Slurp & Socialize: The Recap
Like anything in life, there's an originator.
Slurp & Socialize was a seed planted by Dammy, who while collecting coffees from The Coffeevine shipment thought of a community cupping event. Nothing more complicated than that. A room, some coffee, people invited to come taste it together.
What came out of it was a room full of people who came for the coffee and stayed for everything else.
Two years later, we did it again, bigger this time, with coffee from across the Gulf on the table instead of just the UAE.
The Recap
Some days you show up to set out cupping bowls and you leave a few hours later still thinking about the third coffee you tasted, or the person you met over it, or both.
August 6th at the Victoria Arduino Experience Lab was one of those days, except multiplied by roughly 80 coffees and 300 people who all had the same idea. Roasteries from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon all sent something to the table. Some sent their flagship, some sent something experimental, all of it got tasted, and all of it got talked about.
None of this is the point though, and I don't want the stats to read like a headline. This isn't about being the biggest cupping event ever organized in the region. It never was. The point is simpler than that. Every coffee deserves a spot on the table, whether it's a roastery that's been around since 2007 or one still finding its feet. That's what this day was for.
Below is the list you've been waiting for, of all the roasteries we tracked during the event. Thank you for participating, and apologies if your name isn't mentioned. If it isn't, please get in touch and I'll include it here. In my defense, it's impossible to track all the coffees that were on the table given the speed at which the cupping was happening and the amount of people present.
The Roasteries
UAE
EATX’s home grown roastery, roasting for Tom & Serg, Common Grounds and more since 2016. You will find their coffee from DIFC to Mall of the Emirates.
Emirati owned specialty roastery in Al Quoz, roasting since 2016. The team brought their Kenya Ruiruiru Natural Anaerobic. Sweet mandarin, pineapple, orange zest and watermelon notes from an origin we don’t normally see.
Yemeni specialty coffee, controlled from the Jabalbon Estate terraces since 2019. No middleman, just farm to cup dedication, now writing its next chapter in Dubai. Their Jabalbon Estate natural is also the coffee behind Grandmother Roastery's own supply, a nice thread connecting two names on this list.
Dubai's digital first coffee shop, born in 2016. Sixty plus drinks, specialty coffee and the city's best matcha, ordered in a tap. On the table was their Natural Ethiopia Guji, one of my personal favorites to brew as a filter.
A fairly new specialty coffee brand launched by two well-known names in the industry, Sonam Sherpa and Puja Thapaliya, with its own SCA training academy. Espresso, pour over and unique blends, built for people who want to learn as much as they drink.
Proudly roasted in the UAE with a rotating lineup of beautiful single origins that feel like limited edition lots. On the table was their Colombia Red Bourbon Mosto Anaerobic, a limited edition lot from Finca Amira in the mountains of Cauca, bringing out rose florals up front, followed by cherry candy and strawberry jam, with a lively blood orange acidity carrying it through to the last sip.
One of UAE's established roasteries and home to Coffee Desk. The roastery launched three new origins on the day of the event, including one called Sweet Chaos, a co-fermented Kenya Kirinyaga.
Specialty coffee roastery in the UAE with a subscription led model. Espresso, filter and co-fermented coffees, delivered fresh on rotation. On the table was their Colombia Virtuoso, grown by Anibal Diaz at Los Nogales, a Typica variety put through thermal anaerobic fermentation at 1870 to 2000 masl, banana bread, mango, papaya and sencha tea in the cup.
Dubai born specialty coffee brand out of Al Quoz, roastery, brew lounge and concept store in one. Sourced from award winning farms, roasted in house for clarity and balance. Poured both their Colombia El Diviso Ombligon Floral Symphony and an Indonesia Sindoro Mosto Washed, jasmine, lychee, green tea and honey.
Micro specialty roastery in Al Quoz known for rare microlots and exceptional origins in an intimate warehouse space. The team brought their Kenya Ruiruiru produced by Torch Kenya for the table. This coffee had beautiful watermelon, rose, hibiscus and strawberry tasting notes.
Artisan specialty roaster and bakery based in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, also made their appearance for the event. This is a cafe led by champions and known for quality and consistency.
Emirati owned specialty roastery in Al Raha, Abu Dhabi, roasting Ethiopia, Colombia and many more origins alongside hands on barista and other courses for the curious and the professional. On the table was a washed Geisha from Lerida, with beautiful notes of vanilla, orange, jasmine and pineapple in the cup.
Rare varietals under one roof, from Geisha to Sudan Rume to Bourbon Sidra. The team brought the incredible Colombia Inmaculada Coffee. This is a Eugenioides variety with tasting notes of cacao nibs, papaya and strawberry yogurt.
UAE's finest in Al Quoz with a serious competition pedigree. UAE Latte Art and UK Brewers Cup champions for three years running, plus a 4th place finish at World Brewers Cup.
Premium green coffee supplier sourcing exclusively from Papua New Guinea. The origin most roasters only dream of sourcing direct.
Mumbai born specialty coffee, cacao and bakehouse, now open at Alserkal Avenue, Dubai. The team brought two microlot projects to the table, Nepal's Lekali Estate Extended Naturals and Karnataka's Badra Estates.
Sourcing greens from exceptional producers such as Torch Kenya and Capricornio. With warehouses based in Jebel Ali Free Zone and Al Quoz, they are a trusted green supplier for roasteries across the UAE and beyond.
One of the OGs of Dubai, based in Al Quoz. Sourcing from multiple origins with education at the core of what they do. On the table was their Cerro Azul Geisha, grown at the highest estate of Café Granja La Esperanza in Colombia. Natural processed, lavender up front, ripe strawberry sweetness through the middle and a refined hibiscus finish, this is the definition of quiet luxury in a cup. And it also took Gold at the Global Coffee Awards MENA.
One of Dubai's earliest specialty roasteries, open since 2007 in Al Quoz. A pioneer in shaping the city's coffee culture, still roasting and training baristas today. The team brought their rare and experimental El Salvador Pacamara, fully washed, to the table.
Roasting arm of one of the must visited coffee shops in Sharjah called Toga. From Brazil to Ethiopia, every cup from this roaster tells the story of its farmers. Just look at that packaging, it’s enough to make a first impression.
High end specialty roaster, green bean trader and certified CQI and SCA academy based in the UAE. If that’s a mouthful, then they are hands down one of the best to come out of the UAE. I don’t need to say this, everybody does. The team brought two lots, an Ethiopia Alo Coffee Dume Station Mini and a Panama Janson X Los Alpes GW Lot 815, a Green Tip Geisha from the Janson family grown at 1700 masl. This is refinement in the cup: mandarine, apple, lychee, raspberry and mango.
Cafe and micro roastery in Sharjah's Aljada community and also named among the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops, with UAE Barista and Latte Art titles to match. The team brought a Geisha to the table, it is a competition lot Finca El Porvenir Washed.
This might be a new name for Dubai but definitely not in the UK. Specialty coffee roasted in Dubai and built for consistency. Unique coffees your customers will remember, cup after cup.
A new specialty coffee roasting business based in the UAE, focused on sourcing and roasting high quality coffees with consistency and clarity in flavor. The founder, Sunny Kumar, brought their Panama Savage Coffee, red apple, jasmine, cinnamon and blood orange.
This roastery sources and roasts single origin and custom blends in Nad Al Sheba for coffee purists across the city. The core team was present and brought some beautiful coffees to the table that left an impression.
UAE based coffee brand based in Al Quoz with roots in Ethiopian sourcing, supplying both cafes and home brewers with specialty grade green and roasted coffee. They had a range of Ethiopian coffee on the table.
Roasters Specialty Coffee House, founded 2021, headquartered on Al Wasl Road. One of the UAE's fastest growing specialty coffee companies, sourcing from 24 producing countries.
Established in Al Quoz by the first UAE Roasting Champ, this is a roastery that roasts with purpose. A signature coffee collection of multiple origins, roasted in small batches to express its purest form.
A trusted sourcing partner for Colombia's most unique competition level microlots. The team brought their competition coffees Papayo and Geisha Doña Martha, both by Jhonatan and the Lasso family.
Specialty coffee roaster based in Dubai with a team that sees flavor potential in every bean, roasting with care across a wide range of origins. On the table was their Colombia CGLE 17, an exquisite competition coffee from Las Margaritas crafted from the finest cherries, fruity and sweet with a floral profile and notes of molasses.
Emirati specialty coffee roasting company based in Abu Dhabi, founded by Saeed Al Baloushi. Built on direct relationships with award winning roasters and a niche focus on quality. The founder himself was present in the event and brought an unmarked bag to the table just so that people appreciated the coffee blind without any information skewing their judgement.
One of the UAE's first specialty coffee roasteries sharing a roof with a custom motorcycle garage. The roasting team sources beans transparently and supplies businesses across the UAE, Oman and even Africa.
Dubai based roastery founded by Ryan Godinho, the man credited with bringing specialty coffee to the UAE. On the table was their Finca Zarza Geisha, natural process with notes of orange, sweet aromatic florals and pomegranate.
Specialty roastery based in Umm Ramoul, sourcing green beans direct from farmers. They run regular cupping and training sessions open to the public, built to educate as much as roast. On the table was their El Eden Coconut.
Abu Dhabi born specialty roastery since 2019, run on direct trade with farmers in Colombia, Ethiopia and Brazil. The core team was present at the event and they brought their Colombia Witch with notes of dried figs, jaggery, orange zest and sugarcane juice.
The story of this roastery started in the 1930s. This roastery started its base in Al Quoz back in 2017 and also run several cafes across the UAE. The team brought their Bona Zuria Sidamo G1, carbonic maceration processed with notes of black tea, rose jam and dried apricots.
Kranti’s love for coffee will show instantly when you interact with their team. For them, every cup is a celebration, and this is what they intended to do by bringing coffee from the Ratnagiri Estate, to the table. This coffee was grown at 1400 masl, and has undergone dark room drying and vacuum fermentation. You won’t believe this originated from India if you didn’t see the label.
This roastery’s reputation goes far beyond Al Ain. The team just finished two rounds of the gruelling Battle of Baristas in Dubai and is making way to the finales by the end of this month back in Al Ain. The team brought their Ethiopia Sidamo, natural anaerobic processed with notes of coffee flower, jasmine, orange, blueberries and citrus in the cup.
Overall National Winner scoring multiple Gold at Global Coffee Awards MENA 2026. This roastery and equipment supplier originates from Oman with a large operation based in the UAE, covering machines, roastery gear and training under one roof. The team brought two coffees to the table, a co-fermented Finca La Capilla, Bronze winner at the Global Coffee Awards MENA, and a Granja Paraiso 92 decaf, a Gold winner at the same awards.
A new specialty coffee roastery and B2B coffee solutions provider operating in the UAE, focused on curated specialty coffee beans, custom roasting and wholesale supply for business. The team brought a Colombia natural and an El Salvador to the table, with bags printed with a photo of the farmer, a nice touch.
A specialty coffee importer and luxury green coffee dealer based in Dubai, sourcing single origin, traceable beans directly from partner farms in Huila, Colombia, with fast local stock and delivery for roasters, cafes and barista competitions across the UAE. On the table was a natural Colombia Pink Bourbon.
Dubai based specialty coffee brand sourcing exclusive microlots from their own farms in Tarrazú, Costa Rica. Hand harvested and small batch roasted, sent fresh to Dubai from one of Costa Rica's most celebrated coffee regions.
Oman
One of the World's Top 100 Coffee Shops that started in Muscat in 2019, now setting the bar for Oman. The team sent their auctioned Geishas from Abu Panama to the table. Washed Submerged processed with notes of blood orange, pomelo and black tea.
Roastery and bakery based out of Muscat, sourcing and roasting some of the finest coffees in Oman. The team sent their Indonesia West Java, a thermal shock Luban co ferment processed, which was one of the crowd favorites for the day.
Based in Oman, roasting everything in house from single origins to microlots that punch above 90. The team sent their Yemen Mokha Harazi that scores 90 plus and made quite an impression.
Qatar
An award winning coffee shop based in Doha and ranked 44th on the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops. On the table was an Ethiopia Guji Hambella, natural process with notes of caramel, stone fruits and jasmine.
Built on traceability and craft, and sourcing beans straight from farmers around the world. The team sent some of their best coffees for the event.
Roasting excellence, navigating flavor. One cup and you'll understand why this Qatar based roastery should be taken seriously. On the table was their Colombia King Arthur Geisha with notes of grape, blueberry and a beautiful body.
Doha's specialty coffee house since 2018. Grown to multiple locations across Qatar, and bringing to the table some of the best coffee from this country.
Kuwait
Kuwait's first fully air powered roastery, led by two time Barista Champion Hamad AlMajed. Roasting, brewing and sound design brought together in one immersive space in Shaab Al Bahri. The team sent some beautiful origins from their roastery.
Bahrain
Bahrain's coffee brand built around a simple promise, drink coffee, be happy, and bringing that promise straight to Slurp & Socialize
KSA
Jeddah born specialty cafe and roastery, named after the ideal 92°C brewing temperature. First Saudi roaster on the international Gesha auction circuit, now with branches across the Kingdom.
Lebanon
Started in 1957 as a small artisanal roastery in Beirut, now the biggest coffee factory in Lebanon. Third generation family owned, exporting to 48 countries. The team sent their Ethiopian Sidamo, carbonic maceration processed, to the table.
The Mont Blanc Series, by Oatly
Oatly in a cupping event was the question we were asked. No, they didn't pour oat milk in the cupping bowls. Instead, the team gave us something we didn't see coming, a full drink series, one Mont Blanc built for every city that showed up at the table.
Every glass started the same way, cold brew on ice with Oatly's Barista Cold Foam whisked on top until it held that signature cloud, thick enough to sit above the coffee instead of melting straight into it. From there, each Mont Blanc took on the personality of the place it was named for.
Kuwait got its Mont Blanc dressed in black sesame, deep and toasty, finished with a scatter of sesame across the foam. It felt heavier, more grounded, a drink you'd crave after a long day.
Doha came out in saffron yellow, homemade extract folded into the cold foam until it turned the color of the spice itself. A drink that looked like it belonged on a spice trader's shelf before it ever touched a coffee glass.
Muscat got its Mont Blanc bright and citrus forward, orange zest and yuzu layered through the foam. This a beverage that wakes you up just by looking at it.
Manama went in the opposite direction, dragon fruit pink with rose folded through, more floral, more delicate, a cousin to Muscat's citrus punch perhaps.
Dubai got its Mont Blanc in pistachio green, yuzu infused cold brew under a pistachio cold foam finished with chocolate sauce, salt and a scatter of pistachio nuts on top. Rich, indulgent, a glass that looks like dessert before you remember it's coffee.
Riyadh went warm and earthy, its Mont Blanc was date forward with date syrup and date molasses folded through the cold foam until it turned a deep brown, comforting from the first to the last sip.
Same base, same foam, a different personality for every city on the table. It's a small thing to notice, but it says a lot about Oatly as a partner. They didn't just supply the milk for the day, they built something that made people stop at the counter and ask what exactly they were looking at.
Thank You
None of this happens in an empty room, so a few thank you’s before I close this out.
To the Victoria Arduino Experience Lab, this is where the very first Slurp & Socialize was held, and this year we got to walk back into that same space and continue what started there. You've never just been a venue to us.
To Oatly, for showing up with more than oat milk. The Mont Blanc series was entirely your team's doing, and it turned out to be one of the most talked about things on the table that day.
To Polpanorte, for bringing a taste of Brazil into a room full of coffee people and somehow making it feel like it belonged there all along.
And to every roastery that sent a bag, every producer whose name we got to read off a label, and every single person who picked up a cupping spoon and leaned in, thank you for making this an event worth writing about.
Pictures from the event:
