a lot of topics including the original route of coffee history. He said: “Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia, then moved to Yemen, Turkey, Austria and finally London.”

Anselm helped answer my query about the lack of organic coffee exhibitors by explaining to me that there is no certifying body for organic coffee. In addition, organic coffee looses a lot of its positive effects through the heating process. That’s why it’s not very common to brew organic coffee.

After noting down a total of 23 pages of quotes and information at the show, I think I can confidently say that I was undoubtedly alert with extremely high energy levels from all the coffee that I sampled at the event!

With a gold-trimmed box containing an exotic selection of Swiss luxury organic tea blends and highly informative and interesting conversations with friendly event organizers, who wouldn’t want to return to the UAE International Coffee & Tea Festival next year?!

I know I definitely will…if not for another blog post or feature story, at least to gratify my uncontrollable coffee addiction 🙂

 

Event Director; Ryan Godinho
Event Director; Ryan Godinho

 

UAE Barista Competitor
UAE Barista Competitor

 

Delicious Iced Coffee!
Delicious Iced Coffee!

 

Boon Coffee: Ethiopian Beans Roasted in the UAE
Boon Coffee: Ethiopian Beans Roasted in the UAE

 

My Complimentary Luxury Organic Tea Blends :)
My Complimentary Luxury Organic Tea Blends 🙂