I fell in love with coffee back in 2005 and decided to read as much as possible about it and learn from top experts like WBC winners like James Hoffmann. After amassing a lot of knowledge I decided to start my own blog in 2007. In 2010, I showed my love, by moving to Cape Town (it looked nice) to open my coffee shop, Escape Caffe. It was tough to start but as soon as my wife persuaded me to let everyone one know one of my secrets, we broke even. why ? it was the only coffee shop in the World owned by a Nobel Peace Prize winner, which I won with my colleagues at the UN-IAEA in 2005, plus a food writer told everyone that I and the best cheesecake in Cape Town. I've now moved to Dubai to start my next coffee adventure, so let me know if you want to collaborate. Until then check my blog and instagram.
I had no idea what to expect when I was invited by Garfield Kerr, the CEO of Mokha 1450 Luxury Specialty Coffee and the President of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) UAE chapter, to be a judge at the semi-finals of the UAE AeroPress Championships held in Dubai on 7 November 2025.
However, when I walked into the venue, I was greeted with a room full of music with a live DJ, loud cheer and tons of people from the UAE coffee community.
Photo credit. Me at the competition hall
My first reaction;
“what am I doing here and can I really judge such talent?”
Enter…. Imposter syndrome.
Sure, I’ve been writing about coffee for over 18 years, met countless experts like James Hoffman, Maxwell Colonna Smalls, been invited to many events, attended several coffee conferences, ran my own coffee shop for three years, tasted coffee from almost every region in the World and earned a SCA Sensory Skills certificate. The list goes on.
So, I was lucky when I saw my number one coffee buddy, Naveed of The Need For Coffee, as I could chat, relax and soak up the atmosphere.
Naveed with a cup of coffee
This helped me to relax and as I took a walk around the venue watching other judges judge the prequalifying rounds, I began to gain more composure, talking to myself (not aloud) “yes, I can do this”.
After about two hours, it was my turn together with my other two judges, one a lady from Brazil that has been in coffee for over 10 years and an Emirati lady who imports Yemeni coffee.
Hmmm
In short, we were not allowed to see the contestants, so we were seated backing them as I guess this might bias our judgement or perhaps, we may be overtaken by the methodology.
So, here we go…
Upon tasting three cups of coffee, we were told, point to the one you think is the best and if 2 out of the 3 judges chose a cup, that barista, only identified by a colour, unknown to us, was the winner.
On the first go, the other two judges chose a cup that I didn’t. Then I thought “oh dear”
However, for the remainder of the cups, you would be glad to know that I always picked the winner.
And the winner is…
The highlight for me was when one of the cups had a distinct taste of guess….
Coconut.
Wow!
I still wanted to know what methodology that barista used because all the coffees were the same for all contestants.
Hmmm…. That’s different
I definitely picked that cup and so did my other two judges – unanimous decision.
And then before you know it, it was all over.
I pray I’ll be invited again and I’m grateful to Garfield and his team at Mokha 1450 for organising the event.
Yeah!
The great pictures were taken by none other than Naveed.
We’ve seen a few things like this here in Dubai, whether it be a fancy restaurant, a bakery or a shop BUT when it comes to specialty coffee, this is very rare indeed. And in fact one of my fave specialty coffee shops from London is about to open in Dubai this week or next – more on that when I visit it God willing.
So, onto Half Cup, Dubai.
I had never heard of this place but when our daughter suggested we visit it to celebrate my wife birthday for brunch, I checked them out and their coffee and off we went.
It’s set in a new residential complex in Business Bay, surrounded by fancy looking apartment blocks called Peninsula 1, 2, 3 etc. and so as you drive up, you could be anywhere in the world, with a view of the canal not too far. Half Cup itself is ultra-modern, almost like a glass box with tons of sunlight coming in and some seats outside for when it gets cooler – yes it does get cooler in Dubai, from early November to about late March.
Although there aren’t many seats inside, we managed to get one as we entered. We were attended to probably my waiter of the year, Chris, who was very attentive and helpful. I think the first mistake we made was not listening to him about the portion sizes. Whoa!
Am not sure if you can detect the size of our Turkish Eggs order with beef brisket but the BBQ Beef Brisket Brioche sandwich was enough for three.
Whoa!!!!
If you do go there and order eggs royale. Beware too that it’s enough for two too as I saw that the next table had ordered it.
So, how about the coffee?
Sitting on top an eye-catching steel brewing bar was their two group La Marzocco Linea espresso machine accompanied with two Victoria Arduino grinders. They have a selection of coffees, to choose from for both filter and espresso based roasted locally by one of my top Dubai based roasteries, so I was confident in their offering. I went for a flat white, with Brazilian beans.
Flat white at Half Cup
Delicious with hints of nuts and milk chocolate. It’s a good thing that I ordered this before my meal as I often do if I order eggs cooked in a tomato sauce, i.e. the Turkish eggs. If not, it might have been a challenge for me to finish my coffee.
Highly recommend and did I mention they have a dinner menu too?
I’m already looking forward to my next visit as whenever you find good food and coffee, you can bet I’ll be planning my next visit there soon.
Last month I was invited to attend a China Arab Expo in Yinchuan, a city about two hours flight west of Beijing and although I didn’t find any coffee shop there, using my aeropress for my coffee fix, I knew that Beijing would have more to offer. So, before my trip I used google to search for best specialty coffee in Beijing and guess what, Voyage Coffee came up.
So, on my second day in Beijing, I made sure that my first stop in discovering the city or should I say finding good coffee, was at the art district, 798 751 Park , where Voyage Coffee was located. Initially I was a bit apprehensive as I completely underestimated the size of this venue and not having WIFI, I panicked. However, upon entering from the main entrance, which is a pedestrian district, I saw a sign pointing to Voyage Coffee on my right… hey presto!
I found out that the main entrance was in a kind of cul-de-sac, so I had a mini adventure.
Upon entering, you are greeted with Nihao (hello in Chinese) and with a Scandinavian style interior with light brown wood and concrete – urban Nordic chic is what I call it.
Voyage Coffee, Beijing
They have a La Marzocco Strada with Mazzer grinders and the menu has Chinese on one side and English on the other. The café was busy with both locals and expats with some working on laptops and enjoying their coffees.
I noticed their Probat 12kg coffee roaster housed in a glass enclosure for all to see. I found out from their barista that they roast every Tuesday. I went for a flat white using their Black Forest blend, even though it was late afternoon, having not had espresso-based coffee for days and a NY style cheesecake.
Yummy. Hints of chocolate and dried fruit around the edge of my tongue and the cheesecake was one my wife would have approved off.
Before finishing my coffee, Cody, the top barista came over to offer a Kenyan cold brew coffee.
I think she noticed that I was a bit more serious than other customers when I was asking questions about the coffee earlier, plus she spoke the best English as the others were a little puzzled when I started asking about flavour profiles.
I liked it so much that I wanted to buy a bag of beans and Cody was so excited that she rushed to the back to get me one, BUT sadly they had run out. I opted for her second recommendation, an Ethiopian Mansa, because it was a natural processed.
Cody pouring latteart
I took some videos for my Instagram reels and left.
Highly recommended when in Beijing.
I wandered around the art district as someone asked to check another coffee shop, which I didn’t find but I tried Manner coffee, which was okay and I saw %arabica, which had a cool décor but I find their beans to darkly roasted for me, so I didn’t bother.
Flat white
Find them at China, Beijing, Chaoyang, 酒仙桥路4号北京798艺术区内 邮政编码: 100102
Yes, I was back in London last month in July after a family holiday in Morocco and I can’t wait to share with you my London specialty coffee adventures, especially as there were lots of new coffee shops opening and who said that opening coffee shops was a passing trend…. Hmmm! In summary, there appears to be a trend, where coffee brands from overseas like Dubai (previous post), Nairobi (yes, from Kenya, Africa) Asia and Europe are opening branches in London. I also got to revisit some of my faves, especially as they were very convenient on my way to explore London and visit friends.
The Barn Café, 36 Charlotte Street
Recently opened on Charlotte Street, just a few minutes’ walk off Oxford Street (Tottenham court road end and close to Goodge Street), Barn Berlin have decided to open a branch in bustling London – called The Barn Café (not Barn Berlin). A cozy escape, the décor is urban chic with exposed brick, with a natural feel, decked with wooden furniture and flooring to match I guess, their coffee bags too, reminding me of my coffee shop in Cape Town. They sue a La Marzocco two group linea machine with Victoria Arduino grinders. There’s some seating outside, which was perfect for the day I visited, as it was a warm sunny 30C day in London. However, I sat inside because I wanted to take pictures and videos and chat a little with their friendly staff, which I did. As I hadn’t had milk-based coffee that day, I ordered a flat white using their blend.
Flat white at Barn, London
Well balanced.
They sell lots of their coffees, so you can drink and buy.
Spring Valley, 24 Camden Passage, Islington
I was excited to see this new coffee shop open in London just prior to my visit, but why you may ask. In short, I’ve known about this Kenyan coffee brand since 2018 and the prospect of an African brand opening in one of London’s most prestigious neighbourhood signaled to me two things, that an African F&B company have the bravery to open up in London and that a full on coffee shop will be offering Kenyan coffee on a regular basis. So, I went with my daughter on a very rainy Sunday and I was surprised about how busy the area was. More impressive, was the size of the shop. Decked with all the best gadgets that I had seen in Nairobi, like a La Marzocco Strada and Swan grinder.
Spring Valley Coffee, London
I opted for a cappuccino with their dark roast, although I must confess, I would have preferred their medium roast but they had sold out already and that was at 11:30am. They also offer lots of merchandise to buy from Africa, of course and I can see them becoming a hub for the locals and British Africans too.
Frequency Specialty Coffee, 13 Camden Passage Islington
Not far from Spring Valley was what looked like a tiny coffee shop. However, as we entered up the stairs I later found out that Frequency has seating across 4 floors including a garden patio too. However, on a rainy day, we sat on the second floor as I downed my Brazilian cortado – tingling notes of dark chocolate on the outside of my tongue.
Cortado at frequency coffee
So good, that I bought a bag of their espresso beans to take back to Dubai too.
I went back later in the week with my brother and guess what, it was raining again but this time I had a V60, which was good too.
Zero to One, 19 Widegate, near Liverpool Street Station
We know that Vietnam is now the second largest producer of coffee in the World, but I’ve never been nor seen a Vietnamese specialty coffee shop before, until now – a stone throw away from Liverpool Street tube station – the hub of bankers, lawyers and the people who create wealth in London. My daughter actually recommended this spot, so I dropped by with my wife to try it out. Decked with a Kees van der Westen spirit espresso machine, operated by a friendly lady barista, I knew they meant business.
So, I opted for a cortado, using…. Guess what? A medium light roasted Vietnamese specialty robusta natural coffee bean, fermented with kefir (usually used to ferment yoghurt) – yes, a mouthful, but yes, a mouthful of goodness too. Yum!
Cortado at ZerotoOne
They roast and sell their beans too, so if you fancy something different, then try them out.
So, where else did I go?
Well, I stopped over at some other tried and tested places, which I have written about before, like.
Kiss the Hippo London
Kiss the Hippo on Margaret Street, near Oxford Street, which was actually my first specialty coffee stop. I had a well-balanced fruity V60 using Colombian Pink bourbon Arabica beans.
Cortado
Urban Botanica Kennington to have a cortado, using a Rwanda natural brewed on their Kees van der Westen spirt espresso machine.
Flat white at WatchHouse London
WatchHouse (Fitzrovia and Bond Street branches) to have delicious banana bread and batch brew and on another occasion, a flat white. I love the interiors and the attention to detail by the staff at this brand and you can usually can’t go wrong when you visit them. Did I mention that they have a loyalty customer app too?
Assembly coffee
The Shed at Clapham South underground station, who now use Assembly coffee (previously it was Caravan) for a quick cortado.
Cortado at 2 Love to Coffee, Clapham
2 Love to Coffee House (St Johns Road, Clapham) Two for my last coffee fix, which was a flat white using their espresso blend – a delicious end to my London coffee adventures.
Visiting London recently, I noticed a new trend, whereby coffee shops from other parts of the World, are now opening in London (more on that in my next post God willing). We’ve already noticed that some Dubai restaurants like Kinoya, The Maine, Shangai Me, Gaia and Somewhere, have opened in London’s prestigious neighbourhoods.
So, not to be outdone, Voyage, of Dubai Mall, have now opened in London – not far from London’s famous store, Harrods, in Knightsbridge, next to the Binghatti show room.
When we arrived, there was a queue – this if you don’t know, is unusual for London, unless for an Instagram trendy foodie spot, but most people in the queue were from the Middle East and this is common in Riyadh. However, for our friends, it was unusual. So, after about 30 minutes waiting, we were finally let in, all 7 of us.
Video of Voyage Lounge
It’s quite a huge space for a London café and I think they have yet to maximise the space inside and I guess they might have seating downstairs soon.
The décor is similar to the one in Dubai Mall – orange clay with lounge style chairs and their menu, although more biased towards trendy drinks (matcha, etc), does have specialty coffee and pour over too, with lots of tasty cakes on offer.
Pistachio Cream Cake
Try the pistachio – it was yummy and we ordered three.
I went for a cortado, using Colombian coffee beans.
I liked that it had a bit of a punch.
Their brew bar is similar to the one in Dubai, with a Kees van der Westen espresso machine and they have a display of cakes and coffee beans for you to smell too.
After two hours of catching up, we walked over to the Binghatti (one of Dubai’s top real estate developers) show room and had a quick chat with one of the salesmen, where we spoke about the Mercedes building, being built by Binghatti in Dubai.
Bugatti
Find them in the prestigious neighbourhood of Kensington at 197 Brompton Road, London SW3 1LA.
Always on the hunt for new coffee experiences when I stop over in London, I discovered two new places and share with you one of my to-go’s.
2 Love Coffeehouse, 89 St John’s Rd, London SW11 1QY
Located at the intersection of St Johns Road and Battersea Rise and almost 5-6 minutes’ walk from the busy Clapham Junction railway station is 2 Love Tea and Coffee – but their coffee offerings dominate their menu. I’ve actually been here a few times, as if I manage to sneak out of the house before the plan of the day has been agreed to, I can get a good flat white. As you enter, you are greeted with an array of cakes on your left-hand side that only those who hate cakes will ignore. I must confess, I have ignored these on a few occasions but have succumbed to their red velvet and carrot cake on others too.
London cakes
I usually stop here for a good flat white and often buy coffee to take back to Dubai too.
Flat white at Two Love Coffee
They have their own blends for espresso-based coffee but offer and sell Monmouth coffees and other London based roasteries too.
The Coffee Guild, 106 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AJ
On the occasion of our sons’ master’s graduation and after a long day with no specialty coffee, I was pleased to see this coffee shop on our way to the celebration dinner across the road. Whilst everyone walked onto the restaurant, I had to stop to get something, after spotting the La Marzocco Linea espresso machine – I sound like an addict… In any case it was worth it, a double espresso, just to get me through the rest of the day.
Espresso at The Coffee Guild, Oxford
On our way back after dinner, my brother couldn’t help himself and ordered a latte and I bought a bag of their espresso blend.
Two things really stood out for me at this coffee shop.
First, when was the last time a coffee shop was open in England after 6pm? I can only think of one, Watch House in Bloomsbury, London. Puzzled, I asked the owner and he said they stay open until 11pm… yes, you read that right. I am almost positive that no other coffee shop stays open in England this late.
The coffee guild, Oxford
Secondly, the owner and his other staff were so friendly that I almost wanted to award them “the happiest coffee shop in England”. The joy they had in serving coffee and telling me that they open until 11pm was so amazing.
Highly recommend.
Treelogy Coffee, 50 Eastbourne Terrace, Paddington, London W2 6LG
I must confess when a friend of mine from London suggested we meet here for coffee and a catch up, I was a bit sceptical – probably because of the name. I was on the verge of recommending somewhere else but because I knew we had a short window, I decided to look them up instead.
Treelogy Coffee, London
Yes, I saw pictures of latte art, but I wanted to know more. So, I got there a little earlier than my meeting to scan the place out. Unlike most London coffee shops, expect the elegant and sophisticated Watch House, most London coffee shops look very neighbourly, but this one looked very corporate as it was located at the bottom of a newish office block next to the newly revamped Paddington railway station. After observing the barista and checking out their coffee offerings, I ordered a cortado.
Cortado
It was delicious and probably I shouldn’t judge a coffee shop by its flooring…. Ha!.
Prior to my short London trip last week, my daughter mentioned that she wanted to take me to a new coffee shop she thought I’d like. So, after peeling myself off my bed on a Sunday morning, the last day of our 4 days trip and after a hectic few days, I went to meet her at Waterloo at Calico Coffee, 101 Lower Marsh Street, about 5 minutes’ walk from Waterloo Railway Station.
Upon entering, you are greeted with a fairly open space, giving you room to look at their coffee menu and their pastry offerings in a glass counter (very Nordic). Their brew bar in front of you is decked with a La Marzocco Strada and to the right-hand side, they offer coffee beans to take home or you can have them ground by them too.
Photo courtesy of Zahra
As you walk along the left-hand side, you notice wooden shelves with magazines.
The feel for me, was very Japanese with its minimalist feel and décor that reminded me of modern Japanese restaurants, decked with high stool seating at the back next to the counter, where they brew filter coffees. At the back there was a nice looking one group espresso machine with Maxim label on it and when I enquired, they said it was a Chinese made espresso machine (with a French name).
Maxim Espresso machine
Walking back, I noticed that one of the baristi must have won this…
Calico coffee trophies
Yes, third place in the UK Brewers championship in 2023.
After reviewing the coffee menu and quizzing the barista about their blends for milk-based coffee and the cup size for their flat white (a typical trait of mine, sorry), I opted for their house blend when I heard “Kenya”. My daughter went for the americano.
A nice cup with hints of berries (typical Kenyan profile) around the edge of the tongue.
So, who or what is Calico?
In short, it’s the first outfit owned by two Chinese entrepreneurs and from what I noticed, they seem committed to showing London that Chinese inspired (or was it Japanese) décor, decked with an extensive brew bar, lots of staff, pastries and a chill out vibe is a space they are willing to fill in the London specialty coffee scene.
Calico coffee London
Will I go again ❓
Sure, because I also need to try their filter brewing skills.
We met a pleasant barista, Maria, of Portuguese origin, who told us about the shop, which only opened about 3 months ago.
Before I left, I went over to their coffee retail shelf and after reading many labels and being encouraged by Maria, opted for an Ecuadorian Anaerobic coffee from a Parisian based coffee roaster, Tanat, with its bright orange packaging. Looking forward to brewing this at home soon. ☺️
If in London and near Waterloo, please check them out and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed but rather… you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Visit them at Unit C, 101 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AB.
Does the title of my post sound audacious (bold) ?
Perhaps, but although I don’t travel as much as I did during my regular trips to Africa, working for the UN, transiting through Dubai and London, as well as Johannesburg, I can tell you that I never had a pleasant coffee experience to the level of what I am accustomed to in specialty coffee shops and in my home.
It was always painful for my palate after working tirelessly for a week in a foreign country and rushing to the airport either in the early hours or late evening where all you wanted was just a good cup of “specialty” coffee – no, not just coffee, but specialty.
So, late last year, after speaking at an international conference on land degradation in Riyadh and avoiding hotel coffee, I noticed that I was dropped off at the new Terminal 4 at king Khalid airport. As I walked into the gate area, after security, I noticed a huge Starbucks right in front of the departure gates area – my heart sank – but before I could scream, I looked to my extreme right and noticed a familiar sign…
Camel Step
A smile came across my face
Yes, you may have heard about them as I blogged about them when I highlighted the best ten places to drink specialty coffee in Riyadh back in 2021.
I ran there as fast as I could to get my specialty coffee fix, which was I needed after an early start (my flight was at 9am, so I left the hotel before 7am).
Camel Step, Riyadh terminal 4 airport
Camel Step have been a mainstay for specialty coffee in Saudi Arabia for a while and source good coffees. They use a Dalla Corte espresso machine for their espresso-based coffees and sell snacks, pastries, cakes and coffee beans too. On my second visit,
On my first visit, I ordered a flat white.
Unicorn latte art
Wow! Look at the latte art here.
I’m not sure about other specialty coffee shops in international airports but based on the above, I’m willing to bet that this is the best latte art at an airport, as not many baristi I have come across do this on a daily basis.
On my second visit, I also ordered a flat white too.
I also couldn’t resist picking up some Kenyan arabica beans, which I have been brewing on my Hario V60 recently and its delicious. I should highlight that if you buy a bag of coffee beans, they will give you a complimentary cup of black coffee (not a milk-based – I asked and they said no.
There’s also a small sitting area, which gets occupied quickly.
So, if you happen be transiting through King Khalid international airport, Riyadh and are lucky to be in terminal 4, I strongly recommend that you pop over toe Camel step for your specialty coffee fix and I think you won’t be disappointed.
What a great way to start your journey and day, good coffee.
I just wanted to thank Feedspot for letting me know that based on their analysis and data I’m in the top 50 coffee blog in the world… Yay!
If you don’t already know, I’ve now been blogging for almost 18 years and August 2025 will officially make it 18 years. Initially back in 2005 I started dreaming about opening a café and thought before I do that, I want to know everything there is to know about coffee. So, I started reading whatever books I could get hold off and was an avid reader of Coffee Geek – back then the number one coffee blog in the world. I even attended coffee conference (very few back then) and met James Hoffman, newly crowned World Barista Champion then and other champs to learn and quiz them about coffee. After amassing so much knowledge, I thought “why don’t I share this with the world” and that’s when I launched FROM COFFEE WITH LOVE – a testimonial to coffee writing you a letter about how to love the coffee bean.
Eventually in 2010 I did open a café in Cape Town called Escape Caffe, which I ran with lots of help and support from my wife for about 3 years… but that’s another conversation or perhaps a book. In any case I’ve written an entrepreneurial mindset course based on my experience, which covers soft and hard skills, financial planning, the secrets of running a coffee shop and more.
It always gets bigger and better in Dubai when it comes to events and the World of Coffee 2025 Edition followed suit. I only had the opportunity to attend one of the three days but still didn’t get to experience all the halls, perhaps that’s because I over COFFEE’D myself and lost count after my tenth cup – The emoji of distress 😫 comes to mind. In summary WOC Dubai is truly becoming a global coffee even and is here to stay by the looks of it, featuring all the coffee tools, suppliers, coffee farmers you can think off together with world champions gracing the stage and preparing coffee for you. Nevertheless, here’s a quick round up of my adventures;
Meeting Martin Wolf
Martin Wolf in action
Crowned recently as the World Brewers Champion, Martin used to make coffee for me at my fave coffee shop in Vienna, Austria, Balthasar, so not only was I pleasantly surprised to learn that he would be visiting but that I bumped in to him (pic with him at the top of my post) but that he got to brew coffee, which I got to taste again. What did I learn? That he uses the WDT for filter coffee (post on my Instagram).
Geisha Coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda Coffee Farm
Hacienda La Esmeralda
The first time I tasted coffee from this world-famous coffee farm in Panama, which was award the most expensive coffee back in 2011, I had my café in Cape Town. The memory of that cup still lingers with me – jasmin earl grey blue flowers – sounds crazy but what an impression. So, I was happy to see the farmers brewing coffee at the Espresso Lab Stand and got to taste not 1, but 3 cups of coffee between naturals and washed…. YUM!
Bluewater
Blue water coffee station
Wandering around near the competition stage, I bumped into Alexander from the company, who is based in Dubai and can be seen at Roast Trip in al Quoz. In summary as over 90% of coffee is water, getting the water right is paramount, so I was happy to chat and learn more about their new technology, which removes impurities, adding Swedish minerals, allowing you to alter TDS amongst other things when brewing your coffee. For example, you can alter the minerals for espresso or filter. As you know, with more water being used for filter, the water quality is very key. They also offer their device for the home too (tempting once I get a bigger pay cheque). Incidentally they won best new product of the year.
Ligre Espresso Machine
Ligre espresso machine
The owner, Lina Gronbach, reached out to me prior to WOC to ask me to visit their stand and check out their Ligre Youn espresso machine with a difference. She introduced me to their slick design, made with satin-finished anodized aluminium and which one could easily be mistaken as an automatic coffee machine, but the sleek wooden handle portafilter gives it away. Brewing can be done with just a few lever buttons at the top with options for both manual and automatic on offer and an “uber” style milk technology that froths perfectly micro foam too. A very aesthetically pleasing espresso machine costing just under EUR5,000 with its patented technology, and grinder to pair. Lina showed me how to use the machine and prepared an Italian style espresso. Growing in popularity in Germany amongst serious coffee snobs, it has already won gold at the German Design Award and the iF Design Award – no surprise there.
Coffees galore
I was happy to meet Khaled the Siphonist, whom I follow on Instagram and who was on hand to brew coffee using …. You guessed it a Siphon.
Khaled the Siphonist
I also stopped over one of my fave coffee roasteries, Cypher, where I had their Palestina Coffee as my first milk based coffee.
Cypher La Palestina flat white
I invited a friend of mine who is thinking of opening a coffee-based business to enjoy the atmosphere, which he did.
We wandered across many stalls including Kiss the Hippo, Grandmother, Subko and many more.
Kiss the Hippo from London
By far the largest stand was a coffee brand from Saudi Arabia, The Black Knight, where I met the CEO, who gave me not one, BUT 4 bags of coffee to take away. Very generous and customer focused no doubt.
Black Knight Coffee Saudi
So, that’s my round up of WOC2025 and I am already looking forward to the 2026 version, where I hope to attend more than one day insha’allah.
From Coffee With Love 