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

Mon, 26 Jun

• Over 10,000 people attend World of Coffee Athens this year. More than 400 companies were also present at the event, which took place from 22 to 24 June at the Athens Metropolitan Expo centre.
  • The 2023 Best New Product Awards winners are:
    • Accessories: Acaia’s Orion Nano
    • Commercial Coffee Preparation and Serving Equipment: Probat’s AG
    • Open Class: Pentair Everpure’s Oxidice
    • Specialty Non-Coffee Beverage Stand Alone: ander’s Ground Cacao Beans for Filter Cacao
    • Consumer Coffee Preparation and Serving Equipment: Ceado’s HOOP Coffee Brewer
  • The 2023 Coffee Design Awards winners are:
    • Spaces: Florencia y Fortunata Café⠀
    • Branding: Hard Beans
    • Packaging: Alf & Bet

• World Coffee Championships 2023 winners announced at WoC Athens. World of Coffee Athens hosted four World Coffee Championships:
  • World Barista Championship 2023: Brazil’s Boram Um placed first. Italy’s Daniele Ricci was the runner-up, and Australian competitor Jack Simpson placed third.
  • World Brewers Cup 2023: Chilean competitor Carlos Medina won the competition, with Greece’s Savina Giachgia coming second, and Brazil’s Garam Victor Um placing third.
  • World Cup Tasters Championship 2023: Representing Australia, Young Baek placed first, with Indonesia’s Mandie Soengkono as the runner-up, Ukrainian competitor Andrii Vasyliev placing third, and Greek competitor Oretis Sfiris coming fourth.
  • World Cezve/Ibrik Championship 2023: French competitor Pierre de Chanterac placed first, with Romania’s Cezara Cartes coming second, Mariam Erin Pinza from the UAE placing third, and Greece’s Dimitris Karampas placing fourth.

• Guatemalan Coffees hosts 2023 One of a Kind and Cup of Excellence auctions cupping at WoC Athens. The public cupping included the 2023 CoE Guatemala winners, as well as the highest-scoring coffees from the 2023 One of a Kind Guatemala Private Auction.

• Sanremo hosts “Chasing the Perfect Cup” workshop with ONA Coffee’s Sasa Sestic and Hugh Kelly in London. Workshops at the event explored why preserving volatile aroma compounds for espresso and filter coffee is important. ZHAW’s Professor Chahan Yeretzian also provided supporting research.

• Australian Barista Champion 2023 Jack Simpson wins second iteration of World Espresso Championship. Simpson, who placed third at this year’s WBC, won the grand prize of €4,000 (US $4,361.70) at the competition – which took place in Athens after the 2023 World of Coffee event.

Tue, 27 Jun

• MICE announces 2023 Richest Barista competitors. The competition, which will take place at this year’s Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 17 to 19 August, will include 32 coffee professionals from Australia competing for a prize pool of AU $40,000 (US $26,472).

• Sensible Coffee to host 2023 Pride of Gesha Auction on 11 July. The seventh edition of the auction will include 25 Gesha lots from across three Reserve categories: Champions, Farm, and Innovators. All lots scored at least 88 points.

• USDA estimates global coffee production will grow by 2.5% in 2023/24 season. The USDA says higher yields in Brazil and Vietnam this season will offset lower volumes in Indonesia. Furthermore, global exports could increase by nearly 5%, while growing demand will likely keep stocks tight.

• Colombia’s coffee exports and domestic consumption increased throughout May 2023, while production fell. The National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers says domestic coffee consumption has grown by 8,000 60kg bags over the past 12 months. Coffee exports also rose by 185,000 60kg bags in May compared to the same month in 2022 – representing a 22% increase. Coffee production volumes, however, fell by 21% year-on-year.

• Origin Coffee recognised as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the UK. The roaster was included on the 2023 FEBE Growth 100 list in recognition of significant sales, revenue, and profit growth against challenging economic conditions.

• Pact Coffee becomes official coffee supplier for London’s LABS co-working spaces. LABS will now serve Pact Coffee across its roaming and private offices in London – excluding third party-operated on-site cafés.

• Müller Milk & Ingredients launches Good Stuff Barista Milk in the UK & Ireland. The company says its product is the first commercial barista-formulated cow’s milk in the UK and Ireland.

Wed, 28 Jun

• ICE arabica futures fall by 9% following improved weather conditions. Arabica futures reached a three-month low on 23 June, with the most traded contract for September settling at US 164.85 cents/lb. Reasons for the decline are related to improved weather conditions in Brazil and negative global economic outlooks.

• Ralph Lauren partners with Al Moajil Hospitality to launch Ralph’s Coffee in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The local franchise partner says the first stores will open this year, which will be Ralph’s Coffee’s debut in the Saudi and UAE markets.

• SCA to host two Value Assessment Course for Cuppers event in Ireland and Spain. The SCA will outline its new sensory evaluation system to coffee professionals in attendance. The Ireland event will take place at Coffee Laboratory Ireland in Dublin on 27 & 28 June, while the Spain event will take place at Cafés El Globo in Salas, Asturia on 3 & 4 July.

• Micro-roaster startup ansā launches new AI-driven roasting technology. The company’s patent-pending micro-roaster uses dielectric heating and AI technology to roast coffee. ansā largely plans to sell its new roaster to workplaces.

• JNP Coffee showcases Burundian coffees across North America. The exporter, which focuses on sourcing high-quality coffee from women producers in Burundi, is travelling across the US and Canada to showcase 15 different Burundian coffees.

• New study suggests the “experience of drinking coffee” leads to more alertness and increased performance. Using MRI scans, Portuguese researchers found that coffee consumption decreases activity in the brain’s posterior default mode network, which is responsible for introspection and self-reflection – thereby encouraging a shift from resting to working. Researchers also found that this effect was absent among people who consumed just caffeine, suggesting that the experience of drinking coffee plays a key role.

Thu, 29 Jun

• Bazzara’s Trieste Coffee Exports announces 2023 programme. The event – which will take place at the Savoia Excelsior Palace in Trieste, Italy on 25 & 26 November – will include a series of lectures, workshops, and roundtables. Some of this year’s topics include “Quality culture and communication” and “Towards an eco-friendly production chain”.

• World Coffee Research says coffee industry needs additional US $425 million per year to innovate for climate change. The organisation’s latest white paper claims over the next decade, more investment is needed in coffee production R&D – particularly in Africa & Latin America – to ensure adequate supplies in the face of rising demand and climate change.

• AeroPress launches XL brewer. The AeroPress XL can brew up to six espresso-style shots or two cups of filter coffee in one batch. The brewer comes with carafé made from shatterproof Tritan plastic.

• Keys to the Shop to host “Key Holders Coaching Groups” for coffee entrepreneurs. Organised by the podcast’s host Chris Deferio, each group will include up to five coffee business owners – which Deferio says will create a necessary support structure for those “feeling isolated and struggling for perspective and community”.

• Mazzer launches new Omega X manual coffee grinder. The Omega X includes 47mm stainless steel conical burrs, a carbon fibre lever, and a maximum bean capacity of 42g. The grinder is specifically designed for espresso, but can be used for several brewing methods.

• RTD beverage company Taika teams up with Taika Waititi on creative marketing campaign. The Academy Award-winning actor and director is the brand’s new Chief Creative Officer, and is featured in new Taika marketing campaigns.

• Global Coffee Platform launches GCP 2.0 strategy with support of eight coffee companies. The new strategy is supported by thorough monitoring and evaluation procedures, robust business plans, and a farmer-centric focus. GCP aims to develop a “thriving and sustainable” coffee sector, backed by partners like Nescafé, ofi, JDE Peet’s, and Westrock Coffee.

Fri, 30 Jun

• Rainforest Alliance outlines new strategies for its 2030 goals. The organisation’s 2022 annual report highlights how it will take steps to accelerate the transformation of key agricultural and forestry sectors on a larger scale than in previous years.

• Research suggests 48% of UK coffee consumers prefer to sit in rather than take away. The research, which was commissioned by BRITA Professional, shows that nearly half of UK consumers prefer to sit in at coffee shops. Some 29% of people stated that doing so helps to improve their productivity and creativity.

• This year’s French AeroPress Championship to take place on 1 July in Bordeaux. The event is organised by La Claque Café and will be hosted at Deus Ex Machina in Bordeaux. Regional winners from across France will compete for the national title.

• Speciality Food & Drinks Asia to take place from 26 to 28 September in Singapore. The event will feature product exhibitions from across various industries, including coffee and fine food. It will also host the 2023 Singapore Latte Art, Cup Tasters, Barista, and Brewers Cup Championships.

• Second season of the Cafeína Catracha Podcast now available on YouTube and other platforms. Each episode explores a specific topic, ranging from connections in the coffee industry to buying green coffee. Episode four features an interview with Martin Mayorga, founder and CEO of Mayorga Coffee.

• Last chance to apply for the MTPak Coffee Circular Economy Grant. A panel of judges will select the winner, who will receive either US $5,000 in cash or US $15,000 in credit to be redeemed on MTPak Coffee packaging and cups. Applications close on 1 July.

• Solo Coffee calls for people to invest in the company’s expansion plans. The cold brew and coffee concentrate company launched a crowdfunding campaign, through which individuals can invest in the brand and become co-owners.

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

• Thu, 15 Jun – ofi’s soluble cascara powder recognised at 2023 Sustainable Food Awards. The powder, which is made using recovered coffee cherry fruit, was a runner-up at this year’s awards programme.

• Mon, 19 Jun – Partners Coffee reveals first packaging update since 2019. The New York roaster’s Block Party summer blend is the first to boast new packaging since the company’s rebrand from Toby’s Estate in 2019. New packaging details include white bags with gold foil printing.

• Wed, 21 Jun – Ultra-Light FUN Drip launches crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The pour over brewer, which weighs just 11g, is made from polypropylene foam. The U.L. FUN Drip 2.0 folds flat and is compatible with cone-shaped paper filters.

• Fri, 23 Jun – More than 3,000 US Starbucks baristas plan strike in support of LGBTQIA+ workers. Bloomberg reports that employees at over 150 stores in the country will stage a walk out after allegations that senior company members asked for Pride decorations to be removed from stores.

• Fri, 23 Jun – Starbucks opens 28th Italian store in Florence. The new store, which is close to the Santa Maria in Fiore Cathedral and the Piazza del Duomo, has created 31 jobs.

• Fri, 23 Jun – The 2024 Amsterdam Coffee Festival to take place from 4 to 6 April. The event will include the Roasters Village and Latte Art Live, as well as the Roast Masters competition.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association

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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 Oatly and the Chinese coffee market.