COMPETITIONS

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TIME AND PLACE

Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at Kaapelitehdas, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration
Submit the competition coffee details by Sunday, March 23, using this form, which can also be found in the "Important Announcements" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Delivery
Send or deliver the competition coffee no later than Friday, March 28, to the following address:
Kaapelitehtaan Konttori, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.
Clearly label the package with: "Helsinki Coffee Festival."

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CATEGORIES AND COMPETITION RULES

A roastery may participate with one coffee per category:

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Filter Coffee‍

- Price limit: €30/kg (purchase price for the roastery)

- The coffee must be 'washed' processed in the traditional style, without added substances (co-ferment) or additional fermentations (anaerobic, etc.).

- The coffee must be delivered as whole beans

- There must be a sufficient supply of the competing coffee at the event and in the Finnish market to meet post-competition demand

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Decaff Coffee

- Price limit: €30/kg (purchase price for the roastery)

- The coffee must be delivered as whole beans

- There must be a sufficient supply of the competing coffee at the event and in the Finnish market to meet post-competition demand

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Note: A new category has been added: LIMITED EDITION - FILTER COFFEE, which will be judged during the event on Friday, April 25. See more details under "Limited Edition - Filter Coffee 25.4."

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QUANTITY AND PACKAGING

- Please provide two packages of coffee per category if possible.

- Clearly label the package with the coffee name and competition category.

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PREPARATION AND EVALUATION

Preparation:
The coffees will be prepared by an impartial professional barista using Wilfa equipment to ensure consistency.

Evaluation Criteria:

- Sweetness

- Acidity

- Balance

- Aftertaste

Coffees will be judged anonymously. In case of a tie, the jury will vote to determine the winner.

‍Please note that in the filter and caffeine-free coffee competition, we are looking for the most balanced coffees possible. Below, you will find the guidelines for the Limited Edition filter coffee competitions. In the Limited Edition filter coffee competition, there are no restrictions—roasteries can get creative and introduce new trends, coffee phenomena, and flavors in this category.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

Availability of Competition Coffees:

The competing products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as visitors have been promised the opportunity to taste the winning coffees.

The winning coffee must be sufficiently available in the Finnish market after its public announcement.

Winners:
The Top 3 placements will be announced to companies and the media during competition week.

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TIME AND PLACE

Tuesday, April 1, 2024, from 17:30 to 19:00, at Kaapelitehdas, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration:
Submit the competition product details by Sunday, March 23 using this form, which can also be found in the "Important Announcements" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Delivery:
Send or deliver the tea products no later than Friday, March 28 to:
Kaapelitehtaan Konttori, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.
Clearly label the package: "Helsinki Coffee Festival."

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CATEGORIES AND COMPETITION RULES

Each company may participate with one product per category:

- Black Tea (Unflavored)

- Green Tea (Unflavored)

- White Tea (Unflavored)

- Flavored Tea

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Product Requirements:

Quantity: Sufficient amount for 4–6 judges. We recommend submitting two packages to account for possible damage during delivery.

A competition category will take place only if there are enough participants.

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PREPARATION AND EVALUATION

Preparation:
The competition teas will be prepared in one of two ways:

1. By the participant on-site, using their own recipe. Please indicate this on the competition registration form.‍

2. By an impartial tea professional following the company's specified instructions, including quantity, steeping time, and temperature.

Evaluation Criteria:

- Aroma

- Color

- Taste

- Balance

- Mouthfeel

- Aftertaste

- Overall score

Teas will be tasted without sweeteners or milk. Both steeped and unsteeped tea leaves will be presented separately for judges' inspection.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

Availability of Competition Teas:

The competing products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as visitors have been promised the opportunity to taste the winning teas.

The winning tea must be sufficiently available in the Finnish market after its public announcement.

Winners:
The Top 3 placements will be announced to companies and the media during competition week.

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TIME AND PLACE

Tuesday, April 1, 2024, at Kaapelitehtaan Konttori, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration:
Submit the competition product details by Sunday, March 23 using this form, which can also be found in the "Important Announcements" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Delivery:
Send or deliver the competition products no later than Friday, March 28 to:
Kaapelitehtaan Konttori, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.
Clearly label the package: "Helsinki Coffee Festival."

Quantity and Packaging:

The product must be supplied in a sufficient amount for 4–5 people.

Each company may participate with a maximum of two products.

The kombucha competition has only one category: "Kombucha of the Year."

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COMPETITION PROCESS

Tasting:

The competition kombuchas will be served to the judges anonymously in glasses.

The judges will evaluate the products based on the following criteria:

- Sweetness

- Balance

- Aftertaste

- Overall score

In case of a tie, the judging panel will vote to determine the winner.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

Availability of Competition Products:

The competing products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as visitors have been promised the opportunity to taste the winning kombuchas.

The winning product must be sufficiently available in the Finnish market after its public announcement.

Winners:
The Top 3 placements will be announced to companies and the media during competition week.

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TIME AND PLACE

Tuesday, April 1, 2024, at Kaapelitehtaan Konttori, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration:
Submit the competition product details by Sunday, March 23 using this form, which can also be found in the "Important Announcements" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Delivery:
Send or deliver the competition products no later than Friday, March 28 to:
Kaapelitehtaan Konttori, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.
Clearly label the package: "Ice Cream and Chocolate Carnival."

Quantity and Packaging:

The product must be supplied in a sufficient amount for 5–6 people.

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COMPETITION RULES

Categories:
Each company may participate with a maximum of two products per category:

- Praline/Chocolate Confection

- Vegan Praline/Chocolate Confection

- Chocolate Bar

- Vegan Chocolate Bar

‍Category Requirements:

A minimum of 5 participants is required for each category for the competition to take place.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA

- Flavor

- Texture

- Appearance

- Aftertaste

The judges will evaluate the chocolates, and in case of a tie, the winner will be decided by a vote.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

Availability of Competition Products:

The competing products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as visitors have been promised the opportunity to taste the winning products.

The winning products must be sufficiently available in the Finnish market after their public announcement.

Winners:
The Top 3 placements will be announced to companies and the media during competition week.

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TIME AND PLACE

The competition will take place on Friday, April 25, 2025, (the time will be updated)
Location: Puristamo, Helsinki Coffee Festival, Kaapelitehdas, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration:
Submit the category and product details by Sunday, April 13 using this form, which can also be found in the "Important Announcements" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Competition Product Delivery on the Competition Day:

All companies will be assigned time slots on the competition day when their products should be ready for pickup at their booth. You will receive this timetable before the event.

The JSK team will pick up the competition products from your booth and deliver them to the judges for evaluation.

A sufficient amount of product should be provided for 4-5 judges. Approximately 1 deciliter of the competition product is needed per bowl/judge.

The JSK team will provide bowls in which the competition products will be served to the judges.

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COMPETITION RULES

Categories:
Each company can enter two products per category:

- Ice Cream

- Vegan Ice Cream

- Gelato

- Sorbet

Category Requirements:

A minimum of 6 participants is required in each category for the competition to take place.

A company can participate in each category with two products. The product that achieves the better result will be ranked.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA

- Flavor

- Texture

- Appearance

- Aftertaste

The judges will evaluate the products, and in case of a tie, the winner will be determined by a vote.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

Availability of Competition Products:

The competing products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as visitors have been promised the opportunity to taste the winning products.

The winning products must be sufficiently available in the Finnish market after their public announcement.

Winners:
The Top 3 placements will be announced after the points are calculated during the event’s stage program on Friday, April 25.

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We want to continue improving the Coffee of the Year competitions, staying true to the original purpose of the Filter Coffee of the Year competition: to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy better coffee. That’s why we want to refocus on what the competition was initially created for—highlighting high-quality, consistent coffees that suit the everyday coffee drinker.

Filter Coffee of the Year is all about finding great coffee that is a well-balanced showcase of a roaster’s craft. To maintain this focus, competing coffees must be washed and have a green coffee price of under €30/kg.

At the same time, we also want to shine a spotlight on top-tier, experimental specialty coffees. That’s why we’ve introduced the Limited Edition category. Here, roasters have the freedom to take their skills to new, even daring levels, where the coffee’s story and processing method play a role in scoring. In this category, there are no other restrictions—roasters can go all in, push boundaries, and introduce new trends, coffee movements, and exciting flavors.

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TIME AND PLACE

‍Friday, April 25, 2025, (the time will be updated)
Location: Puristamo, Helsinki Coffee Festival, Kaapelitehdas, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration
Send your competition coffee details by Sunday, April 13, using the form, which is also available in the "Important Notices" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Preparation
Each company prepares its own Limited Edition filter coffee at its booth. The coffee will be brewed for 4–6 judges. The method of preparation is at the company’s discretion.

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COMPETITION RULES

‍Categories:
Each roastery may enter with one filter coffee.

Rules:
There is no price ceiling or other specific rules for Limited Edition Filter Coffee.

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COMPETITION PROCESS - April 25

‍Schedule:
All participants will be assigned a time slot when the competition coffee must be ready for delivery to the judges. You will receive this timetable before the event.

Competition Cups:
The Helsinki Coffee Festival team will provide the cups to be used for the competition in advance for each participant. Each cup holds 1.5 dl, and about 1 dl of the competition product is needed per cup or judge.

Delivery:
The Festival team will pick up the competition coffees from the participant’s booth and deliver them to the judges.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA:

FLAVOR 80 %

- Sweetness

- Acidity

- Balance

- Aftertaste

COFFEE DETAILS / STORY 20%
When registering, each roastery will have the chance to briefly describe their coffee (up to 300 characters). Points will be awarded for aspects such as the coffee’s innovation, story, origin, or brewing method. The description must not contain identifiable details about the roastery.

The coffees will be served to judges anonymously. In the case of a tie, the winner will be decided by a vote from the judges.

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IMPORTANT NOTES
Availability of competition products:
The competition products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as attendees are promised the opportunity to taste the competition winners.

Winners:
The top 3 placements will be announced after the scores have been tallied during the event’s stage program on Friday, April 25.

4o mini

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TIME AND PLACE

Friday, April 25, 2025 (the time will be updated)
Location: Puristamo, Helsinki Coffee Festival, Kaapelitehdas, Kaapeliaukio 3, 00180 Helsinki.

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PARTICIPATION

Registration:
Submit the competition espresso details by Sunday, April 13 using this form, which can also be found in the "Important Announcements" section.

Competition registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up for the competition.

Preparation:

Each company will prepare their own competition espresso at their booth.

The espresso should be brewed for 4–6 judges. Each espresso cup has a capacity of 15 cl, with 10 cl of the competition product served per cup.

If you do not have your own espresso machine, please indicate the need for one by April 13 on the registration form, and the company will prepare the espressos using our partner's espresso machine.

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COMPETITION RULES

Categories:
Each roastery may participate with one espresso.

Espresso:

There is a price cap of 30 €/kg for the raw coffee purchasing price.

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COMPETITION PROCESS (April 25)

Schedule:

Time slots will be assigned to all participants, and the espresso must be ready for delivery to the judges at the assigned time.

Competition Cups:

The Helsinki Coffee Festival team will provide the cups for the competition in advance for each participant.

Delivery:

The Festival team will collect the competition espresso from the participant's booth and deliver it to the judges.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA

- Sweetness

- Acidity

- Balance

- Aftertaste

The coffee will be served to the judges anonymously.

In case of a tie, the winner will be decided by a vote from the judges.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

Availability of Competition Products:

The competing products must be available at the event until Sunday, April 27, as visitors are promised the opportunity to taste the winning products.

Winners:

The Top 3 placements will be announced after the points are calculated during the event’s stage program on Friday, April 25.

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The Roaster of the Year will be selected based on public voting, as well as performance in the annual filter coffee and espresso competitions.

The event visitors, both on professional and consumer days, will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite throughout the event.

The Roaster of the Year will be awarded at the event on Sunday, April 21st, at 5:30 PM on the stage.

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