Allegra has announced the finalists of the European Coffee Awards 2018, to be held at the European Coffee Symposium on 29 November in Milan, Italy. Lavazza will sponsor the awards, which recognise individual and company achievements in the European coffee industry. The Best Coffee Chain award has been split into four categories – Western Europe, Nordics, Southern Europe, and the United Kingdom and Ireland. Starbucks has been nominated across every category except Southern Europe, while Costa Coffee is a finalist for Western Europe and UK and Ireland. Joe & The Juice also received multiple nominations in Western Europe and the Nordics. Johan & Nyström rounds out the Nordics top three chains, while the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs will compete against Starbucks and Costa for the UK and Ireland award. The Southern Europe finalists include Coffee Island, Illy Espressamente, and Caffé Nero. Illy, Lincoln & York, and the Ueshima Coffee Corporation are nominated for Best Coffee Roaster, while Best Specialty Coffee Roaster finalists include Union Hand-Roasted, Climpson & Sons, and His Majesty the Coffee. La Cimbali, Faema, and La Marzocco will battle it out for Best Coffee Equipment Supplier, while Unilever, Cakesmiths, and Danish Bakery are in competition for Best Food Supplier. Best Non-Coffee Supplier finalists include Alpro, Beyond the Bean, and Monin. The finalists for Best Independent Coffee Shop include CafeZal, Tim Wendelboe, and The Barn. Union Hand-Roasted, Lavazza, and Starbucks have made the shortlist for Most Ethical Brand. For more information, click here.