Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s stories.

Mon, 24 Jul

• LG Labs launches world-first dual coffee capsule brewer. The new Duobo machine can simultaneously extract two coffee capsules to create a “distinctive blended coffee flavour”. The brewer also includes an integrated multimedia display screen and app integration technology.

• Moplaco Trading and Galani Coffee release video to raise awareness about ongoing deforestation in Ethiopia. The short animated video shows the consequences of commercial eucalyptus cultivation in Ethiopia, which often results in the destruction of indigenous forests, drought, and soil degradation – impacting the country’s coffee producers.

• Australia’s Richest Barista announces first round competitor draw. The winning baristas from each head-to-head battle in the first round will advance to the next stage, which will assess their latte art skills. The competition will take place at the 2023 Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 17 to 19 August, with the winners able to gain access to a collective prize pool of AU $40,000 (US $27,080).

• Fast food chain Wendy’s launches Frosty Cream Cold Brew range. Available nationwide, the drinks are made with cold brew and Frosty creamer. Customers can choose between vanilla, chocolate, or caramel syrups.

• Arabica futures recover despite record low certified stocks. After dropping to a six-month low of US 155.50 cents/lb on 19 July, the main ICE arabica contract for September delivery increased to US 161.85 cents/lb on 21 July. Certified arabica stocks, meanwhile, fell to an eight-month low.

• JDE Peet’s to acquire Brazilian coffee business Maratá. The company says the acquisition will complement its existing portfolio of coffee brands and products sold in southern Brazil, and will allow it to expand operations in the north. Maratá, which is best known for the brands Café Maratá and Chá Maratá brands, employs around 1,200 people and operates two manufacturing plants in the country. The acquisition will close in 2024.

Tue, 25 Jul

• Qatar AeroPress Championship 2023 takes place in Doha. The event was hosted by Flat White and Coffee Samaj Nepal at the Gate Mall in Doha. The winner will represent Qatar at the World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia from 1 to 3 December 2023.

• Pact Coffee launches new recyclable packaging made from reclaimed plastic waste. The company says its new single-material coffee bags are 100% recyclable and made from 70% recycled materials. For every 1 million bags created, Pact says the equivalent of 53,000 600ml plastic bottles are collected from rivers in the Philippines and Indonesia.

• German Coffee Association publishes new research on espresso extraction. In partnership with the Research Association of the German Food Industry, the study used a mathematical model to analyse different concentrations of “sensory active components” during espresso extraction. Researchers found that temperature and flow rate had more of an effect of these compounds than grind size, and have developed a corresponding Espresso Brewing Control Chart to demonstrate their results.

• illycaffè reports 5% increase in first half 2023 consolidated revenue. In the US alone, revenue increased 16% year-on-year. illycaffè also announced a new e-commerce distribution agreement in China.

• Coffee Science Foundation publishes Cost and Profitability Analysis of Producing Specialty Coffee in El Salvador and Honduras research paper. In partnership with Solidaridad, Rainforest Alliance, Conservation International, Rainforest Alliance, the SCA, and Texas Tech University, the study estimates and compares specialty coffee production costs and profitability in Honduras and El Salvador using data collected from interviews with producers. The researchers also provide a comprehensive assessment of expenses related to coffee production.

Wed, 26 Jul

• The 20th International Women in Coffee Convention to take place from 16 to 22 October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hosted by the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, the annual convention will take place at the Skylight Hotel, and will include lectures, cupping sessions, networking opportunities, and an accompanying origin trip.

• Latin American beverage company Beliv acquires RTD brand High Brew. The company purchased a 78% stake in US RTD brand High Brew – bringing the total number of brands in Beliv’s portfolio to over 40.

• World Barista Champion Boram Um appears on one of Brazil’s biggest late night talk shows. Um, the 2023 World Barista Champion who represented Brazil at the World Coffee Championships from 21 to 24 June, was a guest on The Noite com Danilo Gentili – and served the host and show runners espresso using a La Marzocco Linea Mini.

• Coca-Cola’s coffee sales increased by 5% in 2023 second quarter. As seen in previous years, growth was primarily driven by Costa Coffee sales in the UK – as well as in China.

• The 2023 World Coffee Summit & Exhibition to take place in London on 13 September. This year’s event, which will take place at the QEII Centre in London and is hosted by World Coffee Alliance, will include speakers such as ED of the ICO Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Fellow at the World Economic Forum Anthony Hobley, and Director General at the FAO Dr. Qu Dongyu.

• Coffee Roasters Guild and Diedrich Roasters announce 2023 Roasters Scholarship Programme. The scholarship programme provide financial support to coffee professionals who wish to attend the Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat, which will take place in Blaine, Washington from 28 September to 1 October 2023. Applications are open until 18 August.

Thu, 27 Jul

• Oatly reports 13.8% revenue growth in first half of 2023, but will restructure operations in Asia. The company says it’s making progress towards profitable growth in 2024, citing increasing sales in the EMEA and Americas markets. However, Oatly will restructure operations in Asia to improve declining sales.

• Cloud Picker Coffee opens first of three locations at Dublin Airport. The first outlet opened in Terminal 2, with the other two locations to open later this year.

• First-ever Vietnamese Comandante Championship to take place on 12 August in Ho Chi Minh City. Hosted by IDOCEAN, the event will see 36 competitors showcase their skills with Comandante grinders for the chance to win several prizes. Registration opens on 29 July.

• Nestlé reports 7.7% net profit increase in first half of 2023. During the analysis period, the company’s coffee category experienced high single digit sales growth – including Starbucks, Nescafé, and Coffee mate. Sales for Nestlé Professional and Starbucks out‑of‑home solutions also experienced strong double digit growth.

• Aspire CoffeeWorks celebrates National Disability Independence Day. In partnership with Metropolis Coffee Company, the US company donates 100% of net proceeds to projects supporting people with physical and mental disabilities.

• Britvic acquires Jimmy’s Iced Coffee. The company, which distributes and sells 37 different beverage brands in more than 100 countries, says it will help to increase sales of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee RTD products by scaling distribution channels and improving cost efficiency.

• Keurig Dr Pepper reports 5.7% decrease in US coffee sales during 2023 Q2. While the company’s total 2023 Q2 net sales increased by 6.6% to US $3.79 billion, sales revenue of coffee pods and machines fell by 4.6% and 7.7%, respectively. KDP recently acquired a 33% minority stake in La Colombe, and will distribute its RTD products and La Colombe-branded K-Cup pods later this year.

Fri, 28 Jul

• This year’s International Coffee Convention to take place from 30 September to 3 October in Mannheim, Germany. The 2023 congress will focus on topics such as climate change, coffee consumption, sustainability, and digitalisation. The event will be held at the Congress Centre Rosengarten in Mannheim.

• Vietnam AeroPress Championship 2023 to be held on 29 July. Every Half Coffee Roasters will host the competition, which will take place at the MCV Complex in Ho Chi Minh City. Spectator tickets are free.

• This year’s ASEAN Barista Team Championship to take place from 3 to 5 August in the Philippines. The third edition of the competition, which will be held at the 2023 World Food Expo in Manila, will test baristas’ speed, accuracy, and skills – with each participant competing for the chance to win part of a total cash pool of US $11,000.

• Royal Coffee opens spot positions in Japan. Japanese customers can receive free shipping on 10kg Crown Jewels boxes and 22.6kg Royal Gem Boxes – with lots from Sumatra, Burundi, Kenya, and Mexico available. Japanese roasters are also able to request up to four free samples.

• Russian chain Click Coffee launches autonomous coffee shop in Dubai. The concept café is equipped with Eversys SA Enigma smart coffee machines and FIBBEE robot baristas – which can prepare up to 80 drinks every hour.

• This year’s Sensory Smackdown event takes place in Brisbane, Australia. Thirty competitors will take part in the event, which sees participants identify flavour and aroma compounds in brewed coffee samples. The winner will receive the title of Sensor Grand Master.

• Caffè Culture launches new format for this year’s Roasters Forum with Sucafina. The new two-day forum format will now include several physical and sensory evaluation workshops, as well as lectures and panel discussions. Confirmed speakers include CEO of Beyers Koffie Gruppe Cory Bush and Senior Corporate Membership Manager at World Coffee Research Alexa Heinecke.

Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look.

• Fri, 14 Jul – Starbucks to trial larger-sized iced and cold beverages at South Korea stores. The 887ml (30oz) Trenta sized beverages have previously only been available at US stores. The drinks will be available until 30 October 2023.

• Sat, 15 Jul – Workers at world’s largest Starbucks store will vote to unionise. Employees at the Michigan Avenue Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago have filed for a union representation election – citing substandard pay, unsafe working conditions, and abusive supervisors as reasons for the vote.

• Wed, 19 Jul – K-Pop group BLACKPINK partners with Starbucks on limited-edition product line. The new product range includes a BLACKPINK-themed Frappuccino and a limited-edition merchandise collection, which is available from 25 July in several Asian markets.

• Fri, 21 Jul – Brazil’s average monthly arabica price drops to lowest since April 2021. CEPEA reports the monthly average price closed at BRL 819.95 per 60kg bag in early July. Brazilian farmers are concerned that current prices are reducing their profit margins and hampering investments.

• Sat, 22 Jul – ONA Coffee suggests pre-rinsing paper filters can affect coffee flavour. The Australian roaster performed a series of tests using dry, wet, and wet-then-dried paper filters. Findings suggest paper filter preparation has “a really big impact” on the final cup profile.

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest stories in the sector, delivered straight to your inbox every Monday.

Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece on La Colombe’s acquisition and consolidation in the coffee industry.