MICE 2026

Composed by Benjamin Kelly

After a decade, and many trade expos in the USA and South East Asia we were so grateful to be back at the Melbourne international Coffee Expo (MICE).

Darker drinking chocolate was one of the most requested conversations at our stand. Not just richer profiles, but genuine curiosity around couverture quality and cocoa butter percentages. The industry is getting serious about chocolate the way it got serious about espresso a decade ago.

Rare teas were another standout. Oolongs, osmanthus, chrysanthemum and critically, people asking about high-end origins, not just category names. That kind of specificity tells you something has shifted.

Matcha, of course. But here's what actually stopped us: hojicha was requested more than matcha. More than matcha. Several insiders at the show noted that Tokyo is now serving more hojicha than matcha, and if that city is any kind of bellwether, we may be watching the next tidal wave form in real time.

Alternatives rounded out the picture. Ube, beetroot-based drinks, valued not just for colour but for earthiness and an almost perfumed quality that's hard to replicate artificially.

What made us quietly proud: the number of people who saw straight through ceremonial-grade labelling and asked specifically for first flush. The Australian hospitality industry is evolving. How very wonderful!