Our Story
Back in 2014, two coffee fans, Hannah and Ricardo launched a kickstarter campaign to back their idea of hosting a two-day coffee festival in Manchester with the mission to showcase and educate people about the world of specialty coffee. Thanks to everyone’s support, they did it! In November 2014, Greater Manchester’s first coffee festival Cup North was launched.
After two consecutive years of success, the festival was rebranded as the renowned Manchester Coffee Festival; and continues to bring some of the best talented industry professionals and independent retailers from around the country under one roof every year.
Fast forward to today, Cup North has grown from a two person team to an independent event company filled with passionate coffee folks and volunteers, with the goal of promoting specialty coffee in the UK. In 2023, we are extending our reach to the Midlands and adding one more coffee festival to our annual event calendar - Birmingham Coffee Festival. With a great lineup of talks, workshops and competitions, we will continue to deliver accessible, engaging and valuable specialty coffee events to anyone in the North West and the Midlands!
Our Values
ACCESSIBILITY
All are welcome and should be catered for.
VALUE
We promote the value of specialty coffee.
ENGAGEMENT
Our events engage consumers and trades.
ENVIRONMENT
We create fun events for everyone to enjoy.
FUN
We consider the environmental impact of our actions.
Meet the Team
Hannah Davies (she/her)
OPERATIONS MANAGER
After 10+ years of working in the coffee industry we can confidently say Hannah is here to stay! Starting out her coffee career behind the bar before she ventured into a training role, Hannah caught a bug for organising events when she hosted her first latte art throw down for the small coffee scene in Manchester way back in 2011. These days you’ll find her working alongside the amazing Cup North team.
And when it’s time for a break she’ll be heading up hills in her home of Hebden Bridge, chasing after a very energetic child or getting her nose stuck into a feminist book!
Grace Talbot (she/her)
PARTNERSHIP & CONTENT MANAGER
Grace’s little egg-head has been bobbing around the specialty coffee industry for a few years now, and she’s not running out of steam for the beans anytime soon! Grace considers herself to be a professional brunch eater, and you’ll almost definitely find her in one of her favourite local spots, usually eating something that involves mushrooms, and fawning over someone's dog.
Grace loves being part of the Cup North team and is always happy to hear from any would-be exhibitors or content providers.
Magdalena Lee (she/her)
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
From Hong Kong to England, Magdalena has taken her journey one step further by taking part in the exciting coffee festivals she has always dreamed of as a coffee lover! Apart from exploring cafes around the city, Magdalena’s biggest hobbies are spotting adorable dogs wherever she goes and creating content around them. Don’t be surprised if you see her taking tons of dog photos at the festival!
Carly Jones (she/her)
EVENT MANAGER
Carly is a lover of all things relaxation - from the joy of being outdoors to perfecting the art of a good pampering session. If your coffee shop also has a lifestyle section you can guarantee she will be taking her time perusing the shelves. Recently taken on an Edwardian house renovation project - it's a biggie but she’s loving every second of it!