India International Coffee Festival 2026

Mindful Processing - Market Mindset

Is your processing decision right for your coffee and your market?

Coffee processing is evolving rapidly. New methods, new terminology and new flavour profiles are constantly entering the conversation. But does every new trend make sense for every farm in every country? Is there a one-size-fits-all recipe that works for everyone? Do all markets want the same? And even if a processing method creates a coffee you love, would your buyer want it?

Led by Roukiat Delrue and Sebastian De Rodt, World Coffee Championships (WCC) Representatives, one a coffee grower and one a Q Processing Expert, each working at origin for 20+ years. The workshop brings together processing decisions, coffee tasting and market thinking through discussion, practical exercises and buyer role-play.

All LevelsProcessingFull day · 10 am – 5 pm

What we'll explore

The workshop runs in two parts, moving from the producer's processing decision to the buyer's perspective.

Part 1The producer’s lens

Mindful processing

How and why processing decisions are made.

Current coffee processing methods and what they mean
Processing terminology and coffee labels
What processing labels actually tell us
How to interpret processing information
Factors that influence processing decisions at origin, not just the market
Farm realities, resources and limitations
When innovation adds value, and when it may not
Making intentional processing decisions based on the coffee and the context

The goal is not to identify one “best” processing method. It is to understand how to make the right decision for a particular coffee, farm and objective.

Part 2The buyer’s lens

Market mindset

The perspective shifts from the producer to the buyer. What happens when the coffee you create reaches the market? You’ll step into the role of a coffee buyer and work through practical scenarios involving different coffees, markets and customer expectations.

How buyers evaluate coffees
Is it only based on their preference, and should we guess those?
How different markets influence purchasing decisions
What information buyers look for
How coffee profiles fit specific customer requirements
Why an exciting coffee isn’t necessarily the right coffee for every market: you’ll have to think like a buyer
How to gather and interpret information before making a buying decision

You won’t just talk about buyers. You’ll become one and observe from their lens.

Who should attend

Open to producers, coffee professionals and enthusiasts who want to understand the decisions behind the cup.

Coffee producers & farm managers

Looking to make more informed and intentional processing decisions.

Coffee professionals

Roasters, buyers, exporters, Q-graders, café professionals and educators.

Coffee enthusiasts

For those who want to go beyond tasting notes and understand the decisions behind the coffee in the cup.

Workshop details

Choose one of the two dates when you register. Lunch is provided on the day.

Day 1

November 21, 2026

Belur, Karnataka

Venue: Biccode EstateGet directions

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Checking seats…

Day 2

November 22, 2026

Sakleshpur, Karnataka

Venue: Harley EstateGet directions

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Checking seats…

About the workshop leaders

Both are official WCC Representatives with over ten years of experience, currently serving as Judge Operation Leads for the Barista and Latte Art competitions respectively.

Roukiat Delrue

WCC Representative · Judge Operation Lead, Barista

Official World Coffee Championships Representative with over ten years of experience, currently serving as Judge Operation Lead for the Barista competition.

Part of the first cohort of CQI Q Processing Experts and a former Director of Q. She supports the SCA in research and the development of new standards and education programmes.

Sebastian De Rodt

WCC Representative · Judge Operation Lead, Latte Art

Official World Coffee Championships Representative with over ten years of experience, currently serving as Judge Operation Lead for the Latte Art competition.

A current green coffee buyer in South America and owner-advisor to a coffee growing farm in Peru, bringing both the buyer’s and the producer’s perspective to the workshop.

Shared experience

Judged over 150 national competitions and more than ten world finals
Coached world champions and finalists
Played key roles in delivering 6+ global Judge Certification programmes (250+ world-certified judges)