ZiraFest and the 2026 Barista Championship in Tashkent: Highlights

Three days of coffee, conversations and new connections: ZiraFest 2026 took place in Tashkent from 29 September to 1 October. The Green Coffee Hub team visited the exhibition, met customers and industry colleagues, and sponsored Uzbekistan Barista Challenge 2026. Here are our impressions.

ZiraFest: where gastronomy meets business

ZiraFest brought together restaurateurs, hoteliers, food producers and equipment suppliers in Tashkent.

People responsible for different aspects of running a venue met in one place, from fitting out a kitchen to choosing its coffee. That is part of ZiraFest’s appeal: it reveals the products, technology and people behind a familiar menu. For our team, it was also a chance to catch up with existing customers and meet entrepreneurs from other countries.

At the coffee stands

Exhibitors prepared coffee and introduced visitors to equipment and drink ingredients. The displays included Officine Allegra espresso machines, Richeza syrups and purées, and dairy products from Selo Zelyonoe and Lactel. Baristas, suppliers and café owners came together with different perspectives on a drink, but a shared goal: a flavour that brings guests back.

Tea, spices, frozen snacks, restaurant products and ingredients for tapioca drinks were also on display. For café operators, this offered a chance to look beyond their usual range, discover additions to the drinks menu and discuss new products directly with suppliers.

The barista championship and cupping

ZiraFest’s coffee programme included Uzbekistan Barista Challenge 2026, Uzbekistan’s leading national barista championship. The competition followed official SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) standards, with contestants assessed by a panel of 11 international judges. The total prize fund was UZS 21,000,000.

Thirteen competitors took part, preparing espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink. The final day also featured cupping, a professional coffee tasting.

Uzbekistan Barista Challenge 2026 winners:

• 1st place - Alexander Lachashvili (@cataleya.uz).
• 2nd place - Timur Saidalimov (@roastwithtim).
• 3rd place - Jahongir Ergashbaev (@johongircoffee).

Green Coffee Hub presented the three winners with DiFluid devices: a Moment for first place, an R2 Extract for second place and a Microbalance Ti for third place.

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all the competitors and judges! We hope Uzbekistan’s coffee industry continues to grow and that future championships welcome even more baristas.

Events like these offer two perspectives on coffee: a product with its own character, and the result of a barista’s work. Cupping focuses attention on the beans’ aroma and flavour, while preparation shows how that potential develops in the cup. For the coffee community, it is also a chance to meet, exchange experience and watch colleagues at work.

From green beans to the finished drink

Coffee flavour begins taking shape long before an espresso is prepared. First comes green coffee selection, followed by roasting, evaluation and adjustments to preparation. Each stage has its own tools and questions, all contributing to the finished cup.

Green Coffee Hub works across these connected stages: we supply green coffee for roasting, as well as DiFluid and Santoker equipment. Our conversations therefore extend beyond the beans to what happens next: developing flavour through roasting, assessing the result and achieving consistency.

At the exhibition, these stages could be seen alongside one another through equipment in use, drink preparation and tasting. For us, that offered an opportunity to continue conversations with people who roast and prepare coffee every day, and to better understand the needs of their businesses.

Conversations that continue beyond the exhibition

Over the three days, the UNEX Group team met existing customers and made new contacts from the restaurant, hotel and food manufacturing sectors. Our conversations included visitors from Poland, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China.

Visitors asked where we were based and how our supply arrangements worked, and shared their plans for their venues. Meeting in person makes it easier to identify a specific need and exchange details for a follow-up conversation.

Visitors also asked about hospitality consumables. This is a separate business area within UNEX Group; more information is available from UNEX Careful.

For our team, the main outcomes of ZiraFest were face-to-face meetings and new contacts to follow up. Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet us and share their business needs. If you are looking for wholesale green coffee or would like to continue a conversation started at the exhibition, contact Green Coffee Hub.