Coffee shops are appearing on most corners of the streets of Dublin as they are in high demand from the growing clientele and Dublin looks set to promote the coffee industry throughout Ireland.
“The future is bright for Irish coffee with off-trade value sales of €176 million predicted for 2020,” said Ian Kennedy of Consumer and Market Insight, Bord Bia – the Irish food Board.
Last June, Dublin hosted the World of Coffee in the RDS. Held between 23 and 25 June, this event was attended by baristas and coffee enthusiasts from over 100 nations. Dublin also hosted the World Barista Championships (WBC).
The WBC is the pre-eminent international coffee competition – it is looking for the best of the best when it comes to coffee creativity and craft.
What also makes Dublin special is the fact that it is home to the Dublin Barista School. The Dublin Barista School is a training institution dedicated to barista training and education for coffee professionals and enthusiasts.
They are also Europe’s only accredited barista school. They offer barista workshops, latte-art workshops, a start-your-own-café workshop, a home-barista workshop and they also hold corporate events.
Matilde Gaspari, a barista at Costa Coffee in the city center, said: “Coffee is becoming so popular in Dublin because people like to meet up and chat with friends; they use it as a tool [to energize themselves] before heading off to work. It is a part of many people’s lives in Dublin and there is a huge demand for it.
“I even notice the same people coming in and giving the same order. They either stop to have a chat with the staff here or sit down with their friends and enjoy their cup of coffee.”
Starbucks has received backlash with planning approvals not going ahead in multiple places and independent stores holding free coffee morning to protest the franchise from effecting their sales to plummet over the past few years.
Ashley Callery
