The London Coffee Festival

What The London Coffee Festival does

The London Coffee Festival is an annual four-day coffee and hospitality event held at The Truman Brewery in East London, operated by William Reed Ltd, a UK-based business information and events company. Founded in 2011, the event is structured around two dedicated industry days followed by a public weekend celebration, and serves two primary customer segments: coffee industry professionals (baristas, roasters, café owners, equipment manufacturers, and hospitality buyers) attending for networking, product discovery, and competition participation, and coffee enthusiasts attending for tastings, workshops, and live demonstrations.

The festival's product portfolio centers on the core four-day event and includes the Coffee Masters global barista competition (16 contenders across 7 disciplines), Latte Art Live (interactive latte art zone with Modbar equipment), The Lab (education programming), the La Marzocco-presented Roasters Village and True Artisan Café, the Brewed by Hand Brew School workshops, the LCF Coffee Map digital platform, and the LCF Awards recognition program. The underlying technology is an event management and digital ticketing platform provided by William Reed, supporting tiered consumer ticketing (Standard Weekend from £19.95 Early Bird, Ultimate Weekend Session from £47.25 Early Bird, Ultimate Weekend from £90), direct exhibitor booth sales to 275 artisan brands, and a multi-tiered sponsorship structure with 15+ headline and supporting partners.

The business model combines three revenue streams: consumer ticket sales, B2B exhibitor stand rentals, and sponsorship packages. Distribution operates through the official website ticketing storefront, the physical venue at The Truman Brewery, and direct enterprise sales for booth and sponsorship packages. Marketing relies on email/mailing list capture, Instagram (@londoncoffeefestival), a Journal content platform, and cross-promotion with headline sponsors. Confirmed forward dates through May 2026 and May 2027 provide multi-year operational visibility.

Name

The London Coffee Festival

Legal name

William Reed Ltd

Website

https://londoncoffeefestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The London Coffee Festival is an annual four-day coffee and hospitality event in London serving industry professionals and coffee enthusiasts, featuring 275 artisan brands, barista competitions, workshops, and educational programming across ticketed consumer and B2B exhibitor channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Events

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos (MPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL), Food, Beverage & Hospitality Trade Shows Organizers (THAHABAI), Coffee, Tea & Cacao Experiences (Roastery Tours, Tastings) (THAJAGAH), Coffee Roasters with Cafe (Roastery Cafes) (THAFADAE)

Keywords

• Coffee festival events
• Specialty coffee exhibitions
• Barista competitions
• Coffee industry networking
• Hospitality trade shows

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling tickets to the festival. Multiple ticket tiers are available including Standard Weekend, Ultimate Weekend Session, and Ultimate Weekend tickets at various price points. Early bird rates incentivize advance purchase.
2. Stand/Exhibitor Space: Revenue generated from exhibitor booth rentals at the festival. The festival features 275 artisan coffee and gourmet food brands with dedicated areas like The Lab, Latte Art Live, Coffee Masters, Roasters Village, Brew School, and True Artisan Café.
3. Sponsorship: Headline sponsors (La Cimbali, La Marzocco, Löfbergs, Brewed by Hand, Califia Farms, SumUp, Slayer, Faema, Stores, Decent Packaging, Sage, Toddy LLC, Danish Bakery, OMGTea, Drambuie) and supporting sponsors provide significant sponsorship revenue. Special category sponsors include OMGTea as the first ever Matcha Headline Sponsor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The London Coffee Festival is an annual coffee and hospitality event held at The Truman Brewery in London over a four-day period (two dedicated industry days followed by a public weekend). It features 275 artisan coffee and gourmet food brands, the global Coffee Masters barista competition, immersive zones such as Latte Art Live, The Lab, Roasters Village and True Artisan Café, bookable Brew School workshops, the LCF Awards program, and curated experiential offerings such as cocktail masterclasses. The festival sells tickets to the public, exhibitor/stand space to brands, and sponsorship packages to industry partners.

Product overview

The London Coffee Festival is an annual coffee and hospitality event held at The Truman Brewery in London, featuring 275 artisan coffee and gourmet food brands. The festival combines two dedicated industry days with a public weekend celebration. Core offerings include the Coffee Masters barista competition, Latte Art Live zone, The Lab educational talks, Roasters Village (presented by La Marzocco), Brew School workshops, True Artisan Café, and the LCF Coffee Map feature. The event also includes the LCF Awards program and various ticketing tiers from Standard to Ultimate experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coffee Masters: A global barista competition featuring 16 baristas competing head-to-head across multiple disciplines.
• LCF Awards
• The Lab
• Latte Art Live
• Roasters Village
• Brew School
• True Artisan Café
• LCF Coffee Map

Products and services

• The London Coffee Festival (Annual Event) Annual four-day coffee and hospitality festival held at The Truman Brewery in London, combining two dedicated industry days with a public weekend celebration. Features 275 artisan coffee and gourmet food brands, interactive workshops, world-class barista demonstrations, educational sessions, and competitions. Attracts over 22,000 visitors annually.
• Festival Tickets Tiered ticketing access to the festival for individual consumers and industry professionals. Tiers include Standard Weekend Tickets (from £19.95 Early Bird), Ultimate Weekend Session Tickets (from £47.25 Early Bird with perks such as coffee cocktail tokens, LCF Club Lounge access, Ultimate Entrance, and tote bag), and Ultimate Weekend Tickets (from £90, full weekend Saturday and Sunday access). Industry Day passes are sold separately for Thursday and Friday.
• Exhibitor Stands Stand and booth rental at the festival for artisan coffee and gourmet food brands. Includes dedicated areas such as The Lab, Latte Art Live, Coffee Masters, Roasters Village, Brew School, and True Artisan Café. Sold through stand enquiry forms to brands seeking physical exhibition space.
• Sponsorship Packages Headline, supporting, and special category sponsorship packages sold to industry partners (e.g., La Cimbali, La Marzocco, Löfbergs, Brewed by Hand, Califia Farms, SumUp, Slayer, Faema, Sage, OMGTea). Includes presenting rights for festival zones, brand visibility, and activation opportunities.
• Brew School Workshops Bookable 45-minute hands-on coffee masterclass experiences brought to the festival by Brewed by Hand. Participants journey through the world of coffee with guided tastings and brewing instruction.
• LCF Awards Program Annual awards recognizing excellence across the coffee and hospitality industry, with multiple categories for products, services, and individuals. Judged by industry figures, with winners announced as part of the festival.
• Coffee Masters Competition Global barista competition held as part of the festival featuring 16 contenders competing head-to-head across seven disciplines in a knockout battle format, judged by industry figureheads.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,000+ visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• OMGTeaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 January 2026OMGTea made history as the first ever Matcha Headline Sponsor of The London Coffee Festival in 2026, marking a major milestone for matcha within specialty coffee culture. Founded in 2014 by Katherine Swift, OMGTea has championed authentic Japanese organic matcha for over a decade. They also support Latte Art Live and The Lab with talks and masterclasses.
• La MarzoccoflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor and organizer of the Roasters Village, bringing an exclusive mix of the continents' best roasters into the festival. La Marzocco is a globally recognized Italian espresso machine manufacturer.
• La CimbalicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor of The London Coffee Festival, providing premium espresso equipment and supporting the festival's coffee programming.
• LöfbergscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor and featured in the festival's gift guide with their Brazil coffee featuring sweet butterscotch and hazelnutty notes. Swedish specialty coffee roaster with Rainforest Alliance certification.
• Brewed by HandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor and partner for Brew School experience at the festival, offering 45-minute coffee masterclass journeys. Provides exclusive post-festival discounts on brewing equipment.
• Califia FarmscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor offering flavoured Barista Blends (Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, Pistachio, Hazelnut) for specialty coffee operators. Provides plant-based coffee options for the festival.
• Farm AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial charity partner of The London Coffee Festival. Works with coffee farmers in Uganda, Ethiopia, and DRC to improve livelihoods through climate-friendly farming. Features photo exhibitions and virtual gift packages.
• City HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner working to deliver surplus food to those in need. The 2025 festival donated thousands of meals worth of surplus food, supporting food banks, shelters, and community kitchens across London.
• PriorityminorOthersAccommodation partner helping festival attendees find hotel rates for their visit. Special accommodation rates offered to support visitors attending the festival.
• SumUpcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor providing connected tools for hospitality businesses. Featured in the LCF Journal with content about point-of-sale solutions for cafes and roasteries.
• SEND CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'LCF In Conversation: Inclusivity in Coffee' event, exploring accessibility and inclusion in the specialty coffee industry with panel discussions.
• William ReedcoreOthersParent company and event organizer. William Reed is a provider of business information and organizes a range of exhibition events and awards, headquartered in the UK with global operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Coffee Fest: US-based specialty coffee and tea trade event featuring competitions, education, and an exhibitor floor. Comparable in combining industry days with consumer-facing programming and a multi-tier sponsorship model.
• Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE): Australia's leading specialty coffee trade event, hosted in Melbourne — another globally recognized specialty coffee capital. Comparable audience mix of baristas, roasters, café owners and enthusiasts, with strong sponsor engagement.
• World of Coffee (Specialty Coffee Association): The flagship trade show of the Specialty Coffee Association, held in rotating European cities. Most directly comparable event in scope: barista competitions (World Barista Championship), exhibitor hall of roasters and equipment brands, and industry + consumer programming.
• Caffè Culture: UK-based specialty coffee trade show featuring equipment, roasters and barista programming. Directly comparable as a domestic UK competitor for the same exhibitor, sponsor and attendee base.

Emerging players

• Bar Convent: International bar and beverage trade show held in London. Overlaps on beverage industry audiences, sponsor base (equipment makers, brand sponsors) and the festival-style educational programming.

Regional players

• Foodies Festival: UK food and drink festival series with multiple UK city editions. Adjacent in combining artisan food/beverage exhibitors, ticketed consumer programming, and sponsor activation in a festival format.
• SIGEP: Italian trade fair for artisan gelato, pastry, coffee and bakery. Comparable mix of artisan coffee exhibitors, barista competitions and HoReCa sponsorship, with strong overlap on European equipment brands.
• London Wine Fair: Major UK beverage trade fair held in London, also organized within the William Reed portfolio ecosystem. Comparable B2B/B2C festival model and shares the same venue market and sponsorship pool.

Broad incumbents

• HostMilano: Major international HoReCa and foodservice equipment trade show. Broader in scope than LCF (covering hospitality equipment broadly) but overlaps on coffee equipment exhibitors (e.g., La Marzocco, La Cimbali) and competes for headline-sponsor budgets.
• Speciality Coffee Association events (SCA Expo): SCA's annual US expo is a leading global gathering for specialty coffee professionals. Comparable on trade show and competition footprint, though it operates a different geographic anchor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/londoncoffeefestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheLondonCoffeeFestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The London Coffee Festival