World of coffee 2026 - Brussels
World of Coffee is the Specialty Coffee Association's premier trade show for the specialty coffee industry. The event brings together coffee professionals from around the world to discover new products, attend educational sessions, participate in networking opportunities, and watch world-class coffee competitions.
Owners Oscar and Martin headed to Brussels for this year’s European edition of World of Coffee. The event was spread over three days from 25th-27th June. Days where the thermometer hit high in the thirties… Below Martin wrote up their experience.
We had to start the day right, so before heading to the event held at Brussel Expo we had a coffee at Wide Awake’s flagship store at Sainte Catherine. We were not the only one… various other coffee aficionados had decided to do the same…
After waiting in the queue for not too long we ordered a flat white and cortado alongside some pastries. The shop is really nice with a curved bar taking central stage. Seating can be found at the afr side and along the front window. The weather was superb so we opted to sit outside.
With breakfast sorted we walked a little further along the Rue de Flanders and along the side where it all begon for Wide Awake. We then took the metro to Heizel. We had our first glimpse of the Atomium and then entered the hall of the World of Coffee conference.
Victoria Arduino was our first stop inside. They had a prominent position near the entrance and we had a question relating to our Maverick Black Eagle so seemed the perfect place to get started.
Moving on, we touched base with Bram from Paso Paso and Beau from Bitterzoet, both currently on our shelves (although selling fast) and tried the latest Wildcard (El Placer, Experimental Washed, Maragesha) at the Wide Awake stand.
We ran into various friends from London and further afield and checked out ROAs coconut milk with a potential of getting these into our shop (we’re seeing an increase in demand for coconut milk). We tried it pure and together with some coffee by Belgian roaster Rush Rush from Antwerp.
Later in the day, after having a little break from coffee, and after tucking into Belgian beers, some mussels (we’re in Brussels after all) we headed to the Wide Awake party back at their Sainte Catherine branch. The barmy summer evening made everyone spill out on the pavement sipping on nice wines, beers and coffee inspired signature drinks, together with a slice of pizza.
Another party was held by Hurican (yes, the guys from Lithuania, winner of the Global Coffee Award in the World’s best roaster category in 2025) at the Ermitage microbrewery pub in Anderlecht.
On Day 2 of World of Coffee we started the day exploring some cafes in the trendy yet edgy and multicultural Saint Gilles area. A cafe called Jackie was our first stop . There was a bar takeover from Tisserie from Marseille. Martin had a pour over brewed with Jefferson from Finca Motta, Huila Colombia (a washed Maracaturra, yellow honey processed) and Oscar an espresso tonic (it was another scorcher of a day).
A block away from Jackie is a cafe called Kami. We made a stop here too. Their guest was Friedhats’ latest Tanzania. A geisha tasing super nice and we marked this on our list for our next Friedhats order. Their garden was the perfect spot to chill and stay cool duirng the heatwave.
In the afternoon we were invited by Remy to come to the Wide Awake roastery somewhere deep in the northern suburbs of Brussels. We were shown the roastery and took part in a cupping of their latest offering.
Our final event was a panel discussion hosted by Caravela and held inside the Atomium (pretty cool hey?). The panel discussed the future of coffee: Reality, Risks and Opportunities. It’s not going to be an easy ride…
The next morning, before leaving Brussels we had time to visit My Little Cup, Brussels’ original specialty coffee shop , with a broad selection of roasteries in the shelves. We finished the trip with some cortados and tasty pastries.
Here are the cafes Oscar and Martin visited:
Wide Awake Coffee, Rue Sainte-Catherine 2, 1000 Brussels
Jackie, Chaussee de Charleroi 203, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Kami, Chaussee de Waterloo 355, 1060 Saint-Gilles
My Little Cup, Rue de la Croix de Fer 53, 1000 Brussels
And here some recommendations if you’re after some nice Belgian Beers:
Moeder Lambic, Rue de Savoie 68, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Le Dillens, Pl. Julien Dillens 11, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Mazette, Pl. du Jeu de Balle 50, 1000 Brussels
Delirium, Imp. de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Brussels
Brasserie de l’Ermitage, Rue Lambert Crickx 26, 1070 Anderlecht