Visitors make and taste matcha during a coffee festival in London on May 17. ZHAO JIASONG/XINHUA
LONDON — The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the Truman Brewery when the London Coffee Festival took place there earlier this month, bringing together roasters, baristas, cafe owners, equipment makers and packaging suppliers from across the industry.
Amid the busy booths and tasting counters, Chinese exhibitors stood out not only for their coffee beans, but also for their tea drinks, sustainable packaging and coffee machines. Their presence highlighted how Chinese companies are moving beyond single-product offerings and becoming involved in more segments of Europe's coffee consumption chain.
At the festival, specialty coffee roasters from China also attracted attention. Ji Hengtao, founder and roaster of Shanghai-based Terraform Coffee Roaster, told Xinhua that as China's domestic specialty coffee market has grown rapidly and matured, some Chinese roasters have begun looking overseas.
"In the past, it was mostly overseas brands entering the Chinese market. Now we also want to prove that Chinese brands can be competitive overseas," he said.
