[[{“value”:”
A new coffee event called Development Stage is scheduled to debut in Oakland this September, with experts from numerous fields piquing gustatory and intellectual curiosities.
Presented by The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room from Sept. 27-28, the in-person coffee symposium is designed to engage coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike through numerous tastings and pairings, including collaborations with chocolate makers, chefs, perfume chemists, winemakers and fermentation experts, according to the organizers.
“We’ve had nothing but enthusiasm from people we’ve reached out to,” Chris Kornman, director of education for The Crown recently told DCN. “I’m really thrilled at the level of excitement, not just within the specialty coffee community, but from the broader Bay Area food and beverage community, who are bringing a much needed variety of expertise to the conversation.”
The event, which originated with a casual discussion between Kornman and The Crown’s in-house Lab and Education Coordinator Isabella Vitaliano, will include panel discussions on subjects such as roaster-farmer connections, the history of coffee in the Bay Area, the coffee value chain and more.
The organizers have already enlisted numerous coffee industry luminaries and well-known Bay Area food pros, including names such as Katie Carguilo, Jen Apodaca, Devorah Freudiger, Emily Fernwood, Fernando Diaz and Karla Mancio. The full list of speakers — including reps of Royal Coffee/The Crown is available here.
Kornman said the event is designed to explore “multiple sensory and intellectual throughlines,” focusing on collaboration, innovation and growth. Said Kornman, “Future events in years to come will ideally build and expand on these themes and integrate new ones.”
Two-day passes for the event are set at $175, with a portion earmarked for performers taking place at a free event on the eve of Development Stage.
Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here.
“}]]
