Thank you to our CoLab: Paris partners
As CoLab is just around the corner, we wanted to introduce you to our partners helping to make the event happen. It’s only with the support of our partners that BGE is able to manage events like Camp and CoLab that bring the community together over education and fun.
Host Partners
BGE’s CoLab: Paris is a collaboration between us and the amazing team that make up FrogFight. FrogFight is a grassroots organisation of some of the most important and quality-focussed roasters, baristas, and coffee professionals within Paris, including Belleville Brûlerie, Coutume Café, Café Lomi, working together to spread the message of specialty coffee. This article by Oliver Strand in the NYT in 2011 really sets the scene in regards to where they started, but we’re so excited for you all to see the result of their work in the community over the last 5 years.
Major players in FrogFight include David Nigel Flynn and Thomas Lehoux from Belleville Brûlerie: they have been our men on the ground, masterminding logistics, promotion, printing, and politicking to make this event happen. They are also behind the sourcing of our venue for Tuesday evening’s wine tasting, Lockwood, as well as the food and drink we’ll enjoy together on Wednesday.
The venue for our educational event on Wednesday, Coutume Instituutti at the Finnish Institute, has been provided at no cost by Antoine and Tom from Coutume Café. They have helped source everything we need to run AV, to set up multiple coffee making stations for our Espresso and Brew Bar Partners, and to provide space for all the attendees, all out of a belief in what the specialty community can achieve working together.
We’re really proud to be working with such amazing people!
Espresso Bar Partner
Conti Espresso UK is looking after our Espresso Bar setups, bringing two of their specialty-focussed Monte Carlo machines.
Chris Austin, owner of Conti Espresso UK, explains:
"This machine is the flagship of our portfolio, combining 60 years of hand-crafting with modern technology to create a concept fit for the discerning barista, roaster or coffee enthusiast. This multi-boiler machine means temperature is fully controlled and easily adjusted by the barista, with steam, coffee and group heaters, each fitted with PID systems. Soft pre-infusion is adjustable and offers the opportunity to explore different brew ratios more easily whilst retaining body and sweetness. Each group is controlled by a small PCB which allows independent adjustment of group and coffee boiler temperature, pre-infusion & volumetrics, all are displayed on eye level LCD screens for convenience.
This machine is our first major opportunity to work within the speciality banner, therefore we are always keen and welcoming to feedback from coffee professionals, such as the attendees of CoLab: Paris."
Brew Bar Partner
Our Brew Bar will be in good hands again with our partner Bunn. We're excited to develop our longstanding relationship with Bunn, who'll be bringing their iconic ICB Brewer to CoLab: Paris alongside grinders and boilers to ensure tasty filter coffee for all participants, supplied by our excellent coffee partners.
Join us
With the help of FrogFight, Conti and Bunn, as well as our coffee and other partners, we're able to offer a really exciting program at CoLab: Paris, including coffee and wine tastings, cafe tours, as well as 6 inspirational speakers. We can't wait! We have around 10 tickets left, don't miss out!