And the winner is: Best coffee in town to be crowned
Excitement is steaming as coffee vendors in Durban and surrounding areas vie for the ultimate title of the best in the battle of the beans. Judges have searched high and low, looking for and sipping varieties of coffees in search of the best in the local coffee sector.

THROUGHOUT this week, the Coffee Colab – a group of coffee lovers who reinvented this competition at the beginning of 2024 – will be announcing the regional winners in what will become an annual competition to acknowledge and reward the finest coffee establishments in Durban and beyond.
Co-founders Ingrid Shevlin (The Quean Bean), Dennis Ngxongo and Shirley le Guern shared the excitement about the return of this well-loved campaign in 2024, and the ultimate crowning of the best.
According to Le Guern, “Throughout 2024, a hand-picked panel of 30 judges visited various independent coffee shops from eight regions – Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands, the Durban Berea and Central Durban (including the beachfront and the Bluff), Durban North, Glenashley and La Lucia, Umhlanga and Kwamashu, the rest of the North Coast, Amanzimtoti and Upper South Coast.
Also read: Coffee bars for small spaces
Shevlin recalled how, 20 years ago, she began chatting to a proprietor of a coffee shop about the art of making coffee and the perfect cappuccino. The coffee competition was born from this conversation that not only raised awareness of coffee making as a skill and career but also boosted the standards of excellence while also acknowledging the role and skills of the barista.
“The City of Durban is contemplating a much-needed revival and a return to its former glory. This is our way of contributing to the efforts of those involved. By highlighting and showcasing the tourism, hospitality and lifestyle offering that small coffee shops offer, we can shine a light on our entrepreneurs,” Ngxongo shared.
“In KZN, coffee shops are the cornerstone of the hospitality industry, offering spaces where you can linger over a freshly brewed espresso or a creamy cappuccino while chatting with friends. When thinking about our coffee shops, we realised the importance of affordable community spaces. So, what better time than now to acknowledge the role coffee shops have played and still play in both personal and community lives? As the Coffee Colab, we believe the best way to do this is to host a competition to judge the ethos of the coffee shop and the excellence of the coffee served. This is also about promoting the industry and acknowledging those who stayed the course,” Shevlin explained.
The top coffee shop, top barista and KZN’s most popular coffee spot by coffee consumer vote will receive their awards at a ceremony on January 30.
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