On Saturday 26th September, Leeds is becoming one big coffee festival.

For the first time, Slurpfest is coming to the city, bringing together more than 30 independent coffee shops, roasters and hospitality venues for a celebration of Leeds’ brilliant speciality coffee scene.

Rather than squeezing everything into one venue, Slurpfest will take over the whole city. Expect tastings, workshops, talks, bar takeovers, special drinks, collaborations and plenty of opportunities to learn something new - with lots of free ways to get involved.

Here's everything you need to know....

One map. A whole lot of coffee.

The Slurpfest Coffee Trail runs for the full week leading up to the festival starting on Monday 21st September, giving you plenty of time to explore some of the brilliant independent coffee shops taking part across Leeds.

Pick up a printed trail map from any participating venue, then collect a stamp each time you visit somewhere new. Many of the stops will also be hosting something special during the week, from limited-edition drinks and guest coffees to bar takeovers and other collaborations.

All four North Star coffee shops are part of the trail and we’ll be serving the official Slurpfest coffee alongside a special festival drink, available for one week only.

How to take part

1. Pick up a Slurpfest map from any participating venue.
2. Explore the trail and collect a stamp at each stop.
3. Send a photo of your map to @slurpfestuk via Instagram DM on or before Sunday 27th September.
4. The person with the most stamps wins a prize. If several people collect the same number, the first person to send their completed map will win.

Prizes include goodies from North Star at Espresso Soutions.

How many stops can you manage?

On Saturday 26th September, participating venues across Leeds will host an array of coffee-related events. Venues will be announcing their own events, so keep an eye on your favourite Leeds independents to see what they’ve got planned.

New Season Exotic Colombian Coffees

9am–9.45am

North Star Coffee Hub, Leeds Dock

Free - booking required

Start the day with a taste of Colombia’s new season coffees, exploring experimental processing methods and rare coffee varieties.

Hosted by Cofinet with support from Well Grounded, this is an opportunity to taste something a little different and discover just how varied coffee from one producing country can be.

Free

Gaining Confidence Around the Cupping Table

10am–10.45am

North Star Coffee Hub, Leeds Dock

£10 - booking required

Build your palate, one cup at a time.

You’ll taste six coffees across six different flavour zones, helping you find the words to describe what you enjoy and feel more confident around the cupping table.

No need to arrive with a finely tuned palate or a long list of tasting notes — that’s exactly what this session is here to help with.

Tickets available at cuppersunion.com

A Taste of Melbourne

11am–11.45am

North Star Coffee Hub, Leeds Dock

Free - booking required

Take a quick trip to one of the world’s most exciting coffee cities — no long-haul flight required.

North Star co-founder Hols will be joined by her long-time pal Matt Slater from Melbourne-based green coffee importer Condesa Co:Lab for a tasting of coffees from some of the city’s renowned roasters and world coffee champions.

More than a tasting, this session will be a celebration of the relationships and connections that make great coffee possible.

1pm–4pm

North Star Coffee Hub, Leeds Dock

Free - drop in at any time

Got a coffee question you’ve always wanted to ask? This is your chance.

Join North Star Coffee Academy, La Marzocco, Well Grounded and Nice Guys Engineers for a free afternoon of practical coffee learning.

Drop in to:

• Ask a North Star trainer
• Ask a coffee-machine engineer
• Ask La Marzocco
• Meet the Well Grounded team

Come with a specific question, learn a new skill or simply have a nosey at what’s going on.

No ticket is needed

Curious about one of our Coffee Academy courses? Try a free 30-minute taster before committing to the full thing.

Latte Art Course Taster

1pm–1.30pm & 3pm–3.30pm

Learn the foundations of milk steaming and pouring, then have a go at creating your own café-style pattern.

Barista Skills Course Taster

2pm–2.30pm

Get hands-on with espresso and discover some of the key skills involved in making a brilliant cup of coffee.

3pm

North Star Great George Street

Free - booking required

Come and meet Monkaaba, the incredible producer group behind all the Colombian coffees we buy at North Star — including the official Slurpfest coffee for 2026.

Rachel Beebe from Semilla Coffee will guide us through some of the best coffees from this year’s harvest while sharing how Monkaaba is helping smallholder producers build a different way of working: one that finally works for producers, rather than against them.

Come down, taste some beautiful and impactful coffees, and tick North Star Great George Street off your Coffee Trail map while you’re here.

Not sure which session is for you? See all our Slurpfest listings, check availability and book your places through our Eventbrite page.

Yisela and Julian Burbano

Washed Caturra · Colombia

Every good coffee festival needs a coffee of its own.

The official Slurpfest coffee for 2026 is a washed Caturra from Colombia, produced by Yisela and Julian Burbano.

You’ll be able to find it throughout festival week at all four North Star coffee shops, where it will be available.

• To buy by the bag, exclusively in our coffee shops and selected stockists
• To try as espresso from our second hopper
• As part of our limited-edition Slurpfest drink
• To buy at the Slurpfest opening and closing parties
  

The coffee and our festival drink will only be around for a limited time, so keep an eye on our social channels for the full reveal.