Here’s what happened at the first Home Barista Show in Europe

The Home Barista Show Istanbul brought a sold out group of home brewers to Espressolab Roastery on 9 August 2026. Attendees toured the campus, learned to brew with a Hario V60, competed using the same coffee and finished the afternoon with a latte art tutorial from 2025 SCA Turkey Latte Art Champion Mahmut Emre Özkaya.

It was the fifth Home Barista Show (HBS) and the first one held in Europe.

The day also showed me why Renato Correia had insisted we take HBS to Espressolab’s head office in Istanbul. The 6,000 square metre campus is impressive, bringing roasting, education, offices, food and public events into one place.

By the time I left, I saw Espressolab differently. This is what I learnt about the company.

What happened at Home Barista Show Istanbul

We started with a tour of Espressolab Roastery. Attendees saw the production roastery, the public areas and some of the infrastructure.

From there, we moved into the experience centre, where the Espressolab team taught everyone how to brew pourover coffee with a Hario V60, covering the parts of the process that have the greatest effect on the cup: grind size, water, pouring and consistency.

Then everyone brewed, which Taylan Kurt and I judged, chose a runner up and eventually a winner.

Mahmut Emre Özkaya ended the afternoon with a latte art tutorial. Emre won the 2025 SCA Turkey Latte Art Championship and later represented Turkey at the World Latte Art Championship in Geneva.

What stayed with me was how engaged everyone was. People asked questions, watched each other brew and paid attention to the differences between cups. Some even taking notes.

Nobody needed convincing to get involved.

Why I started The Home Barista Show

I started The Home Barista Show in 2025 because most coffee events weren’t made for people who brew at home.

The coffee industry already had trade shows, professional competitions and public festivals. Home brewers could attend many of them, but they were never the main audience. I thought they deserved to be.

Because someone could spend a considerable amount of money on equipment and still struggle to make coffee they enjoyed. When it went wrong, it wasn’t always clear whether the cause was the coffee, the water, the grind, the machine or their technique. Online advice could only get you so far.

I knew that experience because I’d lived it.

So I created The Home Barista Show. To put those people in a room together. To use the equipment, taste the results and ask questions while the problem was still in front of them.

Nobody had to understand competition language or pretend to know what a tasting note meant.

From Dubai to Istanbul

The first Home Barista Show took place at Café Rider in Dubai in 2025. It brought home brewers together with the UAE’s national Barista, Brewers Cup, AeroPress and Coffee in Good Spirits champions.

I was a little surprised that the event sold out. But that confirmed what I had always suspected: home brewers wanted an event like the Home Barista Show.

The feedback afterwards was clear. People loved the event but wanted more hands-on time with equipment. To brew coffee on their own. I took that learning to the next HBS in Sharjah.

It took place at Archers Coffee Roastery and focused on pourover. Because it was trending at the time (and I think it still is!), I chose to make the UFO the event’s official dripper.

Sharjah felt more honest. But equally fun.

Cape Town followed at the end of December. It was the first HBS outside the UAE. And became the biggest ever, with 140 people attending.

Seam Coffee ran a cupping. La Marzocco South Africa helped attendees make espresso on Linea Mini machines. Cape Coffee Beans led pourover sessions. I was born in Cape Town, so taking HBS there felt like a homecoming. Literally.

Johannesburg came next. I lived there for over 15 years, and my understanding of specialty coffee began in that city. The event happened at Bean There Coffee, one of my favorite roasters, who used it as a platform to launch the Profitec Go. It sold out,

Cape Town suggested the idea could travel. Johannesburg removed any doubt.

How HBS connected with the Espressolab

Renato Correia and Helene Vaerlien founded Espresso Lab Microroasters at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town in 2009. Their coffee, influenced by Scandinavian roasting, brought lighter profiles to the Mother City.

In 2024, Espressolab opened their second shop in Cape Town shop, at De Waterkant. In 2025, the shop placed 11th in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops. The highest ranked shop in Africa.

When I approached Renato, who is also Espressolab’s global Coffee Director, working across coffee buying, sourcing and roasting, about bringing HBS to Espressolab, I assumed the De Waterkant shop would be the venue.

He was quick to insist I take the show to Istanbul. More specifically, to Espressolab’s roastery in Merter. It’s only when I first visited the venue on the day of HBS that I understood why.

Espressolab’s growth from Istanbul

The Espressolab business began in 2014 when the Kocadağ family opened its first shop at Istanbul Bilgi University.

From there, the company expanded across Turkey and into international markets. Espressolab now has more than 400 shops across Turkey, South Africa, Germany, Portugal, Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Kosovo, Kuwait, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of the Congo and Indonesia.

Espressolab’s current company profile places it in about 20 markets. That makes it one of the largest specialty coffee brands to come out of Turkey.

Most of the coffee for that network is roasted at the Merter campus.

Inside Espressolab Roastery

Espressolab Roastery opened in September 2022 in Merter, on Istanbul’s European side.

The company converted Turkey’s first cardboard factory into a 6,000 square metre campus. The project cost €5 million and became Espressolab’s 100th location in Turkey. And the biggest coffee experience center in Europe.

It includes a production roastery, 3 coffee shops, bakery, co-working spaces, a greenhouse, an auditorium, the company’s head office and an experience centre, where HBS took place.

I knew the Merter operation was a 6,000 square metre space. But I didn’t quite comprehend the scale until I arrived. It’s big. It’s beautiful. And it feels part of the neighbourhood. Easily making 10,000 visitors in a day feel at home.

The future belongs to coffee businesses that build community

Good coffee is available almost everywhere now. Most major cities have knowledgeable independent roasters sourcing traceable coffees. And specialty coffee shops paying close attention to brewing. Capable equipment is also easy to buy now. And becoming easier to understand.

Coffee shop design is easier to reproduce too. Give a company the right designer, enough money, a folder of references and a ChatGPT prompt or two, and it can create a room people want to put on Instagram.

All of that still counts.

But it just doesn’t give people a reason to care.

Community does.

But community takes longer. It’s built through what a company does repeatedly. Making space for people. Sharing useful knowledge. Continuing the work when there’s no campaign to support and no photographer in the room.

The kind of work Espressolab does every day.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Home Barista Show?

The Home Barista Show is a hands on coffee event for people who brew at home. Attendees learn by using the equipment, making coffee and asking questions while they work.

When and where was Home Barista Show Istanbul held?

Home Barista Show Istanbul took place on 9 August 2026 at Espressolab Roastery in Merter, on the European side of Istanbul.

What happened at Home Barista Show Istanbul?

Attendees toured the Espressolab campus, learned to brew with a Hario V60 and entered a pourover competition using the same coffee. The event ended with a latte art tutorial led by Mahmut Emre Özkaya.

Was Istanbul the first European Home Barista Show?

Yes. Istanbul was the fifth Home Barista Show overall and the first edition held in Europe. Earlier events took place in Dubai, Sharjah, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Who led the latte art tutorial?

The tutorial was led by Mahmut Emre Özkaya, the 2025 SCA Turkey Latte Art Champion. He also represented Turkey at the 2025 World Latte Art Championship in Geneva.

What is Espressolab Roastery?

Espressolab Roastery is a 6,000 square metre coffee campus in Merter, Istanbul. It contains a production roastery, head office, coffee shops, bakery, auditorium, experience centre and public workspaces.

Why was Espressolab Roastery chosen for the event?

The campus already brings coffee production, education and public events together in one place. Its focus on learning and community made it a natural venue for The Home Barista Show.