Monday 27th July saw us host our first ever Out Of The Box: Online on Instagram Live. The event lasted the full week and allowed us to connect with our amazing La Marzocco coffee community, wherever they were across the globe.

We filled the week full of lots of exciting content, all focused on engaging both our specialty coffee community and also coffee enthusiasts who are keen to delve deeper and learn more about La Marzocco and the speciality coffee industry.

From virtual roastery tours to coffee masterclasses, through to live music and prize giveaways, we had an exciting week planned and we’re so glad so many of tuned in and enjoyed our content. If you happened to miss any of the magic, you can find a summary of the weeks events below:

Monday 27th

9:30: ‘Welcome’ from La Marzocco UK  & Ireland

10:00: Panel  Discussion: The Future of Events’ with The London Coffee Festival,  Glasgow Coffee Festival, Cup North and Coffee House Project. You can watch the panel discussion here.

11:00: The Gentlemen Baristas talking about how they started their coffee roasting business and how lockdown has encouraged them to build an online presence. You can watch their session here.

11:30: Coaltown Coffee Roasters discussing their Coffee in Conversation project where they talk to their local heroes and coffee inspirations about their involvement within the coffee industry. You can watch their session here.

12:00: Home Barista Masterclass with La Marzocco Home, where we gave tips and tricks for the perfect espresso and showcased the Swift Mini and Home Connected App technology. You can watch the masterclass here.

13:00: The Roasting Party discussing the growth of regional/neighbourhood coffee shops during lockdown and how they’ve used this to expand their business into London. You can watch their session here.

13:30: Grumpy Mule talking about their involvement with the SCA (speciality coffee association) and the importance of training and competitions within the specialty coffee industry. You can watch their session here.

14:00: Machine Interview – The Linea Classic with Daniel Thompson, discussing how the specialty industry has grown in the UK in the last 10 years and the importance of the Linea Classic within this growth. You can watch the interview here.

15:00: Dark Arts Coffee explaining how they grew their roastery and their use of social media and YouTube to do this. You can watch their session here.

15:30: Sponsor Spotlight: Espresso Solutions talking about the rise of home machine customisation and the importance of sponsorships within coffee companies. You can watch their session here.

16:15: Prize Giveaway and Auction – Rounding off the day with a prize giveaway from Espresso Solutions as well as announcing that we will be adding an Ineos helmet, which has been signed by Sir Ben Ainslie, as well as some other Ineos goodies, to our charity auction.

–

Tuesday 28th July:

9:30: ‘Welcome’ from La Marzocco UK

10:00: Panel Discussion: The Impact of Covid-19 on Coffee Supply Chains’ with Falcon Coffees. You can watch the panel discussion here.

11:00: Quarter Horse Coffee discussing how the coffee scene has changed over the past few years with a sneak peak of their new roastery/café. You can watch their session here.

11:30: Redbank Coffee tell us about the importance of sustainability within the coffee roasting industry and the ways in which roasters can ensure they make environmentally conscious and ethical choices within their business. You can watch their session here.

12:00:  Live Music Set from Talu. You can watch here.

13:00: Extract Coffee Roasters explaining how the online platform has helped many roasters survive the lockdown and the importance of transparency when roasteries and cafes reopen. You can watch their session here.

13:30: Common Coffee Roasters discuss how, by only selling four coffees, they’re able to keep a loyal customer base and tempt those wanting to learn more about coffee whilst sourcing seasonally and sustainably.  You can watch their session here.

14:00: Machine Interview – The Linea PB with Riccardo Gatti, R&D Manager, La Marzocco SRL, who spoke to us about how the Linea PB was created and developed. You can watch the interview here.

15:00: Badger and Dodo Coffee Roasters explaining how the Irish speciality coffee market differs and the importance of training to ensure home baristas get the most about of their coffee beans and machines. You can watch their session here.

15:30: Sponsor Spotlight: Clockwork Espresso announce a very exciting new business venture of personalised coffee equipment! You can watch this session here.

16:15: Prize Giveaway and Auction – Rounding off the day with a prize giveaway from Clockwork Espresso as well as announcing that we will be adding an England Rugby Team tshirt, which has been signed by the entire rugby team of 2018/19, to our charity auction.

 

Wednesday 29th July:

9:30: ‘Welcome’ from La Marzocco UK

10:00: Panel Discussion: ‘Necessity Breeds Opportunity’ With the Essential Journal,  Michelin Star Chef Tommy Banks and Co-founder of Rossylyn Coffee James Hennerbry. You can watch the panel discussion here.

11:00: Origin Coffee Roasters hold an exciting sensory session to teach us how to make the most our coffees and how decipher different flavours. You can watch their session here.

11:30: Silverskin Coffee Roasters discuss the changes they’ve made to their business during lockdown and the ways they’ve adapted to survive. You can watch their session here.

12:00:  Coffee Cocktail Masterclass with Grey Goose and Grind where we were taught how to make three different delicious coffee cocktails and have been trying by the team to try and recreate these at home. You can watch the masterclass here.

13:00: North Star Coffee Roasters talk to us about the relationships they have with their coffee farm partners and the issues currently taking place in the supply chain, with mention of their charity initiative to help raise money to help coffee farms throughout the crisis. You can watch their session here.

13:30: Butterworth & Son tell us how their business started and praise their local heroes around the UK. You can watch their session here.

14:00: Machine Interview – The Strada with Enrico Wurm, Product Improvement Manager, La Marzocco SRL, who spoke to us about how the Strada was created with help from baristas and how it’s design focuses on ease of use. You can watch the interview here.

15:00: Volcano Coffee Works discusses how they’ve become B Corp certified and carbon neutral, with a focus on the importance of giving back along the supply chain. You can watch their session here.

15:30: Sponsor Spotlight: Minor Figures discussing how they use their brand to make speciality coffee accessible for everyone in a sustainable and ethical way. You can watch their session here.

16:15: Prize Giveaway and Auction – Rounding off the day with a prize giveaway from Minor Figures as well as announcing that we will be adding an CF Martin Guitar, signed by Marcus Mumford of @mumfordandsons , to our charity auction.

–

Thursday 30th July:

9:30: ‘Welcome’ from La Marzocco UK

10:00: Panel Discussion: ‘Cycling X Coffee’ with NVAYRK, 2x Team GB Olympic Medalist Phil Hindes and twin riders Anita and Caro Gehrig (Norco Twins Racing). You can watch the panel discussion here.

11:00: Neighbourhood Coffee discuss the importance of consumers knowing where their products are sourced and how roasters can make this information readily available, with an added sneak peak of their new roastery and training space. You can watch their session here.

11:30: Java Republic give us a roastery tour and a sneak peak of their production process. You can watch their session here.

12:00:  Cooking Masterclass with Dates and Avacados where we’re shown how to make a delicious vegan coffee mousse and challenged to make our own at home, sharing our images on Instagram. You can watch the masterclass here.

13:00: Curve Roasters announce the launch of their coffee tasting poster which will help educate consumers on the flavour notes within coffee whilst also raising money for Girls Gotta Run in Ethiopia. You can watch their session here.

13:30: Cast Iron Coffee Roasters discuss how the Leva has helped to build their brand and the way they work to make their coffee’s accessible to everyone. You can watch the session here.

14:00: Machine Interview – The Modbar with Aric Forbing, Modbar co-founder and Product Designer spoke to us about the inspiration behind the modbar’s iconic shape and design and what sets the modbar apart on the market. You can watch the interview here.

15:00: Union Roasted discuss the importance of building long-term relationships with coffee farms and local communities. You can watch their session here.

15:30: Sponsor Spotlight: BWT discuss how their company works and the importance of company values and enforcing these values. You can watch their session here.

16:15: Prize Giveaway and Auction – Rounding off the day with a prize giveaway from our sponsors BWT as well as announcing that we will be selling raffle tickets for our teal and walnut Linea Mini!

–

Friday 31st July:

9:30: ‘Welcome’ from La Marzocco UK

10:00: Panel Discussion: ‘Nurturing and Retaining Talent’ with Well Grounded. You can watch the panel discussion here.

11:00: Caravan Coffee Roasters talk about how they’ve adapted to the lockdown and incorporated online activities into their business, from virtual training sessions to coffee sessions on social. You can watch their session here.

11:30: Climpson & Son showcase the launch of their BRAT restaurant on their roastery site and the sale of their espresso martini recipe. You can watch their session here.

12:00: Live Music Set from Oh Wonder. You can watch here.

13:00: Hundred House Coffee announce the launch of new products whilst also showcasing a speciality Turkish coffee. You can watch part one here and part two here.

13:30: White Star Coffee discuss how lockdown affected their business and the adjustments they’ve made as a business to survive. You can watch their session here.

14:00: Machine Interview – The KB90  with Estelle Bright, After Sales Coordinator, La Marzocco UK, and Caffeine and Machine who discuss how businesses are reopening after lockdown and the role of the KB90 in their reopening. You can watch their session here.

14:30: Service Support with Estelle Bright, After Sales Coordinator, La Marzocco UK,  shines a spotlight on our engineering network and the@lamarzoccoservicesupportuk initiative, highlighting the importance of engineers in the re-opening of café and coffee shops after lockdown. You can watch their session here. You can also see our engineer adverts here.

15:00: Full Circle Coffee Roasters discuss how lockdown affected their business and explain the story behind some of their much loved coffee blends as well as the launch of a new blend. You can watch their session here.

15:30: Sponsor Spotlight: Keep Cup discuss how lockdown has challenged sustainability efforts and the ways sustainable companies are fighting back. You can watch their session here.

16:15: Prize Giveaway and Final Thoughts – Rounding off the event with our final prize giveaway by sponsors, KeepCup.

–

All the money raised over the next two weeks from our auction and raffle will be split equally between seven charities, all put forward by our roaster line-up:

About: Girls Gotta Run Foundation envisions a world in which every girl is able to design a future of her choosing. GGRF are the first and only organisation investing in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities in Ethiopia.

About: With 8 out of 10 hospitality professionals reporting to have experienced at least one mental health issue during their career, The Burnt Chef Project is a non-profit campaign operating within hospitality to challenge mental health stigma through online training, open conversations and sales of branded custom merchandise. The project is committed to burning the stigma of mental health through information and education across the 3.2 million people that work within hospitality in the UK.

About: There is an urgent appeal for help in Rwanda following some devastating landslides which has destroyed homes, villages, crops, landslides and more, this GoFundMe campaign is aiming to raise funds to support the communities back in Rwanda to help meet their immediate needs, support their recovery and build their resilience.

About: North Star Coffee Roasters in Leeds have launched a GoFundMe to help coffee producers back at origin. Like so many people around the world, the implications of covid-19 have been devastating for countries which receive little support from their government. They need help as soon as possible.

About: Sarcoma UK is a national charity that funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments. It is the only cancer charity in the UK focusing on all types of sarcoma.

About: The Passage aims to provide homeless people with support to transform their own lives, actively working with others across all aspects of society, seeking to have influence and be an advocate for homeless people.

About: Crisis UK aims to support people out of homelessness for good through education, training and support with housing, employment and health. We offer one to one support, advice and courses for homeless people in 12 areas across England, Scotland and Wales.

A huge thank you to everyone who tuned in to watch Out Of The Box: Online and has been commenting and liking our content. Also a huge thank you to all of our wonderful partners and sponsors who have made this online event possible! It’s been a truly unforgettable experience and we have loved every moment of it!