Always insightful Mr H. Be your own customer is great advice for any business. I started following your channel after wanting to know how to make French Press coffee better. I'm learning about business, communication and life. Oh, and coffee, obviously. Keep doing what you're doing. It resonates. It's good. Thank you.
Thanks for the video! I relate to finding it hard to plan films, too. I’d say my favorite thing to do is to find stories that you can tell and I really like the story you told here. Thanks man!
I feel being your own customer and a customer of those in a similar niche is the the best way to make sure your product and service is on point. However that was an excellent point, it's so easy for standards to slip in the team when there's different departments for fulfilment etc. I love your videos James, always very insightful! I'm thinking of attending the festival this year, not sure what to expect, or if its worth going, seems as if things might have changed a lot since the recording of this video.
I attended LCF for the first time in 2017 and found the experience quite overwhelming. Despite being a specialty coffee enthusiast I am quite sensitive to caffeine so could only limit my intake to the equivalent of about 4 espressos, which limited my exposure to new roasters as I obviously went to see my favorite roasters first. The queues outside were also quite intimidating in that they weaved and snaked around the brick lane area in quite an unorganised fashion. That said, I did enjoy myself very much. I was unable to attend LCF this year, but I'm considering New York Coffee Festival in October. Would be interesting to see if they are having the same problems!
Hey James, I've been following you on youtube since day one. In the beginning it was me as a barista trying to grab as much knowledge as possible from whatever avenue I could find it. It was also through loving Colins work at 3fe as an Irish barista and he is whats sent me down the square mile.=p What I have loved and discovered throughout listening to you and this video being a perfect example is that you are always grounded. The education you provide is still down to earth and very much on the side of the consumer. The way you broke down the experience of this event and how it effects the customer/attendee screams volumes about how you run your business and your insight on the industry. Been meaning to write a comment for a long time. Always a pleasure sir. First time caller long time listener!!=p
I agree about the discovery thing. I went there a few years back as a coffee consumer, not a business owner, and found it fairly difficult to get an experience or discover something interesting. The spin the wheel, get a baileys coffee cocktail was the most exciting thing, and that's not really what I was looking for. I haven't gone back as there was nothing for me.
This year was my first time as both an exhibitor and guest and the best tip I got was to try lots of little bits of filter and to avoid espresso - I tasted dozens of coffees and discovered some wild new flavours without drinking stupid amounts of coffee. Nonetheless, like you say, I barely scratched the surface of what was on offer and the show still felt huge and overwhelming. It was great to meet you and enjoy the origin taste test! Thanks for the notepad.
Just looking at the 'who's there' page on the LCF website was overwhelming, let alone seeing them all in person and trying to get around all the stalls. Great video!
Loved the video & honest assessment. Felt like that too this year and probably last year. This year I got a map and planned out visits from posts & recommendations +ppl I wanted to meet up with. Not sure how they change it next year tbh but it's getting too big. Maybe instead Glasgow? Amsterdam? Cup of North?
your videos are real, to the point, you have humility and you make important points that many would not have considered. best coffee channel on youtube :)
Totally agree with your thoughts about the festival. It has become a wild beast. I was lucky enough to avoid the weekend bit which is the most challenging bit. It is flag waving exercise with no new business opportunities. Enjoying the videos James.
So true even attending the shows here in the US. Should be another show with a different theme to help spread out the crowd and offer another event to attend.
I think these observations generalize toway beyond coffee. Large trade shows or scientific meetings are the same. They promise enlightenment but tend to deliver soul crushing psychic overload. Boutique like smaller events have got to be the answer. I don't think humans are constructed for interactions on this scale. ODing on caffeine adds to the problem in the coffee space but the problem generalizes well beyond coffee.
Awesome points being made James! I believe that the benefits of going to show like that as company has also a lot to do with the size/age of the company! As you sad, 3.000 exposure for a newly formed business in a market oriented set might be a great impulse into the company’s future! Just a thought! Love your videos man!
I couldn't agree more, besides film taking and trying to seize relevant discoveries I -as an industry insider and coffee consumer- found it growingly overwelming year-on since 2015. Having a trainer background I cannot help wondering whether we reached the point where options are prioritised detrimental to knowledge/discovery
Great reflection on the LCF, I stopped going the year before last due to the event getting too big, it was not enjoyable for me as a customer, far too many people an queues to get to things. I went to the first few festivals for years and really enjoyed them! Also I’m really enjoying the content, are there plans to do an insight to a day at squaremile?
well said James. It was an honest and good review about your experience and this is why I follow you on Instagram and youtube. This is what I like at my coffee shop : talk with customers and trying to improve their experiences. You can always have the new and fancy toys to play with, but at the end, it's the human interaction that count the most. Keep up the real and good work ! Le_coffee_geek
I don't know what's this thing about your way of thinking that always says what i'm also thinking. I went there one day, felt to anxious, to much, to big, you cant be everywhere. Walked to fast to be able to assimilate some nice technology and one of the best v60,s i have ever had from Coffee Haus. That was it.
I can only talk about "Cup North" or Manchester coffee festival as it's called now, it used to be quite small intimate space to chat about all things coffee and find new roasters/business , but recently it became so big and crowded that it's pretty much impossible to have a conversation with any exhibitors anymore.I still love it but I miss the "good old days" , my other negative would be families with kids, with such a tight space and enormous amount of people attending, let's be honest kids just get in the way, most of them are bored anyways... thats just my experience as someone who been attending "Cup North" since the very first one.
I went to the New York Coffee festival by the same organizers and found it not as friendly as I hope. I'm not in coffee business, just a lover of coffee that makes coffee videos, and most people I talked to seemed that they cared more about making business connections. It all felt very sales-oriented, rather than an expo. Which confused me as to whether the festival is for industry professionals or for the general public?
I hope so! Will hopefully be slingin shots in canada before next LCF though! Grabbed a party bag, and the Vargem Bonita was seriously incredible. They were very generous party bags, much appreciated from a Square Mile frequenter.
I'm really happy to hear someone else with the same opinion on the event being too big. There were quite a few people really shoving through the crowds to try n cram every stall in which was a huge shame. Do you feel that last years festival was a little more manageable for yourself?
Some very insightful analysis. However, I think it's worth bearing in mind the price of admission. For £16, I'm not going to baulk at only getting half a day's experience and drinking only half a dozen coffees. That's more than enough of one activity - god knows, there's little worse than forcing yourself to trapes round huge exhibitions for a whole day (or multiple days). I mean, maybe its stretching the price a little but that's basically the cost of a trip to the cinema in London.
I didn't attend this year for the first time in three years. I loved the tasting booth you did a couple of years ago, but last year was totally lacking in interesting experiences. I already have the equipment I want, and have identified the roasters I buy from. I echo the sentiment of not having enough caffeine tolerance to explore other roasters while there. I'd be more interested in getting something a cafe format (i.e. day to day) couldn't offer me, but I'm not sure what that is. It would have to be good enough to endure the long queues, overly busy floorplan that the LCF suffers from.
I ended up being over whelmed by the whole experience. Attended both trade days, but with far too much choice and the volume of people, I drank far less coffee than I expected. Ended up at hasbeans pop up market which was great!
James, once the Focus of your Channel is your opinions And discussions around coffee, you should really aim for those lapela microphones when youre at open enviroments (that ones you use under the shirt, you know? Sry on the Bad grammar, i really Hope for the growth And sucess of your Channel
Only recently got into specialist coffee and home brewing (6 or 7 months ago) and am slowly growing an Instagram (@coffeesandstuff) check it out! Just found your channel just now, Love your thoughts and videos and I like the way you think. I would’ve loved to visit the LCF in future, maybe they could take some of your ideas on board. Split a smaller festival over 3 or even 4 different events? One for each season? So there’s less to undertake at once. Love the world Atlas of coffee too! It’s people like you and roasters all over the place that make the specialist coffee scene the way it is, so down to earth and magic. Going to the Glasgow coffee festival in May, it’s smaller. You may wanna check it out! (Even though you’re probably busy.) I’m very into my photography and videography too. I’ll finish on another positive note, keep up the good work and great videos!
I went as a complete normie that just loves coffee, expecting it to be a festival of coffee stuff. Instead I found myself in the middle of a trade show and felt a bit cheated. Probably my own fault but I felt the name was a bit disingenuous, I couldn't even buy much coffee! :)
Always insightful Mr H. Be your own customer is great advice for any business. I started following your channel after wanting to know how to make French Press coffee better. I'm learning about business, communication and life. Oh, and coffee, obviously. Keep doing what you're doing. It resonates. It's good. Thank you.
James, I really enjoy your thoughtful videos. Compared with many outspoken coffee celebrities, you are an oasis of clarity.
Good to bump into you at the show James, Super honest assessment agree with many of your points.
Love your candor and insight. 👍🏻
“Often be your own customer“ - Awesome words man!
Thanks for the video! I relate to finding it hard to plan films, too. I’d say my favorite thing to do is to find stories that you can tell and I really like the story you told here. Thanks man!
I feel being your own customer and a customer of those in a similar niche is the the best way to make sure your product and service is on point.
However that was an excellent point, it's so easy for standards to slip in the team when there's different departments for fulfilment etc.
I love your videos James, always very insightful!
I'm thinking of attending the festival this year, not sure what to expect, or if its worth going, seems as if things might have changed a lot since the recording of this video.
I attended LCF for the first time in 2017 and found the experience quite overwhelming. Despite being a specialty coffee enthusiast I am quite sensitive to caffeine so could only limit my intake to the equivalent of about 4 espressos, which limited my exposure to new roasters as I obviously went to see my favorite roasters first. The queues outside were also quite intimidating in that they weaved and snaked around the brick lane area in quite an unorganised fashion. That said, I did enjoy myself very much.
I was unable to attend LCF this year, but I'm considering New York Coffee Festival in October. Would be interesting to see if they are having the same problems!
Hey James,
I've been following you on youtube since day one. In the beginning it was me as a barista trying to grab as much knowledge as possible from whatever avenue I could find it. It was also through loving Colins work at 3fe as an Irish barista and he is whats sent me down the square mile.=p
What I have loved and discovered throughout listening to you and this video being a perfect example is that you are always grounded. The education you provide is still down to earth and very much on the side of the consumer.
The way you broke down the experience of this event and how it effects the customer/attendee screams volumes about how you run your business and your insight on the industry.
Been meaning to write a comment for a long time. Always a pleasure sir.
First time caller long time listener!!=p
I agree about the discovery thing. I went there a few years back as a coffee consumer, not a business owner, and found it fairly difficult to get an experience or discover something interesting. The spin the wheel, get a baileys coffee cocktail was the most exciting thing, and that's not really what I was looking for. I haven't gone back as there was nothing for me.
i love your videos! always amazing new insight and takeaways! thank you.
This year was my first time as both an exhibitor and guest and the best tip I got was to try lots of little bits of filter and to avoid espresso - I tasted dozens of coffees and discovered some wild new flavours without drinking stupid amounts of coffee. Nonetheless, like you say, I barely scratched the surface of what was on offer and the show still felt huge and overwhelming.
It was great to meet you and enjoy the origin taste test! Thanks for the notepad.
Just looking at the 'who's there' page on the LCF website was overwhelming, let alone seeing them all in person and trying to get around all the stalls. Great video!
Brilliant as always.
The editing style is so smooth.
Love your content James
Loved the video & honest assessment. Felt like that too this year and probably last year. This year I got a map and planned out visits from posts & recommendations +ppl I wanted to meet up with. Not sure how they change it next year tbh but it's getting too big. Maybe instead Glasgow? Amsterdam? Cup of North?
your videos are real, to the point, you have humility and you make important points that many would not have considered. best coffee channel on youtube :)
Hit up the industry day on the Thursday, totally agree that you needed the full day to really check it all out.
Great booth too!
Totally agree with your thoughts about the festival. It has become a wild beast. I was lucky enough to avoid the weekend bit which is the most challenging bit. It is flag waving exercise with no new business opportunities. Enjoying the videos James.
I went to the LA Coffee festival and I felt great when I left!
I just found out about your channel today and I’m obsessed! You’re like the DSLR Guide RUclips channel except for Coffee!
One my favorite channel. not stressful - Your calm but not boring. keep it up. Love to grab a coffee with you one day.
Best haircut 2018.
So true even attending the shows here in the US. Should be another show with a different theme to help spread out the crowd and offer another event to attend.
You saved me 30 quid. Now I am going to spend that hopping to different cafes and trying one cup of coffee at a time.
hey man! are you coming on this coming LCF (3/31 - 4/3)?
I think these observations generalize toway beyond coffee. Large trade shows or scientific meetings are the same. They promise enlightenment but tend to deliver soul crushing psychic overload. Boutique like smaller events have got to be the answer. I don't think humans are constructed for interactions on this scale. ODing on caffeine adds to the problem in the coffee space but the problem generalizes well beyond coffee.
Awesome points being made James! I believe that the benefits of going to show like that as company has also a lot to do with the size/age of the company! As you sad, 3.000 exposure for a newly formed business in a market oriented set might be a great impulse into the company’s future! Just a thought! Love your videos man!
Great lesson, Jim. Nice wathcing this video. Hope better next festival.
Great video about the LCF. It was my first time there, I loved it but it's true it can be a bit overwhelming. Good to meet you!
I couldn't agree more, besides film taking and trying to seize relevant discoveries I -as an industry insider and coffee consumer- found it growingly overwelming year-on since 2015. Having a trainer background I cannot help wondering whether we reached the point where options are prioritised detrimental to knowledge/discovery
Great reflection on the LCF, I stopped going the year before last due to the event getting too big, it was not enjoyable for me as a customer, far too many people an queues to get to things. I went to the first few festivals for years and really enjoyed them! Also I’m really enjoying the content, are there plans to do an insight to a day at squaremile?
I loved the treasure hunt you guys organised (and the arcade to top that up)! I really look forward to what you have install for next year :)
well said James. It was an honest and good review about your experience and this is why I follow you on Instagram and youtube. This is what I like at my coffee shop : talk with customers and trying to improve their experiences. You can always have the new and fancy toys to play with, but at the end, it's the human interaction that count the most.
Keep up the real and good work !
Le_coffee_geek
Another great video! What kind of gear are you using for filming these?
I don't know what's this thing about your way of thinking that always says what i'm also thinking. I went there one day, felt to anxious, to much, to big, you cant be everywhere. Walked to fast to be able to assimilate some nice technology and one of the best v60,s i have ever had from Coffee Haus. That was it.
James your editing and camera skills are getting better by the video! Love it.
If you haven't already check out Peter McKinnon's channel. Tons of tutorials that I've found really helpful & inspiring. Cheers James!
I can only talk about "Cup North" or Manchester coffee festival as it's called now, it used to be quite small intimate space to chat about all things coffee and find new roasters/business , but recently it became so big and crowded that it's pretty much impossible to have a conversation with any exhibitors anymore.I still love it but I miss the "good old days" , my other negative would be families with kids, with such a tight space and enormous amount of people attending, let's be honest kids just get in the way, most of them are bored anyways... thats just my experience as someone who been attending "Cup North" since the very first one.
I went to the New York Coffee festival by the same organizers and found it not as friendly as I hope. I'm not in coffee business, just a lover of coffee that makes coffee videos, and most people I talked to seemed that they cared more about making business connections. It all felt very sales-oriented, rather than an expo. Which confused me as to whether the festival is for industry professionals or for the general public?
I don’t know what’s better your content or video production
Mate - I couldn't agree more with this! Spot on as always James. *ML
great advice!! insightful
My favourite part of the event was talking to you about chicken burgers.
I feel this is fairly accurate. There were a few stands, SquareMile included, that I couldn't get anywhere near.
I hope so! Will hopefully be slingin shots in canada before next LCF though!
Grabbed a party bag, and the Vargem Bonita was seriously incredible. They were very generous party bags, much appreciated from a Square Mile frequenter.
liked the slow motion panning technique in the beginning ~10 seconds
I'm really happy to hear someone else with the same opinion on the event being too big. There were quite a few people really shoving through the crowds to try n cram every stall in which was a huge shame. Do you feel that last years festival was a little more manageable for yourself?
Some very insightful analysis. However, I think it's worth bearing in mind the price of admission. For £16, I'm not going to baulk at only getting half a day's experience and drinking only half a dozen coffees. That's more than enough of one activity - god knows, there's little worse than forcing yourself to trapes round huge exhibitions for a whole day (or multiple days). I mean, maybe its stretching the price a little but that's basically the cost of a trip to the cinema in London.
I didn't attend this year for the first time in three years. I loved the tasting booth you did a couple of years ago, but last year was totally lacking in interesting experiences. I already have the equipment I want, and have identified the roasters I buy from. I echo the sentiment of not having enough caffeine tolerance to explore other roasters while there.
I'd be more interested in getting something a cafe format (i.e. day to day) couldn't offer me, but I'm not sure what that is. It would have to be good enough to endure the long queues, overly busy floorplan that the LCF suffers from.
James is Steve Buscemi at home
Great shots man!
BLESS YOU 🙏🏽
Nice to see Drip from Bubble Lab, so cool :D
I ended up being over whelmed by the whole experience. Attended both trade days, but with far too much choice and the volume of people, I drank far less coffee than I expected. Ended up at hasbeans pop up market which was great!
James Hoffmann it’s not every day the current wbc serves you soft serve. It was very good 👌
James, once the Focus of your Channel is your opinions And discussions around coffee, you should really aim for those lapela microphones when youre at open enviroments (that ones you use under the shirt, you know? Sry on the Bad grammar, i really Hope for the growth And sucess of your Channel
A Great video.
Be careful or you become “a victim of your own success.” Better planning, better customer service, just keep your eyes on your goal.
Only recently got into specialist coffee and home brewing (6 or 7 months ago) and am slowly growing an Instagram (@coffeesandstuff) check it out! Just found your channel just now, Love your thoughts and videos and I like the way you think. I would’ve loved to visit the LCF in future, maybe they could take some of your ideas on board. Split a smaller festival over 3 or even 4 different events? One for each season? So there’s less to undertake at once. Love the world Atlas of coffee too! It’s people like you and roasters all over the place that make the specialist coffee scene the way it is, so down to earth and magic. Going to the Glasgow coffee festival in May, it’s smaller. You may wanna check it out! (Even though you’re probably busy.) I’m very into my photography and videography too. I’ll finish on another positive note, keep up the good work and great videos!
Nice, I love what you say about buy a bag of your own coffee online :)
I went as a complete normie that just loves coffee, expecting it to be a festival of coffee stuff. Instead I found myself in the middle of a trade show and felt a bit cheated. Probably my own fault but I felt the name was a bit disingenuous, I couldn't even buy much coffee! :)
So... in terms of filmmaking you had your 'Magical Mystery Tour' experience, eh. (Get a baby boomer to explain this to you if you don't get it :-) )
Audio lip smacking did not hold the test of time
Can I subscribe to your Hair?