4 min readThe Manchester Coffee Festival returns to the iconic Bowlers Exhibition Centre this November bringing an outstanding lineup of exhibitors, competitions and interactive events. Here’s four reasons you can’t miss the U.K’s best regional coffee show.
MCF returns to the Bowlers Exhibition Centre across the weekend of 14th-16th November, where coffee professionals, connoisseurs and novices all come together to brew, sample and compete in the north’s biggest celebration of coffee.
A full programme of competitions, workshops, cuppings, expert panels and talks runs alongside a vast collection of incredible roasters, manufacturers, local makers, food and drink vendors, all soundtracked by the guest DJs over the weekend.
With so much to see and taste over the weekend, we’ve put together our top four experiences you don’t want to miss at the Manchester Coffee Festival this November.
1. UK & Ireland Filter Championships
New for this year are the UK & Ireland Filter Championships. Showcasing the very best brewers in the British Isles, this competition has a simple concept: one coffee, one champion.
With all competitors using one coffee for the duration of the competition, each competitor will be utilising their own unique skills and understanding of coffee to prove they're the best brewer in the UK & Ireland.
With coffee being provided by the excellent team at Scenery Coffee Roasters and filtered water coming from competition sponsors iX Water, make sure you get a seat in the audience for this competition to be in with a chance of trying some coffee from the best baristas across the UK and Ireland.
As the Northern Heats and National Finals are taking place across the weekend at MCF, this is a must-see event, with the first champion being crowned the best in the game when it comes to pure coffee brewing.
2. Brew Bar
Another new addition to the Manchester Coffee Festival in 2025 is the community Brew Bar. Highlighting the best local coffee shops and brands, the Brew Bar provides a spotlight for those creating amazing coffees day in and day out within the community.
Each session at the festival will see a different local shop feature on the bar, as they craft a selection of filter coffees on equipment provided by Brew Bar sponsors Espresso Solutions.
The lineup will be announced closer to the show, so make sure you don’t miss the chance to connect with your favourite baristas and brewers.
3. Industry Session
As if you needed another reason to celebrate, the Manchester Coffee Festival is also introducing an industry session for the first time this year.
Offering baristas, roasters, importers and all of those involved in the industry the chance to network, engage in the industry-specific events programme, including workshops, talks and cuppings, as well as taste an array of amazing coffees.
Taking place on Friday 14th November, visitors must receive accreditation via the industry applications by visiting the MCF website.
4. Unrivalled Experience
The lineup for this year’s MCF is incomparable, featuring the very best the industry has to offer. From a whole host of workshops from industry experts, to the incredible lineup of cuppings in the Jamie Boland Tasting Rooms, to the carefully-crafted schedule of talks and panel discussions, there’s something for everyone.
The list of exhibitors is vast and filled with the best of the best, including machine sponsors and the world renowned LaMarzocco, roasters such as Oddy Knocky, Darkwoods, Kickback and Ancoats Coffee, and payment solutions partner Square UK.
How to book your tickets
There’s also plenty for those looking for a coffee-free kick, with Oatly, Stores, Birchall Tea, Monin and more joining the party, as well as the Makers Marketplace, highlighting the fantastic creators and independent makers from the local community.
Not forgetting the annual Latte Art Competition, where you can see baristas go head-to-head, as they pour incredible patterns picked by the judges.
It’s all here at the Manchester Coffee Festival, so book your ticket now to get access to all of this and more this November at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre.
