The Glasgow Coffee Festival is set to return to The Briggait in May for what organisers say will be the “biggest coffee festival Scotland has ever seen”.
The festival, now in its eighth year, was created by Dear Green founder Lisa Lawson as a celebration of coffee but also to promote sustainable practises.
The festival will take place on May 13 and 14, from 9am-6pm at The Briggait in Glasgow's east end, and includes loads of coffee, tastings, workshops, baristas and vendor stalls selling coffee beans, cups and snacks.
There are two sessions over the two days, 9.30am until 1.30pm or 2pm until 6pm. Tickets can be bought for either of the four sessions and you must attend during the allocated timeslot.
Event organiser and Dear Green founder Lisa Lawson said: “This is a celebration of Scotland’s coffee community which has continued to thrive through all the challenges it faces; from Brexit to Covid and now rising utility bills.
“The coffee industry in Scotland is incredibly creative and resilient, and we’re very proud to be part of it.
“Each year, there’s more demand for the festival as Scotland’s coffee community grows, and more coffee curious people become coffee lovers.
"Hopefully the festival will encourage even more people to swap their visit to a big chain for an independent coffee shop, which serves coffee by independent roasters and supports the local economy.
“Last year’s festival was the biggest ever, and this year we’ll have a lot more events throughout the weekend. It’s shaping up to be the biggest coffee festival Scotland has ever seen.
"We’re very excited to share news of the full calendar of events in the coming weeks and we’re proud to give a platform to Scotland’s coffee businesses to reach a new audience.”
As has been the case since 2018, the festival will be completely single-use cup free, something which is expected to help save more than 30,000 cups from landfill this year, thanks to a partnership with KeepCup.
Profits from this year’s festival will be donated to charity. Last year, attendees helped to raise over £8,000 to support the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.
Tickets are £14 per session and will include presentations, film screening, tastings, and unlimited coffee tastings.
You can buy tickets via the Glasgow Coffee Festival website here.
This year’s vendors include Steampunk, Good Coffee Cartel, Thomson Coffee, Dear Green, Nowita ice cream, Gordon Street Coffee and Mossgiel.
To mark the countdown to the festival, organisers have announced that all attendees will receive an exclusive preview of a soon-to-be released Glasgow Coffee Trail, developed by Walking Tours in Glasgow in partnership with the Glasgow Coffee Festival.
The new trail will be launched exclusively at the Coffee Festival in May and celebrate the thriving independent coffee community in the city.
This exciting new way to discover Glasgow will take coffee enthusiasts on a journey to the best roasters and coffee shops across Glasgow, highlighting some of the most exciting and innovative coffee creations the city has to offer.
Commissioned by Experience Glasgow Food & Drink as part of the Regional Food Group’s aim to create new city experiences and promote the sector.
The trail has been designed specifically to champion independent Glasgow coffee and the people behind the cup.
Speaking about the upcoming Glasgow Coffee Festival, festival founder and owner of Dear Green Coffee, Lisa Lawson, said: "We can't wait to welcome coffee lovers from all over the city to the 2023 Glasgow Coffee Festival, and also partner with Experience Glasgow Food & Drink on an exciting new coffee trail for the city.
"With such a top lineup of independent vendors and activities, this will be the best coffee festival yet."
“Whether you’re a coffee beginner or an enthusiast, everyone is welcome to the party. Come along, try some incredible coffees and enjoy our extensive weekend lineup.”
Experience Glasgow Food & Drink Lead, Anh Nguyen added: “Coffee culture in Glasgow is bustling and there’s a great community of independent businesses that’s driving it forward.
"There are so many fantastic artisan coffee shops and coffee roasters in the city. We’re delighted to be partnering with Glasgow Coffee Festival on the launch of our new Glasgow Coffee Trail.”
“Our new trail is going to provide both visitors and locals a new way of exploring Glasgow through its fantastic coffee, and we can’t wait to reveal what we’ve been working on next month.”
