Everything But Coffee (EBC) brought its four-day Pop-up week at Purple Mall, Lekki, to a close on Thursday, October 1, with a grand finale that placed coffee education, culture, creativity and new flavour experiences at the centre of its International Coffee Day celebration.

An event that kicked on Monday September 28, and ran till Thursday October 1, 2026 heralding a simultaneous celebration of International Coffee Day and Nigeria’s Independence Day anniversary, featured three masterclass sessions.

The classroom experience led by Levi Gee, UK Brand Ambassador and Drink Designer for 1883 Syrups, took attendees through emerging coffee trends, flavour combinations and new ways of approaching coffee, all in reviving the new coffee culture experience in Nigeria.

Across the three sessions, Levi Gee introduced participants to a sensory approach to coffee-making through “Design Blend,” encouraging baristas and coffee enthusiasts to think beyond the drink itself and consider all five senses when creating a beverage.

He developed a range of drinks using different 1883 syrups and coffee combinations, with flavours inspired by Night in Paris, Chai Spritz, Matcha Macaron and Banana Cream. The sessions gave participants an opportunity to see how different flavours can be layered to create drinks that are not only enjoyable to taste but engaging, as an experience.

The masterclasses were not limited to watching demonstrations. Attendees were challenged to create their own signature drinks, experimenting with the flavours and techniques they learned.

For Levi Gee, creating a memorable coffee experience goes beyond what is inside the cup.

“When people walking into a cafe, the main thing that they’re looking for, is to feel like they’re at home,” he said. “They want to walk in and feel welcomed. It’s the most important aspect, and it’s to make them feel like they’re a person.”

He explained that factors such as service, atmosphere, music, lighting, comfortable seating and cleanliness all contribute to how a customer experiences a coffee shop, with the drink itself becoming another part of that wider experience.

According to him, that thinking extends to the way new drinks are developed, adding that the experience should come before simply choosing a flavour or coffee.

“For me, it’s more about the experience, and it’s also about the people behind the coffee shop that are making the drinks,” he said, adding that baristas need opportunities to keep developing their skills and knowledge.

“I think that’s an important aspect of making the drinks delicious. It’s by invoking that art and then passion for it.”

The masterclass also raised an important question for Nigeria’s growing coffee industry: how can local coffee professionals adopt international trends while developing flavours that feel distinctly Nigerian?

Levi Gee believes Nigeria has an opportunity to turn its own ingredients, memories and culture into an advantage. “I think that Nigerians will be able to really showcase to the entire world the unique flavors and ingredients they have in Nigeria, and it’s something that no one else can do besides Nigerians,” he said.

He encouraged local coffee businesses to follow international trends while using their own cultural knowledge to create something that stands out.

“You all know your culture, your childhood, you know your memories and your community better than anyone else,” he said. “You should be able to, of course, follow the trends, make sure your business is going well, but to stand out amongst the international coffee community, this is what you should do.”

The response from attendees suggested that the experience was already giving local coffee professionals ideas to take back to their own businesses. They praised the range of flavours and Gee’s approach to the masterclass.

They highlighted the pastry-inspired syrups, including the macaron and croissant flavours, describing them as unique and saying they could be explored across different types of drinks.

The International Coffee Day celebration also, witnessed attendees continued to sample EBC’s coffee, with many praising the different blends served during the four-day activation.

The Pop-up Week also rewarded the coffee lovers with branded EBC gifts won through fun games and other activities as a side attraction.

For Adeoye-Wilson Kupolati, Lead, Strategy, Growth and Digital Infrastructure at EBC, the response to the four-day activation was particularly significant because it marked one of the brand’s first major opportunities to meet its audience physically.

“I think I’m quite impressed at the turnout. EBC as a brand, is just coming out for the very first time. We’ve always been running our campaigns, most of our reach out through online platforms. And the diversity of people who attended was another encouraging part of the experience,” he said.

For Kupolati, the pop-up is only the beginning of EBC’s plans to engage with Nigeria’s growing coffee community.
“It will not be one event. It will be a series of events that will sort of continue to drive that growth.”

He explained that EBC intends to appear at more events connected to areas such as art, African culture, literature and books, while continuing to create its own activations. The brand’s ambitions extend to the wider coffee ecosystem as well.

Kupolati said EBC hopes to create opportunities that bring different players in Nigeria’s coffee industry together, including other coffee brands. He believes local creativity will eventually give the country’s coffee scene its own identity.

“Knowing how creative we are in Africa and specifically Nigeria, I think that Nigerians will start to do a mix of their own flavor, and I really look forward to that,” he said.

The pop-up activities created a space where coffee could be tasted, questioned, experimented and enjoyed, while bringing consumers, baristas, café owners and coffee professionals into the same conversation. From the first cappuccino served, to the final masterclass, EBC’s message remained consistent: coffee does not have to be intimidating, exclusive or foreign to Nigerians.