World of Coffee (WOC), the international event for coffee professionals, officially opened its doors today, with Dubai hosting the event’s tenth international showing and the first in the Middle East.
Building on nine previous shows across various European and USA cities, WOC is running at Dubai Exhibition Center (DEC) at the Expo 2020 Dubai site until January 14. Uniting growers, traders, roasters, manufacturers (packing, machinery, software), distributers, baristas, SME’s, café owners, hotels, and end-users from around the world, WOC boasts a compelling assortment of activities, championships and content sessions
UAE National Championships kicks off:
The UAE National cezve/ibrik Championship finals kicked off on WOC’s opening day, with two national championship events – the UAE National cezve/ibrik Championship, and the UAE National Cup Tasters Championship. The winners of each competition will represent the Emirates at the international finals in Berlin, Germany. One of the company’s vying for brewing bragging rights was Karam Coffee.
Amr Khaled, Barista at Karam Coffee, said,
“I started out with Karam Coffee as a warehouse helper and moved up to the position of a technician, and now one of their top barista’s. I was put forward for this competition by the company owner, Mohammed Eissa Al Ghurair, and have dedicated a lot of time since to perfect my craft. I don’t want to give too much away, but my competition signature drink revolves around a coffee drink for those who cannot or don’t like to drink coffee. This event is the ideal platform for baristas, brewers and fellow coffee patrons to connect, and it is great to see the UAE coffee industry come together.”
Other roasters and coffee experts taking part were Archers Coffee, The Espresso Bar, Royal Purple Roastery and Seven Fortunes Coffee Roasters.
The Sweet Smell of Roasted Coffee:
WOC has a dedicated ‘Roasters’ Village’ where local and international roasters are demonstrating their roasting and barista skills, while also presenting new to market products and innovations. International exhibitor Hot Pipes are veterans of the event and have travelled from Romania to take part.
Adrian Bularca, Barista at Hot Pipes, said,
“We’re a Romanian roastery and have travelled to the UAE to represent Hot Pipes at the inaugural World of Coffee Dubai. I’ve personally attended the previous editions of World of Coffee at Budapest in 2017 and Berlin in 2019 and. Today, I’ll be brewing Costa Rican coffee with bold notes of chocolate blended well with low notes of fruit. World of Coffee allows the industry to reconnect, and the UAE is the perfect place for the inaugural WOC MENA chapter owing to the amount of coffee lovers in the country. I’m excited to see what is in store over the next three days,”
The Roasters Village also features the ‘Cupping Corner’, a dedicated space for exhibitors to present coffees to select customer groups in custom Tasting Rooms.
Chris Reyes, Head of Sales and Operations at Abu Dhabi based Blacksmith Coffee Roastery, said;
“We’re a local speciality roasting company from Abu Dhabi and offer two different types of roasts. One of our roasts, the Elsalvador roast, touches upon softer, fruity notes, while our Columbian roast focuses on more bold and chocolatey notes. Our roasters have over a decade’s worth of experience and roast only high-quality beans to provide the best coffee to our customers.”
A collection of baristas are also on hand to demonstrate their skills at the show’s Brew & Expresso Bar, while exhibitors are contesting a series of Coffee Design awards covering retail spaces, brands, vessel and packaging and for the overall ‘Best New Display Product.’
The Content of Coffee:
WOC Dubai has a strong educational focus with a range of lectures and training programs organized by the SCA taking place in its SCA Lounge and Store. On the show’s first day, a number of sessions ran from both local and international speakers and took a deep dive into climate change and the recent impact on coffee prices.
Global CEO of the SCA, Yannis Apostolopoulos, added:
“On behalf of the SCA, I want to welcome our exhibitors and visitors to the inaugural World of Coffee Dubai trade show. We have kicked off day one of the event with a bustling show floor, an extensive series of lectures delivered by world-class professionals, and the SCA UAE Chapter’s exciting Cezve/Ibrik and Cup Tasters national championships. Good luck to the competitors and thank you to the judges and volunteers who have made this event possible.”
Khalid Alhammadi, SVP at DXB Live, said:
“It is fantastic to see the show open and the coffee industry come together at this inaugural edition of World of Coffee. With this first edition already encompassing championships, awards, content and experiences, we hope Dubai’s rich coffee traditions make their mark on our global visitors.”
News Source: Dubai PR Network
