The upcoming International Coffee & Tea Festival in Dubai, a major trade event for the coffee and tea industry, will hold a special Coffee Roasting Workshop.

The event is set to take place from October 8 to 11 at the Meydan Grandstand & Convention Centre.

Specialty Coffee Training has been a popular feature of the festival through the years. The Specialty Coffee Roasting programme joins the show’s training syllabus for the first time and is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world’s largest trade association for specialty coffee.

The workshop will share a wealth of experience with café enthusiasts, amateurs and budding professionals and show how the ‘Third Wave of Coffee’ movement currently trending around the world is elevating coffee preparation into a specialty craft following the footsteps of wine and chocolate.

A selection of the SCAA’s top educational programmes, including exclusive sessions in coffee grading, cupping and preparation, catering to beginners and professionals alike, will be hosted during the show through an Educational Partnership between SCAA and International Conferences & Exhibitions, the organizer of the International Coffee & Tea Festival. Attendees will be awarded SCAA certificates upon completion of their training.

“The Specialty Coffee Roasting workshop sanctioned by the SCAA marks a first for high-standard coffee training in the region,” said Ryan Godinho, event director of the International Coffee & Tea Festival and an SCAA Education Partner.

“Participants will have the privilege of learning best practices in coffee roasting, from specialist trainers who are internationally-certified professionals.

“Enthusiasts and businesses of all scales alike will appreciate the detail, professionalism and market insights of the workshop and all the training opportunities to be offered by SCAA during the festival,” he added.

With the average cost of green coffee approximately $4-8 per kilo, on a global scale many retailers see their highest profit margin from coffee sales. An in-shop 1 kg micro roaster is capable of roasting 1 kg of coffee every 8-12 minutes, providing a steady supply of fresh coffee to walk-in customers, he noted.

“This will be the first time that the region will be exposed to such a high standard of coffee training with emphasis on coffee roasting, which is the latest trend in cafes. The decision to include these workshops is in line with the aim to expose the region to the tremendous business potential of coffee roasting, either small scale for use in a café or restaurant, or even a larger scale distribution,” Godinho added.

The International Coffee & Tea Festival provides a one-stop destination for all aspects of coffee, tea, bar and café products, equipment and services in the Middle East. At the event this year, alongside the training programs, visitors will also benefit from meeting with equipment and produce suppliers to begin their specialty coffee roasting journey.

This year’s festival will feature various SCAA-Certified Trainings and Workshops, the UAE Barista and Latte Art Championships which will determine the UAE representative to the 2014 World Barista Championships, a ‘Taste Tea Zone’ dedicated purely to tea, and an ‘Espresso & Brew Bar,’ among others. – TradeArabia News Service