London Coffee Festival: beyond the quest for caffeine
Credit: Inês Coutinho
The smell of espresso and the buzz of hundreds of caffeine connoisseurs once again filled the Truman Brewery this weekend as the London Coffee Festival 2026 returned with a clear message: the future of coffee is no longer just about caffeine, it is about functionality, sustainability and experimentation.
From freeze-dried tea capsules and co-fermented Colombian coffees to AI-assisted automation and adaptogenic iced drinks, this year’s festival showcased an industry rapidly evolving to meet changing consumer habits while embracing technology and design innovation.
One of the biggest industry talking points came from Cimbali Group, which used the festival to stage two major UK debuts across its LaCimbali and Slayer brands.
At the heart of its showcase was the launch of the LaCimbali Supera, a next-generation fully automatic coffee platform designed for high-volume hospitality environments. Positioned as a modular system for cafés, hotels and quick-service operators, Supera aims to streamline service while maintaining specialty-level quality through advanced automation and customisation.
The company also unveiled the new Mazzer x Slayer grinder, the first product from a strategic collaboration between grinder manufacturer Mazzer and espresso machine specialist Slayer. Combining grind-by-weight technology, 69mm conical burrs and real-time dosing accuracy, the partnership reflected a growing industry focus on treating grinding and extraction as a single connected process.
“This year’s London Coffee Festival is a key moment for Cimbali Group as we bring two global innovations to the UK market for the first time,” said Louise Felton, group regional director UK and Ireland at Cimbali Group. “We are proud to present these launches and to create opportunities for dialogue, collaboration and hands-on engagement with the technologies shaping the future of specialty coffee.”
Alongside the established industry players, emerging brands used the festival to test entirely new concepts.
Among the newcomers drawing attention was Tenettea, the Canary Wharf-based startup making its debut at the event. The company introduced a capsule tea concept designed to reduce brewing time. Users simply pour freeze-dried powdered tea from a capsule, mix it with hot water and drink.
“We’re trying to make tea more accessible and quicker for modern lifestyles,” Chen, founder Tentettea explained. The concept taps into growing demand for convenience-led beverages.
Swedish coffee brand Löfbergs also used the festival to tease its expansion into the UK ready-to-drink market. Its cookies-and-cream-flavoured RTD coffee, already launching in Sweden, is expected to arrive in Britain, with dates still to be confirmed.
One of the busiest stands of the weekend belonged to Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters, which was once again awarded Best Multiple Operator (10–50 Sites) at the London Coffee Festival Awards.
The company presented four exclusive co-fermented coffees providing attendees with the opportunity to experience unique flavour profiles. La Marina, co-fermented with eucalyptus, delivered a light profile and a taste similar to cucumber water. Candy, fermented with coconut, leaned towards chocolate and tropical sweetness, while Don Jon offered berry notes. La Nubia, another fruit co-fermented release, had already generated international buzz after launching in World of Coffee Dubai and selling out on the day.
The growing popularity of co-fermented coffees was impossible to ignore throughout the festival, reflecting a trend towards experimental processing.
Functional beverages were another major talking point. Wellness startup SpaceGoods made its first appearance at the festival with the launch of a ready-to-drink functional iced coffee containing lion’s mane mushroom, ashwagandha and gluten-free oat milk.
“It’s been a great show so far to sign up people who were interested in selling it,” said David Randall, pointing to upcoming launches in retailers including Holland & Barrett and Sainsbury’s.
“You don’t notice the bitterness from lion’s mane and ashwagandha because we managed to use oat milk to cover that up for consumers,” Randall added. “It’s a nice drink to have and to enjoy.”
Now in its latest edition, the London Coffee Festival continues to act as both a showcase for established specialty brands and a testing ground for emerging beverage concepts. This year’s event suggested the lines between coffee, wellness, automation and lifestyle culture are becoming increasingly blurred.
- Inês Coutinho, Digital Editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal [email protected]
