When I heard there was going to be a coffee festival in Belfast I knew it was something I needed to attend. I was so excited about the event, I caught up with one of its creators, Roger beforehand. NI Coffee Festival was held in T13, Belfast on 26-27 September and brought coffee lovers came from all over the country and further afield together.
Tickets were well priced at £6 (including a hot beverage of your choice), and parking was charged reasonably. After meeting Bex for a Macmillan coffee morning event, we drove (I took a day off from the Belfast Bikes) to Titanic Quarter.
T13 is primarily used as a skate park but is host to numerous events including NI Coffee Festival. It is not to be confused with The Paint Hall. I overheard some tourists say that this was where Game of Thrones is filmed. Unfortunately, it is not.
On arrival, I noticed an instant buzz in the hall. The warehouse was full of people drinking coffee, relaxing as they listened to live music and I could even smell a barbeque. We soon bumped into Ben who launched his coffee blog in time for the festival.
‘The Goat Men’
Bex and I are both massive fans of Broughgammon Farm and when we noticed they had a stall at the back of the hall, we did not hesitate to join the queue. I enjoyed a goat burger at Moira Food Fair, but they were not on the menu today (although goat curry was!) so I opted for a veal burger. As always, it was scrumptious and superbly made. It was around this time James turned up and I gave him my camera.
Mmmm, coffee
The atmosphere of the hall was relaxing (which was odd due to the amount of caffeine available), and for a lot of the time, we did not do much. It was lovely to listen to live music with a coffee and browse the stalls. I got my first coffee of the day from Belfast Coffee Co. It was great to finally meet Jordan and even better to see him rushed off his feet with very few bags of coffee left to sell.
It is not all about coffee
As well as coffee, there were lots of other things to tempt the taste buds. I purchased some ‘Sea Salted Caramel’ fudge from Nearynogs. It is dreamy. I tried to not eat it in one go. Tried, and failed.
Pop Notch popcorn had a stall, and I may have purchased some. I may also have had my popcorn taken by the man presenting the Latte Art competition (Ok, he did ask, and he did share it with the crowd).
SD Bells and Suki Tea provided something different for those at the festival who are not coffee fans. I tried peppermint tea for the first time from Suki Tea and I am a convert. I always thought it would be like drinking polo mints but I was wrong. Still, myfavourite flavour remains ‘Red Berry’.
NI Barista Championship
NI Coffee Festival introduced the inaugural NI Barista Championships. Over the weekend, baristas from all over Northern Ireland competed for this coveted title. Daniel Black, a barista at Common Grounds in south Belfast was the overall winner. I will have to visit soon and try one of his specialities.
Northern Ireland’s top baristas
There was also a competition for Latte Art. This is not something I appreciate (sorry to all coffee snobs). I am a mocha drinker and I get excited when some chocolate powder is sprinkled on top.
James told us to look arty – I think I need to practise
I had a great afternoon with Bex and James. I officially take my hat off to Roger as he organised a fantastic event. I hope it is the first of many. Next year, can we have more cake stands? I like cake…
It is difficult to go to Titanic Quarter and not take a picture of the Harland & Wolff cranes
What did you love about NI Coffee Festival? Are there any other festivals I should be aware of?
This seems like it was a great event! I love coffee, though I’m no connoisseur. Everything looked amazing, and like it was so much fun. I am completely envious!
I hope you had a wonderful time, and thank you for sharing this with us!
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Wish I could’ve made it to this, sounds like you had a brilliant time! Coffee <3
Maeve // Thrift O’Clock
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I am sure it will be back – you will get next time 🙂
Wow! That sure looked like fun 🙂 I love coffee! I live in Mexico, and we have some great coffee here. In fact, my uncle has an organic coffee farm, so I know he would’ve loved going to the festival too. Thanks for sharing this!
This looked like it was fun! Who doesn’t love coffee and everything that goes with it! They can keep the tea lol. Coffee all day for me! lol. But great post, thanks for sharing.