I'm really looking forward to this year's BGC Coffee Festival because my sister and I had a blast at last year's event.
The news of BGC organizing the Coffee Festival got me really excited! I have been attending this event for two years now. My sister, her friend, and I went to the event together on the first day last year.
The BGC Coffee festival last year was in a way smaller place in High Street South. They’ve got different coffee shop booths and a stage in the middle where coffee experts share their knowledge and The Espasouls band rocks the place with their live music. We scored free brownies and had our faces sketched, got our caricatures by buying a cup of coffee from the Supersam coffee booth. I have to say, it was truly a memorable experience.
This Year's Adventure
@gabbiebi was my company this year. Our weekend was jam-packed, but we managed to go to Coffee Fest on the last day.
It was around 3 in the afternoon when @gabbiebi and I decided to head over to the venue. Given it was the last day, we were ready for a sea of people. We weren't surprised. It's the weekend. BGC was buzzing, roads closed, and everyone was out. The event took place at Central Square, which can accommodate a large number of people, unlike the venue used last year.
When we arrived, there was a discussion on Women Empowerment, but only a few were listening as people were busy queuing for coffee and visiting other booths.
Just as in the previous year, there were plenty of coffee merchants and pop-up stands around, including:
- Auro Chocolate Cafe
- Baristart
- Coffee Laboratory
- Cooper’s Coffee Haus
- Elephant Grounds
- Figaro
- Muji
- Harlan + Holden Coffee
- Kiji Bakehouse
- Malongo Atelier Barista
- Paik’s Coffee and Bakery
- Pocofino
- Seattle’s Best Coffee
- Seven Coffee
- Single Origin
- Supersam
- Sweets & Grinds
- Tiger Sugar
- 1C Coffee
- Deja Brew
- Fireplace PH
- Kaulayaw
- Kombi Brew
- Moment Coffee + OM Bakes
- Resonate Coffee
- Sspace Coffee
- Ten-four Coffee
- Twenty Four Bakeshop
- Wideye Coffee
DJs are there too, along with pop-up stores like Wabi Sabi Studio and Paint it Fun (so glad they joined this year’s festival!). Crimson River Tattoo was there too (I still haven’t got inked!), along with other lifestyle brands that were there last year.
So, what’s new this year?
Bigger Venue & More Pop-Ups
Central Square was a game-changer. The venue for this year’s coffee fest is much bigger than last year, making it possible for more people to attend. Some new pop-up stores, like Wabi Sabi Studio, Paint it fun, and The Archives booth, were added this year, adding some fun to the festival.
More Benches
We couldn’t help but notice that there were a greater number of benches available this year in comparison to the previous year. More spots to chill and sip, which was a win.
Pet Party
Pets were also in attendance at this festival, not just humans! Seeing coffee lovers with their pets brought a smile to our faces. Too cute!
Quick Coffee Stop
We wanted to check out the Archives booth, but the line was too long. We’re only at the festival for a short time ‘cause we’re meeting our friend from Singapore for her birthday celebration.
It was actually difficult to decide which coffee to get before hanging out with our friends in Makati. We decided to purchase in Kaulayaw instead, and luckily it was just a few steps away from where we were.
The menu at Kaulayaw includes a selection of both coffee and non-coffee beverages. Hot coffees are my usual choice, but I switched to an iced one that time because of the weather. @gabbiebi got Takipsilim (Kaulayaw special blend - Iced Americano) for 189 pesos or $3.3, and I got their Dayang (Caramel Macchiato) for 209 pesos or $3.7.
Overall, we enjoyed exploring a bunch of booths even with our tight schedule. Kinda felt like we’re not the festival's main crowd since we were already familiar with the coffee shops showcased in the festival and most of them have their physical stores nearby.
This festival seems perfect for those who want to try various BGC coffee spots all in one place. But seriously, who's gonna taste-test all the coffee at every booth? That would be a caffeine overload for sure!
We were halfway through our coffee when we realized we were almost late 😄 Thanks for reading!
'Til the next Coffee Festival!
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