Totnes Independent Coffee Festival

4th May 2012

Taking place from Saturday 5 to Sunday 20 May, the festival will end with a barista competition in front of the Civic Square.
The participating cafes and restaurants will run exciting coffee-related promotions throughout the 2 weeks of the festival. Customers will get to enter a prize draw by rating their coffee experience at each venue. The cafe voted by the public as being the best will be announced at the festival finale.
The Coffee Festival will culminate in a barista-style competition on Sunday 20 May. During the Good Food Market, staff from participating establishments in and around Totnes will compete to be named the best barista in town. There will be entertainment laid on and demonstrations to the public in the skilled art of coffee making.
The fortnight co-insides with World Fairtrade Day on 12 May.The festival is working with the Totnes Fairtrade group to raise the profile of quality fairtrade coffee.  Totnes has one of the highest number of cafes, restaurants and shops, using or selling Fairtrade products, in proportion to the size of population, in the country.
The festival has been initiated by Transition Town Totnes. One of the organisers Holly Tiffen, says:
“Totnes has a really special and unique High Street, home to a wealth of independent cafes and shops. Unlike so many other British towns Totnes has avoided the generic cloning of it's town centre, as a result it is a creative, vibrant and attractive place to live and visit. 
A group of us got together to find a way to celebrate the town's rich diversity. The idea is to showcase the many independent cafes and restaurants that the town is host to, and flag up the great coffee makers (baristas) that they employ. The Totnes Independent Coffee Festival aims to send out a clear signal to any Chain Coffee Shops that Totnes is doing just fine for quality coffee venues.”

Modbury based Owens Coffee will be sponsoring the barista competition and launching their new coffee blend for the Festival.  Lorraine Bridden, owner and roaster at Owens Coffee said:
“Totnes can be very proud of its offering to the coffee connoisseur!  We love the atmosphere created by the huge variety of local independent cafés, bistros, restaurants and retailers, who offer an exceptionally high quality selection of food and drink products between them.  There really is something for all, and Owens Coffee are thrilled to be sponsoring the Totnes Independent Coffee Festival!”

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