The London Coffee Festival 2018. Future Thinking from
The Coffee Festival 2018. The London Coffee Festival 2018 was held for three days in April. It gathered coffee lovers and professionals at the Truman Brewery, in the buzzing heart of East London. 2
Beyond coffee. The breadth of products and brands at this year s festival highlighted how innovation within the coffee category has been driven by a wider lifestyle movement. 3
The event showcased an eclectic mix of healthconscious and indulging foods, of soft drinks and teas, and even fashion accessories - each becoming a part of a holistic coffee culture. 4
Insights. Caffeine with conscience. Mix and match. 6 Ancient focus. Ultra-sensorial. Tea fights back. Elegance of brewing.
Caffeine with conscience. As consumers become increasingly aware of the unsustainable nature of the coffee industry, they start turning to brands that choose to take an active stand against it. High volume consumption of coffee beans and one-use paper cups inspire brands to reevaluate their products and to offer greener alternatives. They create refined and sophisticated recyclable no-waste options, allowing consumers to enjoy a guilt-free drink, without losing any of the taste or elegance. 1. R Cup, Reusable Coffee Cups. Leak-proof and fully insulated reusable cup made from used cups. 2. Optiat, Coffee Scrubs. Brand offers exfoliating scrubs made from recycled coffee grounds. 7 1 2
Ancient focus. Brands develop alternative products that aim to cater to their now-mainstream healthconscious consumers - whether it being that they wish to avoid caffeine or gluten, or simply to indulge guilt-free. They start leveraging ancient ingredients, traditions and processes, said to be better for health. Products such as kombucha and soaked grains feed both the gut and brain, while providing tasty alternatives to coffee and regular snacks. 1. Matchæologist, Matcha tea. Artisanal matcha brand giving a modern twist to an ancient ceremony. 2. L.A Brewery, Kombucha drink. Gut-friendly, fermented, naturally effervescent tea. 3. Boundless, nuts and seeds. Activated nuts and seeds from ancient Aztec & Aborigine methods. 8 1 2 3
Tea fights back. Once seen as an outdated category, losing speed in the face of a growing crowd of coffee fanatics, tea is observing a resurgence. 1 2 Tea brands fight their way back into contemporary relevance by focusing their efforts on product innovation and taking inspiration from the coffee category. They identify opportunities for new and innovative brewing processes: chai competes with its rival, the latte, by providing a similar soothing taste profile, and Twinings cold infusions leverage the cold brew latest coffee trend. 1. Henny&Joe s, Chai. Award-winning natural chai infusion that can be served hot or cold. 2. Twinings, Cold In fuse tea. Innovative cold brew tea - the brand also offered visitors a specially designed bottle, which they could customise at the stand. 9
Mix and match. After last year s craze for cold brew coffee, coffee brands continue to push the boundaries of the coffee-drinking occasion. 1 They experiment with their products, innovating with unusual recipes, that push coffee towards the soda category, where it starts being used as a mixer. They create refreshing drinks, opening opportunities for more diverse and complex flavour mixings. 2 3 1. Union Cold Brew. Visitors were invited to try out the mix between refreshing ginger beer and cold brew coffee combination in the Union Coffee stand. 2. Sandow, Cold Brew Soda. Unexpected blend of cold coffee, orange blossom black spice and ginger. 3. Her Coffee, Sparkling Cold Brew Coffee. Brand-new sparkling cold brew with 3 different flavours from the boutique London coffee shop. 10
Ultra-sensorial. As brands evolve from a craft and provenance focus to a more emotive and lifestyle one, they start experimenting with the way they communicate their products flavours and sensations. They create ultra-sensorial and striking visuals, with dynamic shapes and colourful explosions. They dial up the expressivity of their branding to communicate their taste profile to consumers, with a mix of implicit and explicit design cues. 1. Dash Water. A natural, thirst-quenching, fruit-infused sparkling water. 2. Bailies Coffee. A coffee roaster from Northern Ireland that sources, roasts and imports finest coffee beans. 3. Coco Chocolate. Boutique chocolatier with unique flavour combinations. 11 1 2 3
Elegance of brewing. As a reaction to coffee being commoditised and to the category becoming more mainstream everyday, brands are pushing to reclaim the sophisticated rituals and to elevate the homebrewing experience. Products and accessories are made of refined materials (leather, glass, woods), with stylish finishes that reference the wine category. They create a dramatic moment, that truly heroes the coffee being served. 1. Hario, V60 kettle. Temperature controlled kettle that ensures a more precise brewing. 2. Comandante, grinder. A crafted high precision grinder that elevates the experience. 3. Bravian, barista aprons. Premium and durable aprons made from leather, denim and cotton. 12 1 2 3
Three cool things. Drip by bubble lab. Girls who grind. Matcha green tea by Matcha Works. Drip is the solution to achieve a consistently perfect brew, brought to you by bubble lab. This robotic pour-over machine is focusing on catering the coffee industry in large to streamline the process and set a high qualitystandard. Girls who grind is an all-female coffee roastery from the UK. Aiming to empower women in the industry, the brand exclusively work with women farmers and producers worldwide. Matcha Works is presenting its natural energy booster matcha tea range in an innovative and disruptive format. 13
Making healthy ice-cream look more indulgent. wearepath.com
Key Questions. 15
Brands are communicating the products taste profile with sensorial elements. Will you be able to provide a quick taste glance to your customer, through implicit design cues? 16
Consumers perceive ancient ingredients and methods as being simpler, purer and therefore more healthy. How could you leverage ancient ingredients and processes to cater to your health-conscious consumer base? 17
Brands are throwing sensorial curveballs at consumers tastebuds. Can you create unusual combinations utilising flavours and sensations that are not usually paired together? 18
Categories reinvent their relevancy by borrowing cues from other product categories. Will you be able to leverage innovative practises or product formats from competitive categories to differentiate, and build relevancy with emerging consumer tastes? 19
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