Experience a range of tastings and competitions at Nordic Coffee Fest, a new event with a focus on sustainability.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Ordna Event Agency, unless otherwise specified

The Nordics will soon see the arrival of a brand-new coffee festival: Nordic Coffee Fest is set to take place February 24-25, 2024, at Gothenburg, Sweden’s waterfront venue, Eriksbergshallen. The event—which aims to become the largest and most sustainable coffee festival in the world—will offer a variety of activities, including tastings, lectures, master classes, and competitions.

Nordic Coffee Fest is organized by Ordna Event Agency, a creative event and marketing firm known for producing events within the coffee industry, including The Barista League, an international barista competition that promotes accessibility and community. Read on as we explore Nordic Coffee Fest and its ambitious mission!

What’s On

The Nordic Coffee Fest will celebrate the growing coffee culture in Sweden and its Nordic neighbors. By showcasing the increasing number of roasteries, cafés, and specialty-coffee companies, the festival will allow coffee enthusiasts from all over the Nordics to come together and enjoy the world of coffee under one roof.

Visitors will have the chance to explore the world of coffee equipment and learn new home-brewing skills, while the Roasters Village will feature top roasteries from the Nordics offering tasty coffee to enjoy. As the weekend unfolds, excitement will build with thrilling competitions, including the highly anticipated Nordics Best Roaster. 

Coffee enthusiasts will also be thrilled by the grand return of The Barista League to Sweden after six years of international competitions, adding to the excitement and prestige of the event. Steve Moloney, founder of Ordna Event Agency, acknowledges the Nordics as longtime leaders in specialty coffee. 

“The Nordics have been leaders of specialty coffee for a long time now, and with the growing interest in quality coffee, it feels great to create a space for the community to come together and celebrate the love of coffee,“ he says. “This festival is for everyone who enjoys coffee—no matter if you’re a super nerd or a curious beginner, there will be something on offer at Nordic Coffee Fest.”

Introducing the Nordics Best Roaster Competition

Ordna Event Agency is collaborating with Finnish Barista Champion Jarno Peräkylä to introduce the inaugural Nordics Best Roaster competition. This prestigious event will showcase the skills and expertise of the region’s top coffee roasters. Blindly judged by the roasters themselves, each coffee will be evaluated, emphasizing the dedication and hard work required to be among the best. 

“It will be a tough competition as Best Roaster gathers the Nordic elite in coffee. The title of Best Roaster goes to the coffee roaster that makes the best use of its expertise, skills, and experience to create the most interesting drinking experience,“ Steve explains.

The competition focuses on two key aspects: sourcing and roasting, which combine to create the ultimate cup of coffee. Participants will present a mandatory green coffee and one from their own roastery, adhering to specific restrictions. The winner will be crowned during the Nordic Coffee Fest. Visitors can also join in by sampling the competition coffees and voting for the Public Choice Award.

A Coffee Festival with a Green Mission

This festival’s ambitious mission is to become the most sustainable coffee festival in the world. The organizers have implemented a multi-layer strategy aimed at making substantial changes to event production. With a focus on reducing waste materials, imposing financial consequences for unsustainable behavior, promoting intuitive sustainability practices, and implementing comprehensive measurement and evaluation processes, the festival organizers are determined to achieve their goal.

Notably, the festival will enforce a complete ban on single-use items and exclusively offer vegetarian food options. They’ll adhere to strict waste management protocols, and they will offset carbon emissions. Nordic Coffee Fest aims to demonstrate that organizing successful events with a focus on sustainability is achievable through careful planning and making sustainability a priority in every decision.

”We want to continue organizing Nordic Coffee Fest year after year, so it is important that we review how we can do this with the least possible impact on the environment. If we cannot produce events where consideration for people and the environment is included in both thought and execution, it is not worth continuing to do them,” Steve says.

With its dedication to sustainability, innovative competitions, and celebration of Nordic coffee culture, the first-ever Nordic Coffee Fest is sure to be an unforgettable event. Early bird tickets are now available for purchase, so don’t miss your chance to attend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work. You can follow her adventures at thewanderingbean.net.

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