The Rise Of Speciality Coffee: From History to Craft, Culture, and Future

Title: The Rise Of Speciality Coffee: From Coffee History to Craft, Culture, and Future
Speaker: Danny Ormonde, Head of Coffee / Director at Parallel Coffee

The Rise of Speciality Coffee follows my personal journey into the coffee industry, beginning with leaving school, dropping out of college, and navigating dyslexia in a system where I didn’t fit the traditional academic path. Coffee became both a craft and a career, offering purpose, creativity, and progression.

From there, the talk explores a brief history of coffee, the emergence of the coffee “waves,” and the influence of espresso culture. It moves into modern specialty coffee, covering roasting, brewing, and café culture, before looking ahead to where the coffee industry is heading next.

You will walk away from this talk understanding more about

• Paths to meaningful and successful career in the coffee industry
• Speciality coffee is built on people, craft, and curiosity, not just products
• Every cup of coffee reflects history, culture, and global collaboration
• Modern roasting and brewing are about transparency, precision, and flavour
• The future of coffee depends on sustainability, education, and connection

Doors - 7:30pm - first come first served on seating

Intros - 7:50pm

Talk - 8pm

Q&A - 8:40pm