We just got back from Glasgow Coffee Festival for another incredible weekend of great chat, great coffee, and great memories.
Although we didn’t reintroduce the world’s smallest cafe, we did highlight three new coffees for the Summer that we’re genuinely really excited about.
This year was all about our Summer Banger, and its counterpart the (almost) Decaf Summer Banger. We’ve been talking a lot about how decaf can be great, and we think this (almost) decaf is really just that - great, and seeing people respond positively to our decaf offering validated that fact even further.
The Return of Summer Banger
Our Summer Banger this year is a real banger, made up of three incredible coffees in their own right - 50% Washed Colombia, produced by Ruby Urbano, 40% Natural Colombia, produced by Andres Trujillo, and 10% peach co-fermentation produced by Jairo Arcila. Co-fermentations were HUGE this year, and although fruit fermentation/ maceration makes up a small percentage of coffees that are on the market, it’s always really fun and interesting to see the innovation that happens at origin. One thing for sure is that you’ll get to try some pretty bonkers coffees at a coffee festival.
The Counterpart to Summer Banger - Almost Decaf Summer Banger.
We’ve been on a mission this year to introduce a whacky and delicious decaf coffee, and we think we’ve nailed it with this one. This decaf is made up of 70% Natural decaf, 20% decaf fruit fermentation, and 10% peach co-fermentation.
Our Latest Wonder Series
Our last coffee we unveiled at GCF was our new Wonder Series, Fabio Nelson Urrego, a Chiroso, Washed Extended Fermentation from Colombia. Last year, we offered two really heavily processed coffees, so being able to offer a really clean and delicious washed coffee (along with a decaf that was missing last year) was super important to us.
Great Memories
Not only did we introduce three brand new coffees, Hannah, our Head of Coffee, competed in Roast Hero for her first year and took home the win! Robi, our Founder, also spoke on a panel about hospitality and spoke with BBC Radio about sustainability in the coffee industry!
Good coffee and good memories were really flowing this year! Annie, our new roastery assistant, attended the festival for the first time this year, read some of her thoughts on the weekend.
“Being a newbie to GCF, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect and so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. I was especially looking forward to meeting new people in the specialty coffee industry and trying a ton of new coffee!”
What was your favourite memory or moment from the weekend?
"My highlights of the weekend were purely the amazing interactions I had with so many people. I was taken aback by the positivity, community and general passion people had for coffee and Cairngorm - a very wholesome weekend!"
What was your favourite stand or coffee you tried over the weekend?
"Spider Monkey Roasters next door to our Cairngorm stand were super friendly and it was so lovely to chat to fellow newcomers to GCF. Their "SHOCK N AWE" with a peach co-fermentation tasted amazing on espresso."
Anna, Cairngorm’s Operations Manager, attended the festival for her third year. Hear what she had to say about how this year has compared to her others.
What about GCF were you looking forward to?
"I was really looking forward to seeing the Scottish coffee community come together again—there’s always such a buzz of creativity and passion in the air. It’s so exciting to see the new ideas and approaches people bring each year, and this time was no exception."
What was your favourite memory or moment from the weekend?
"Catching up with familiar faces is always a highlight. Seeing our regulars return year after year, genuinely excited to find out what we’ve been working on—it’s such a rewarding feeling. And of course, hearing how much everyone loved our summer banger made our day... even if it had to compete with the curry smell drifting through the venue!"
What was your favourite stand or coffee you tried over the weekend?
"Nowita takes the crown again. Their ice cream is the one thing I look forward to all day long—without fail. It’s become a bit of a GCF ritual for me at this point!"
Hannah, Head of Coffee, also attended the festival for her third year, read her thoughts below.
What about GCF were you looking forward to?
"I competed in Roast Hero this year, which was a first for me, and I was really excited to cup all of our coffees with a room full of roasters and coffee professionals on the Friday before the weekend. Just being around coffee folks that share a common interest and passion is always incredibly energising and motivating."
What was your favourite memory or moment from the weekend?
"I think getting to see familiar faces, customers and coffee folks is always the best part of any event like this. It’s so nice to reconnect with people you don’t get to see regularly, as well as those familiar faces that come back year after year. Winning Roast Hero was a close second!"
What was your favourite stand or coffee you tried over the weekend?
"I’m an absolute fangirl of Space and Kafei Studio. Their Plot ‘Birthday Party’ coffee, White House Gesha, produced by Sebastian Ramírez on espresso was unreal."
Robi, the founder and owner of Cairngorm, has been around since the inception of Glasgow Coffee Festival, with many many years of coffee festivals under his belt. Read on to hear his thoughts on this year.
What about GCF were you looking forward to?
“I was really looking forward to catching up with old friends, and was proud and impressed to see more representation from South-based coffee professionals than in previous years. Seeing that they found the event a draw and having the opportunity to pick their brains on what’s happening out with Scotland was fantastic.”
What was your favourite memory or moment from the weekend?
“Without a doubt, seeing Hannah win the Roast Hero award for Scottish coffee roasting. It was such a well-deserved recognition and a massive moment for the whole Cairngorm team!”
What was your favourite stand or coffee you tried over the weekend?
“I really enjoyed Crankhouse’s Edinson Argote SL-28 – a pure chocolate ganache tasting treat that was so accurately described in its tasting notes.”
All in all, it was an incredible event and was lovely as ever to chat with people about coffee and community. We’re incredibly grateful and humbled to be a part of such a warm and encouraging community. We can’t wait to see you next year!
Buy Summer Banger HERE! Wonder Series will be officially launching in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.
Images by Cairngorm Coffee (Jack Macaulay @fkjk), Glasgow Coffee Festival
