Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 9 Oct

• Reef Bessette wins 2023 Coffee Masters NYC at New York Coffee Festival. Bessette, the co-founder of the Coffee Movement, competed against 11 other contenders in the multi-disciplinary competition – winning the grand prize of US $5,000.

• The 2024 Swiss Barista, Brewers Cup, and Cup Tasters Championships winners announced at Swiss Coffee Festival. Cup Tasters Champion Bettina Hanimann and Brewers Cup Champion Masiu Yeung will compete at the 2024 World Cup Tasters and Brewers Cup Championships from 12 to 14 April in Chicago, US. Barista Champion Mathieu Theis will compete at the 2024 World Barista Championship in Busan, South Korea from 1 to 4 May.

• Spectator tickets now available for 2023 World AeroPress Championship finals. This year’s finals mark the competition’s 15th anniversary. The 2023 World AeroPress Championship will take place in Melbourne, Australia from 1 to 3 December 2023. Tickets can be purchased as one or two-day passes.

• Judge rules that former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz illegally threatened a union supporter. Schulz allegedly told a pro-union Starbucks barista to “go work for another company”. A National Labor Relations Board judge ruled that the comments discouraged pro-union speech, which amounts to an illegal threat.

• Ratio Coffee launches crowdfunding investment campaign through WeFunder. Potential funders can invest as little as US $100 in Ratio Coffee as it plans to launch its single-cup brewer in 2024.

• La Marzocco and Marco Beverage Systems surrender intellectual property rights to integrated scale technology. La Marzocco and Marco co-developed the technology, but in an effort to “raise the general quality of the sector”, they have made the IP rights public – meaning other companies can utilise the technology to develop their own products.

• Technivorm Moccamaster announces Selfridges & Co as latest retail partner. Various Moccamaster brewers will be available through Selfridges’ Smartech brand from 9 October 2023 to 9 February 2024.

Tue, 10 Oct

• Café Business Expo 2023 takes place in London, England. The expo ran from 10 to 11 October at ExCel. The event featured more than 100 speakers, a product innovation exhibition, and an industry awards ceremony.

• Bonanza Coffee develops specialist ceramic cups to help baristas pour better latte art. In partnership with ACME, the specially-designed Unnecessarily Large cup includes an inner curve to better direct milk flow when pouring, as well as a wider surface area and shallower depth to create a larger canvas for pouring latte art.

• Kenya plans to sell coffee to Starbucks and other foreign buyers through direct trade channels. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says the move will help Kenyan farmers secure better returns for their coffee. The government will meet with Starbucks officials to establish a deal that will see Kenya sell directly to the coffee chain.

• Robusta prices remain at near-record high. The latest ICO report shows the I-CIP for robusta averaged US 120 cents/lb in September, despite exports increasing by 7.3% year-on-year in August.

• Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select becomes the latest SCA Certified Home Brewer. The Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select is the only European Coffee Brewing Centre-approved machine to prepare batches as low as 400ml.

• African Fine Coffees Association and Coffee Quality Institute sign Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement will see the two organisations support producers in eleven African countries – including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

• Team Sip ‘n Smile Squad wins first-ever Barista League Madrid event. The multi-disciplinary barista competition took place on 7 October, with winners Kaspar Grossfeldt and Georg Lepik securing their spots at the 2024 Mystery Vacation. Guest judges included Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab and Dara Santana of Dart Caffeine.

• Cecafé says Brazilian coffee exports fell by 5.5% in September despite surge in robusta shipments. The Brazilian coffee export organisation adds that revenue fell by 23.2%, despite the fact the country exported 317% higher volumes of robusta during the same period.

Wed, 11 Oct

• World AeroPress Championship announces brand new format for Australian competition. WAC has partnered with several Australian roasters to introduce a multi-round, points-based format at this year’s national Australian competition. The event will take place on 1 December in Melbourne – one day prior to the 2023 World AeroPress Championship.

• Caravela Coffee publishes 2022 impact report. The company will present its latest report via a live webinar on 7 November, and is encouraging other industry stakeholders to join discussions around “reshaping the value of specialty coffee”.

• Stumptown partners with Alaskan Airlines to launch “altitude immune” blend. The roaster says the medium roast blend has been developed to avoid sensory perception issues related to changes in altitude, such as increased bitterness and weaker flavours. Alaska will serve the blend on all of its flights, signaling the end of its partnership with Starbucks.

• BIGFACE launches Dripkit single-serve products. NBA star Jimmy Butler’s lifestyle coffee brand now offers its DOUBLESTAR Ethiopian blend as Dripkit coffee bags. Each sachet contains 17g of ground coffee and brews around 295ml.

• Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association partners with Oritain to improve green coffee traceability. Oritain specialises in forensic origin tracing. The company will help the BSCA to improve traceability and transparency in the Brazilian coffee supply chain.

• ONA Coffee to host Carnival Party on 2 November to celebrate 15th anniversary. The Australian specialty coffee roaster will host the free event at its Melbourne shop, which will include food, drinks, and a live DJ.

• National Coffee Association calls for applications for the 2024 NCA Charity Showcase and Origin Charity of the Year Award. The NCA’s Coffee Gives Back Programme highlights charities dedicated to supporting coffee communities at origin. Submissions close on 1 December and the winners will be announced at next year’s NCA Convention on 7 to 9 March.

• Women-Powered Coffee Summit scheduled for 2 & 3 November in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The two-day summit returns for another dynamic and inclusive gathering, aiming to discuss a more equitable future for the coffee industry. Tickets are available now.

Thu, 12 Oct

• SCA announces new updated rules and regulations for 2024 World Brewers Cup and World Cup Tasters Championships. Updates to the World Brewers Cup rules include changes to how judges can assess aroma, as well as how judges score technical and customer service skills. Rules changes for the World Cup Tasters Championship focus on impartiality and competition procedures. SCA also announced the location for the 2024 World Cezve/Ibrik Championship, which will take place at World of Coffee Copenhagen in June next year.

• Covoya Coffee to host free webinar on 19 October. Special guest Catalina Gonzales – the specialty co-ordinator for Covoya in Colombia – will discuss topics such as crop surveys, the challenges farmers and exporters face, and the future of Colombian coffee.

• UK specialty coffee roaster Caravan to make retail debut at Waitrose stores on 16 October. Several of the company’s home compostable capsules will be available at Waitrose stores, marking its first foray into the supermarket space.

• Intelligentsia launches new range of plant-based lattes. The flash-chilled oat milk RTD lattes are available in Latte, Vanilla Latte, and Spiced Oat Latte editions.

• New study suggests global coffee production is under threat from loss of natural pollinators. Researchers say the combination of climate change and land use change has serious implications for insect pollinator biodiversity. Subsequently, coffee, cocoa, watermelon, and mango production are likely to be impacted.

• Reborn Coffee appoints Jennifer Tan to Board of Directors. Tan has over 30 years’ experience as a global entrepreneur, and will help the company’s expansion into new markets.

• UAE AeroPress Championship 2023 to take place on 25 to 27 October in Dubai. Competitors from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and elsewhere in the UAE will compete for a spot in the world final. The event will be hosed at the Almas Conference Centre.

• BWT water+more announces 2023 World Barista Champion Boram Um as global ambassador. Following on from his success at the 2023 WBC, Um – who is also the co-founder of Um Coffee Co. and Fazenda Um in Brazil – will help promote and showcase the company’s water filtration solutions around the world.

Fri, 13 Oct

• HostMilano begins in Milan, Italy with over 2,000 exhibitors. The 43rd edition of the HoReCa expo is taking place at the Fiera Milano exhibition centre until 17 October, featuring the latest innovations in product development from companies like Carimali and Flo-Smart. Over 800 events will take place at the trade show, including the 2023 Latte Art Grading System World Championship and the Smart Label Host Innovation Awards.

• Barista Attitude showcases new espresso machines at HostMilano. The coffee equipment manufacturer will host live demonstrations of several new products at its booth, including the single boiler Pilot espresso machine and the Tempesta GARA three-group – the official machine of the World Barista Championships. Brand ambassadors and WBC finalists Emi Fukahori and Michalis Michalis Dimitrakopoulos will assist with live demos.

• Sample evaluation begins for the 2023 Coffee of the Year competition. A record number of 518 samples were received for this year’s competition. The winner will be announced during the 2023 Brazil International Coffee Week in Belo Horizonte, set to take place from 8 to 10 November.

• Bazzara to host seventh Trieste Coffee Experts on 25 & 26 November 2023. The event returns to Trieste, Italy with a renewed focus on sustainability and the future of the coffee industry. This year’s Trieste Coffee Experts event will take place at the Savoia Excelsior Palace.

• Flash Coffee closes all Singapore stores after employees strike over late payments. The company says it will focus on “more promising” markets, but insisted it will help employees find new job opportunities with other coffee chains.

• Malkönig launches EK Omnia grinder at HostMilano. The new flagship grinder includes three grinding modes: Classic, Time, and Library modes. The latter allows baristas to save up to ten different recipes, and the EK Omnia can automatically adjust and pre-dose the correct weight of ground coffee.

• Cup of Excellence to host Sensory Education Training course in Hefei, China from 3 to 6 November. The course will be held at Beantimer Coffee Academy, and will include in-depth lectures and discussions about the Cup of Excellence programme.

• TONE launches boiler-less two-group espresso machine at HostMilano. The TOUCH E modular espresso machine includes temperature and flow control technology.

• International Women in Coffee Convention 2023 to take place from 16 to 22 October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year’s convention will be held at the Skylight Hotel, and will feature industry-leading speakers such as ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira and IWCA Global President Sharon Riechers.

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

• Mon, 2 Oct – Incapto secures US $6.3 million to expand its specialty coffee subscription service. The Spanish start-up says it currently sells to around 20,000 customers.

• Fri, 6 Oct – Accademia del Caffè Espresso launches E-learning Espresso course. La Marzocco’s education centre says the 15-module course will teach participants how to extract exceptional espresso, among other topics.

• Fri, 6 Oct – Mahlkönig and La Marzocco launch new Sync System. Through the LM Pro app, users can link the Mahlkönig E80W Grind-by-Sync grinder with a La Marzocco espresso machine – which the companies say can help to improve extraction consistency and replicability.

• Fri, 6 Oct – Greece’s Vaso Papastamatiou wins 2023 EMEA Starbucks Barista Championship. Over 15,000 Starbucks baristas participated in the competition over several months, culminating in the finals which were held in London, UK.

• Sun, 8 Oct – Drinking unsweetened coffee may aid weight loss. A review of three separate studies found that consuming unsweetened coffee was associated with some weight loss among participants. However, adding just one teaspoon of sugar per day was associated with 0.09kg of weight gain over four years.

Coffee news photo credits: World Coffee Events

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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece on Nespresso and Blue Bottle’s capsule collaboration.

The post Coffee News Recap, 13 Oct: SCA announces updated rules for 2024 WBrC & WCTC, WAC to launch brand new format for Australian championship & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 2 Oct

• Glitter Cat Barista closes after five years of providing competition sponsorship and support. Founded in 2018 by seasoned US Barista Championship competitor Veronica Pearl, the non-profit has provided free competition coaching to coffee professionals who are part of marginalised communities. More than 140 individuals received training from Glitter Cat, with 51 people progressing to national championships.

• Snoop Dogg pulls investment from INDOxys coffee brand. The US musician previously partnered with Indonesian businessman Michael Riady on the RTD coffee brand, but reports suggest he backed out amid concerns about Riady’s management.

• SCA calls for proposals for 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo workshop series. Proposals can be submitted until 27 October 2023, and successful applications will be contacted on 30 October 2023. Previous workshop topics include “Steaming Plant-based Milks”, “The Science Behind the Flavor Wheel”, and “Becoming a Certified B Corporation”.

• Louis Dreyfus Company opens instant coffee production facility in Vietnam. In partnership with Instanta, LDC opened the plant to meet rising demand. The new facility can produce up to 5,600 tonnes of freeze-dried instant coffee per year.

• The 2023-24 Indian Coffee Championship winners crowned at World Coffee Conference in Bangalore. Mohammad Afsar is the 2023 Indian Latte Art Champion, and will represent India at the 2023 World Coffee Championships in Taiwan from 17 to 20 November. Hrishikesh Mohite of Café De Meet is the 2024 Indian Barista Champion, and will compete at next year’s World Barista Championship in Busan, South Korea from 1 to 4 May.

• Submissions open for 2024-27 World Coffee Roasting Championship production roaster sponsorship. Applications are open to production roasters which have a 3 to 6kg capacity that are or will be in production by the end of the 2023 calendar year. Submissions are open until 10 November 2023.

• Saudi Arabia aims to plant 1.2 million coffee trees by 2026. The country currently has more than 400,000 arabica trees planted in several provinces, and now plans to drive economic growth through rapid expansion of its coffee sector.

• Yemen celebrates World Coffee Day with largest tasting in the Middle East. The Yemeni National Coffee Auction hosted the tasting session as part of Yemeni Coffee Week, and showcased more than 100 different varieties alongside live demonstrations and talks.

Tue, 3 Oct

• Cerrado Coffee Growers Cooperative exports record volume of green coffee. Expocacer reported shipping almost 29,000 tonnes of green coffee this season. The co-operative aims to ship more than 480,000 bags by the end of the harvest.

• Four Gesha lots receive over 90 points at 2023 Cup of Excellence Colombia. The top lot, which received 90.61 points, was produced by Duberney Cifuentes Fajardo at the Montreal farm in Tolima. The auction will take place on 21 November.

• Qima Coffee signs memorandum of understanding with Yemen Ministry of Agriculture. The company says the MoU is a significant step towards developing the country’s coffee sector. The agreement includes commitments to research collaboration, producer training, and infrastructure development.

• Junzhi Liu wins 2024 Spanish Barista Championship at this year’s Barcelona Coffee Awards. The founder of Brew Coffee Barcelona will represent Spain at the 2024 World Barista Championship in May next year. Nomad was also named Spain’s best roaster at this year’s Barcelona Coffee Awards.

• World Coffee Innovation Award winners & 2024 UK Brewers Cup Champion announced at Caffè Culture in London. Notable winners include Superkop (Traditional Machine Innovation), Hard Beans (Automatic Machine Innovation), Big Island Coffee Roasters (Speciality Coffee Roaster), Raw Material (Ethical Initiative), and Rokit Health (Ready-to-drink Product). Luca Croce of Gold Box Roastery placed first at the 2024 UK Brewers Cup.

• Blue Marble and Nestlé partner to provide weather insurance to Indonesian coffee farmers. The climate insurer says the pilot programme will provide more than 800 farmers with better financial protection against unpredictable weather. The project forms part of Nestlé’s Nescafé Plan 2030 sustainability goals.

Wed, 4 Oct

• illycaffè launches its first 100% certified regenerative agriculture blend. The company sources its Arabica Selection Brazil Cerrado Mineiro blend exclusively from regenagri® crops, which it says helps to improve soil fertility and biodiversity without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

• The 2023-24 Singapore Coffee Championships held at this year’s Specialty Coffee & Tea Asia expo. Alistair Seetho won the 2024 Brewers Cup, Terence Tan placed first at the 2024 Cup Tasters Championship, Jervis Tan won the 2023 Latte Art Championship, and Courtney Kheng is the 2024 Singaporean Barista Champion. The Specialty Coffee & Tea Asia event formed part of the 2023 Speciality Food & Drinks Asia expo, which attracted over 7,000 attendees from 49 countries. Next year’s event will return from 1 to 3 October at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.

• Kaffe Bueno opens the world’s first coffee biorefinery in Copenhagen, Denmark. The facility features an R&D and production centre designed to meet increasing demand for natural ingredients and to “unlock” the health benefits of coffee.

• Early bird tickets go on sale for first-ever Nordic Coffee Fest. Touted as the world’s most sustainable coffee festival, the two-day event will take place at Eriksbergshallen in Gothenburg, Sweden on 24 & 25 February 2024 – and will host the inaugural Nordics Best Roaster competition.

• US judge rules Starbucks violated federal labour laws with exclusive pay increases to non-unionised workers. The judge asserted that unionised workers were left out of the company’s employee compensation plan – implemented in August 2022 – which was a direct violation of several labour laws.

• Go Fund Bean appoints new executive director following financial investigation. Director of Marketing Valorie Clark is now the interim executive director, replacing co-founder Adam JacksonBey. A recent internal investigation revealed a board member misappropriated the group’s disaster relief fund for personal and travel expenses.

• The Barista League celebrates successful return to Melbourne, Australia. The competition, hosted at Proud Mary Coffee on 22 September, attracted hundreds of attendees and several special guests, including 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas. The winners were Melanie and Aum of Team Udom.

Thu, 5 Oct

• Arabica futures fall to lowest price levels since January. The ICE arabica contract for December delivery fell by 0.3% to US $1.46/lb on Thursday, despite a weaker Brazilian currency. Meanwhile, the December ICE robusta contract rose by 0.3% after falling to a 5½-month low on Wednesday.

• Kaffelogic partners with Showroom Coffee as exclusive distributor in the US and Mexico. The Brooklyn business, which also distributes Arc roasters, will supply Kaffelogic coffee roasters in both countries.

• Melitta Canada achieves several new coffee sustainability certifications. The company’s coffee is now Rainforest Alliance, FSC, and BPI-certified, while several of its cone filters have also received FSC and BPI recognition.

• More than 500 people expected to attend this year’s Sintercafé event. Sintercafé International Coffee Week is an annual event which takes place in Costa Rica to promote the country’s coffee sector. This year, Sintercafé will be held from 8 to 10 November at Hotel Real Intercontinental in San José.

• UK Coffee Week 2023 to take place from 16 to 22 October. Coffee shops across the UK will raise funds for Project Waterfall, an organisation dedicated to providing clean drinking water for coffee-producing communities.

• Rancilio to host invite-only HostMilano after party in Milan, Italy on 14 October. The party, co-hosted with The Barista League, will include the Barista Roulette competition, where eight baristas will go head-to-head in a series of coffee-themed challenges.

• Atomo launches beanless “coffee” in the US. The company uses “superfoods” and upcycled ingredients to produce what it calls “the most sustainable coffee on the planet”. Its first release is an espresso-style blend, which is also available in a decaf option.

• Report says thousands of coffee-producing families are trapped in bonded labour in Karnataka, India. According to The Guardian, Adivasi Hakkugala Samanvaya Samiti (AHSS) – the coordinating committee on local tribal rights – has already helped 1,500 bonded labourers leave coffee farms in the Kodagu district. Despite being abolished in the 1970s, the committee says bonded labour is still widespread in India, creating a “vicious den of debt bondage”.

• East African producing countries set new record for EU coffee exports. Exports to the EU have more than doubled over the past four years, reaching US $118 million last year – up from US $89.3 million in 2018. Experts cite the EU-supported Market Access Upgrade Programme as a significant contributor.

• Blue Bottle launches limited-edition Nespresso capsules. The exclusive Blend No. 1 capsules include natural processed coffee sourced from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia and Rwenzori, Uganda. Blue Bottle and Nespresso are set to release future collaborations in the coming months. Select Nespresso boutiques will also host tasting sessions for customers to try the new capsules.

Fri, 6 Oct

• This year’s US, Brazilian & Mexican AeroPress Championships confirmed for October and November. The Brazilian competition will be hosted by Mixology at Guanabara Station in São Paulo on 28 & 29 October. The Mexican event will be hosted by Quentin Café at Casa Versalles in Mexico City on 4 November, while Onyx Coffee will host the US contest on 2 & 3 November.

• New York Coffee Festival takes place in Manhattan. The annual festival, which will run until 8 October, includes the Roasters Village, Latte Art Live, and the Coffee Masters NYC competition.

• Western regional Australian AeroPress Championship to take place 28 October in Osborne Park. The event will be hosted by Micrology Coffee Roasters at its roastery. The winner will earn one of seven spots at the 2023 Australian AeroPress Championship, which will be held one day before the world final in Melbourne, Australia.

• Café Business Expo 2023 to take place on 10 & 11 October in London, England. The event, which will be held at ExCel, will feature more than 100 speakers, a product innovation exhibition, and an industry awards ceremony.

• First-ever Barista League Milwaukee event scheduled for 21 October. The multi-disciplinary coffee competition will take place at The Back Room @ Colectivo. Guest judges include Arielle Rebekah of Trans & Caffeinated Consulting and Veronica Pearl of Glitter Cat Barista.

• The 2024 National Coffee Association Convention to take place in Nashville, Tennessee from 7 to 9 March. Registration is now open for the annual event, which will feature insights from expert coffee professionals from around the world, as well as numerous exhibitions.

• Oatly to host exclusive JNP Coffee cupping event in Berlin, Germany. JNP Coffee founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian will lead the cupping session at Mehringdamm 53-55 on 10 October at 17:30 local time. Attendees will be able to taste a wide range of Burundi coffees, and registration in advance is required.

• Registration opens for 2023 International Coffee Week. The annual event will take place at Expominas in Belo Horizonte, Brazil from 8 to 10 November. This year’s SIC will feature extensive exhibitions, lectures, workshops, competitions, and coffee tastings.

• Cimbali Group acquires major Swiss distributor. The coffee equipment manufacturer has fully acquired Vassalli Service AG, which Cimbali has worked with for more than 60 years. As part of a seamless transition and continuation of operations, current CEO Marc Schneider will retain his role and also become a Board of Directors member alongside Enrico Bracesco, who is the current General Manager of Cimbali Group. Bracesco will now also assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vassalli Service AG.

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

• Wed, 20 Sep – EU to ban sweeping environmental claims by 2026 as it cracks down on greenwashing. According to Financial Times, new rules agreed in September will ban sweeping environmental claims like “climate neutral” and “eco”, as well as any statements related to carbon offsetting unless independently validated. The rules will also ban “green” labels from non-approved sustainability schemes.

• Wed, 27 Sep – Kenyan chain Java House to pursue IPO as parent company seeks to divest. Parent company Actis plans to offload the brand in coming months, while the Java House CEO believes the public market remains a real opportunity. The chain currently operates 68 stores in Kenya, three in Uganda, and two in Rwanda.

• Thu, 28 Sep – ofi says it has improved the lives of more than 100,000 coffee farmers since 2020. The food ingredient manufacturer says it has achieved more than half of its target to improve the livelihoods of 200,000 coffee farmers by 2025, as per its latest Coffee LENS report.

• Fri, 29 Sep – Eversys welcomes 2023 World Barista Champion Boram Um as global brand ambassador. Um joins Dale Harris and Simon Sun as a brand ambassador for the Swiss super-automatic coffee machine manufacturer.

• Fri, 29 Sep – International Coffee Organisation and Global Coffee Platform renew commitment to coffee sustainability collaboration. The two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding at the World Coffee Conference in Bangalore, India – pledging to renew and expand their partnership within the Coffee Public Private Task Force (CPPTF).

• Fri, 29 Sep – Origin Coffee Roasters opens its first café outside of London and Cornwall. The new Bristol location is the roaster’s sixth overall.

• Sat, 30 Sep – Study finds coffee may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease by up to eight times. Singapore’s National Neuroscience Institute reports that two cups of traditional kopi a day can reduce the risk of the disease between four to eight times in people who have Asian gene variants linked to the condition.

• Sat, 30 Sep – National Bank of Ethiopia launches probe into claims coffee exporters misused loans. The country’s Coffee and Tea Authority says 144 exporters were given special access to loans to mitigate financial constraints. However, it alleges that just 37 made proper use of the funds, while 58 didn’t export any coffee at all.

• Sun, 1 Oct – Data reveals just 2.3% of South Africans drink whole bean and ground coffee. The Marketing Research Foundation says more than half of all South African coffee consumers drink instant coffee, despite the growing number of coffee shops in major towns and cities.

Coffee news photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest coffee news 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 coffee news stories.

The post Coffee News Recap, 6 Oct: Submissions open for 2024-27 World Coffee Roasting Championship sponsorship, 2023 World Coffee Innovation Award winners announced at Caffè Culture & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 25 Sep

• Kenyan government takes action against “coffee cartels”. Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says the government will “not back down until cartels and brokers are kicked out of the value chain” – claiming these groups exploit coffee producers.

• Exhibitor registration opens for 2024 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. The event will return from 12 to 14 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with more than 11,000 people expected to attend.

• FNC CEO “defends” Colombian producers at Swiss Coffee Trade Association. “We don’t want charity, we want profitability,” said Germán Bahamón at the event, adding that Colombia’s smallholder farmers care for trees that “capture the pollution generated by someone else in developed countries”. He continued to say that more investment is needed to encourage younger people to work in coffee production.

• Latte Art Factory wins Smart Label HOST Innovation award. The awards scheme celebrates innovation excellence in the global HoReCa industry, and is based on criteria such as functionality, performance, usability, innovation, and user benefits. Latte Art Factory will also exhibit at the 2023 HostMilano event, which will take place from 13 to 17 October.

• Over 260 people representing 33 different companies attend The Barista League Bristol event. This year’s competition winners were Joshua and Kevin of team Regazzi Del Latte. Attendees from the UK, Ireland, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the US took part in the event, which also included several seasoned UK Coffee Championship competitors.

• Starbucks begins its first-ever Global Coffee Week. The company says the week-long event celebrates the people and communities behind its coffee. Celebrations include coffee tastings at select stores, festivals at regional support centres, and a feature documentary which aired on CBS.

• JNP Coffee to attend this year’s Caffè Culture. Following the Burundi coffee exporter’s recent expansion into Europe, founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian will be attending the event – which will take place on 3 & 4 October in London.

Tue, 26 Sep

• The 2023 New York Coffee Festival to return from 6 to 8 October. The event will once again feature numerous exhibitions, the Roasters Village, Latte Art Live, and the Coffee Masters NYC competition – with contenders vying for the chance to win US $5,000.

• New Sphera and European Coffee Federation report outlines carbon footprint of different brewing methods. The study found that single-serve coffee products have an overall lower carbon footprint than other brewing methods, but mainly because they use smaller doses per serving.

• This year’s Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia takes place in Singapore. The three-day event forms part of the 2023 Speciality Food & Drinks Asia expo, and includes an exhibition, informative talks, and the 2023 Singapore Coffee Championships.

• New website showcases the best café designs from around the world. Best Café Designs includes photography guides optimised for smartphones – allowing users to find the best-designed cafés in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.

• Raw Material to host expert-led coffee course in Colombia from 23 to 30 October. The seven-day Plant to Port course will offer insight into all stages of green coffee production, including pre-export procedures and work carried out at origin. The event will be hosted at three coffee farms in Quindio, Caldas, and Risaralda.

• The San Franciscan Roaster Co. to host training session at Carson-Tahoe campus on 24 & 25 October. The two-day course will cover roast profiling, cupping for evaluation, using roasting software, the impact of airflow on flavour development, omni vs espresso roasting, and more.

• Starbucks develops six new climate-resilient arabica varieties. The coffee leaf rust-resistant varieties were developed at the company’s Hacienda Alsacia farm in Costa Rica. Seeds will be distributed to producers in the coming weeks.

• Cometeer and James Hoffmann to host live online coffee tasting on 21 October. Some 5,000 Taste Test Kits for the Great American Coffee Taste Test livestream event have already sold out, but interested participants can also use regular Cometeer flash-frozen coffee capsules. In the blind tasting, Hoffmann will guide attendees through a sensory analysis session.

Wed, 27 Sep

• Nominations open for SCA Germany committee election. Nominations close on 4 October and voting will begin on 18 October. Open positions are National Coordinator, Community Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Judges Coordinator, Events Coordinator, and Marketing and Communications Coordinator.

• Headstand launches the UK’s first coffee leaf infusions. The three new infusions are made using coffee leaves from Sonsonate, El Salvador, and are brewed similarly to loose leaf tea. Headstand founder and UK Barista Champion Josh Tarlo says the infusions are high in antioxidants and allow producers to double their income from every coffee plant.

• World Coffee Conference 2023 launches Centre for Circular Economy in Coffee. Several global organisations have partnered to launch a new research hub which will accelerate the coffee industry’s transition to a circular economy. The centre is open to all supply chain actors and provides them with access to a global network of industry experts.

• SCAJ 2023 begins in Tokyo, Japan. Touted as the biggest specialty coffee event in Asia, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan. The event includes an exhibition and is hosting the 2023/24 Japanese Coffee Championships – with Taka Ishitani crowned the 2024 Japanese Barista Champion.

• Arabica futures recover following drought concerns in Brazil. The main ICE contract for December delivery reached US 150.85 cents/lb after hitting a two-week low on Monday. Weather forecasts predict protracted drought conditions in several of Brazil’s coffee-growing regions.

• Registration opens for 2023 US AeroPress Championship. Regional champions can now register for the national final, which will take place on 2 & 3 November at Onyx Coffee Lab in Rogers, Arkansas.

Thu, 28 Sep

• SIGEP to return to Rimini, Italy from 20 to 24 January 2024. The 45th edition of the event will be held at the Rimini Expo Centre, and will include an extensive trade show. Last year’s expo attracted over 178,500 visitors.

• ICO to focus on curbing child labour on coffee farms. Speaking at the World Coffee Conference in Bangalore, ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira said that while some coffee farms are family businesses, the ICO aims to ensure children are not exploited in the supply chain, and will ensure they have access to education.

• Hiroia launches crowdfunding campaign for Hikaru V60 Smart Coffee Brewer. The fully automatic pour over brewer allows the user to control flow rate, water temperature, and brew time. The Kickstarter campaign has already received nearly £160,000 (US $196,062).

• Ally Coffee launches Rooted in Coffee podcast series. As part of the Ally Open platform, the new podcast addresses challenges and poses solutions for a number of topics in the coffee industry – with guests including 2021 World Barista Champion Diego Campos, Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters’ Trish Rothgeb, and SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos. The podcast is available on YouTube and Spotify.

• This year’s Coffee Roasters Guild retreat begins in Washington, US. The four-day event includes lectures, networking sessions, the annual Team Challenge, and US Coffee Roasting Championship workshops.

• Indian chain Third Wave Coffee raises US $35 million in Series C investment round. Funding comes from both existing investors and angel investors, and will be used to accelerate expansion plans and develop new technologies. The chain currently operates more than 100 stores.

• US federal judge approves final US $12 million settlement in Kona coffee labelling case. The judge approved the settlement claim made by coffee farmers in Hawaii’s Kona region against MSN, Ltd., which owns the ABC convenience store chain. Farmers assert that 19 different products were marketed as Kona coffee, but contained little-to-no genuine Kona coffee – constituting a false designation of origin.

• Competitors announced for inaugural Nordics Best Roaster competition to be held in Feb 2024. The peer-assessed competition is designed to focus on roasters’ real-world skills and expertise, and will be held at the 2024 Nordic Coffee Fest – organised by Ordna Event Agency. The 12 competitors are:
  • Tim Wendelboe (Norway)
  • Prolog Coffee (Denmark)
  • Morgon Coffee Roasters (Sweden)
  • Coffee Collective (Denmark)
  • Good Life Coffee (Finland)
  • Kaffibrugghusid (Iceland)
  • Kaffa Oslo (Norway)
  • Drop Coffee (Sweden)
  • Solberg & Hansen (Norway)
  • Kafferäven (Sweden)
  • Standout Coffee (Sweden)
  • Gringo Nordic (Sweden)

• The Barista League Madrid event to take place on 7 October. The competition will be held at the MEEU events venue, and will feature several prominent guest judges – including Onyx Coffee Lab’s Lance Hedrick and Nomad Coffee’s Ivette Vera. Spectator tickets are still available.

Fri, 29 Sep

• International Coffee Day to be celebrated on 1 October with the theme of “a faired and safer supply chain for farmers”. ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira says all coffee workers deserve decent and safe working conditions. The organisation has partnered with the International Labour Organisation to launch the #CoffeePeople campaign, aiming to champion coffee farm worker rights.

• CATIE and BIOCENFT launch NFT fundraiser featuring coffee-inspired artwork. The fundraiser showcases CATIE’s collection of arabica varieties and cultivars through purchasable NFTs. Funds will go towards genetic diversity conversation projects and breeding programmes.

• Remidag to launch new coffee grinder at 2023 HOSTMilano. The Italian coffee equipment manufacturer will present its new touch-screen grinder at its booth from 13 to 17 October.

• New Coffeely coffee review app launches. The app aims to become the world’s largest coffee community. Users can upload photos of labels on coffee packaging to view a range of information, including ratings, reviews, origin, and processing methods.

• Onyx Coffee to launch annual advent calendar in October. This year’s advent calendar will feature 24 different whole bean coffees sourced from around the world. Pre-orders open on 1 October.

• DC Coffee Festival to take place on 30 September. The event, hosted by Craft Hospitality at Dock 5 @ Union Market in Washington DC, features numerous coffee roasters, equipment suppliers, and other industry exhibitors.

• Danish Coffee Festival to host two SCA Coffee Retail Summit talks on 30 September. The event will take place at Folkestuen at Demokrati Garagen in Rentemestervej and features two SCA talks: Education and training from hospitality, for hospitality by Jack Muirhead, Manager of MAD Academy, and Growing with a purpose: Coffee Collective by Cees Kuypers of Coffee Collective.

• Sixteen national AeroPress Championships to take place in October. The winner of each national championship will go on to represent their country at the World AeroPress Championship finals in Melbourne, Australia from 1 to 3 December 2023:
  • Romanian AeroPress Championship on1 Oct, hosted by Artisan Coffee Gear at Galeriile SENAT, Bucharest
  • Indonesian AeroPress Championship on 4 Oct, hosted by Otten Coffee at Kota Kasablanka, Jakarta
  • Italian AeroPress Championship on 4 Oct, hosted by La Marzocco at Accademia del Caffè Espresso, Florence
  • Kuwait AeroPress Championship on 6 Oct, hosted by Brewever Academy, Kuwait City
  • Bahrain AeroPress Championship on 6 Oct, hosted by Manual Specialty Coffee, Manama
  • Venezuelan AeroPress Championship on 7 Oct, hosted by Senzani Internacional at Agua Fria Coffee, Caracas
  • Saudi AeroPress Championship on 7 Oct, hosted by Sulalat Coffee, Riyadh
  • New Zealand AeroPress Championship on 7 Oct, hosted by Atomic Coffee Roasters, Auckland
  • Panamanian AeroPress Championship on 8 Oct, hosted by AeroPress Panama at Holiday Inn Hotel, Ciudad del Saber
  • Puerto Rico AeroPress Championship on 14 Oct, hosted by Gustos Coffee Co. at Downtown Cupey, San Juan
  • Norwegian AeroPress Championship on 15 Oct, hosted by Solberg & Hansen at Kulturhuset, Oslo
  • Irish AeroPress Championship on 20 Oct, hosted by Badger & Dodo at Monk’s Kitchen, Dublin
  • Canadian AeroPress Championship on 21 Oct, hosted by Eight Ounce Coffee, Calgary
  • Chilean AeroPress Championship on 21 Oct, hosted by CafeStore at Ubuntu Café, Santiago
  • Cypriot AeroPress Championship on 27 Oct, hosted by Limassol Coffee Festival at WAGMI COFFEE, Limassol
  • Japanese AeroPress Championship on 28 Oct, hosted by AeroPress Japan at COUZOU, Tokyo

• Second edition of the Barcelona Coffee Awards takes place at Nau Bostik. The three-day event, which runs until 1 October, includes lectures, cupping sessions, and the 2023 BCN Coffee Awards competition.

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

• Thu, 14 Sep – Pilot programme demonstrates climate resilience of Komasti arabica variety. In 2022, the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute partnered with World Coffee Research to establish a Komasti demo plot programme in West Java. WCR says seedlings are more vigorous in the early growth phase compared to existing locally-cultivated varieties.

• Tue, 19 Sep – UK roaster Climpson & Sons attains B Corp certification. The London specialty coffee company scored 110.4 on its B Impact Assessment, surpassing the minimum requirement of 80.

• Wed, 20 Sep – Change Please unveils new branding and launches Ten Days for Change campaign. The organisation has refreshed its branding and website – and now includes a “secret homeless language”, featuring symbols used by people who are homeless for “a good place for a job” and “hard work pays off”. The Ten Days for Change campaign will take place between International Coffee Day and World Homeless Day.

• Wed, 20 Sep – SSP Group aims to be net-zero by 2040. The company, which owns hundreds of brands and franchises such as Starbucks and LEON, says its net-zero goals have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.

• Fri, 22 Sep – OXO Brew 12-cup coffee maker becomes latest SCA Certified Home Brewer. The machine features a “podless single-serve function” which meets the SCA’s quality standards for brewing specialty coffee at home.

• Sat, 23 Sep – Ezpresso launches coffee extract in the UK. The brand’s cold drip, single origin arabica extracts are sourced from Mexico, Kenya, Brazil, and Peru.

Photo credits: AeroPress

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest coffee news 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 coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence current affairs piece exploring whether big coffee roasters are intentionally vague about sustainability.

The post Coffee News Recap, 29 Sep: Sixteen AeroPress Championships to take place in October, first-ever Nordics Best Roaster competition announced for Feb 2024 & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 18 Sep

• Four competition winners crowned at PRF Colombia 2023. Four competitions took place at the industry-leading coffee event, including roasting and cold brew championships. Here are the winners:
  • Cold Brew Coffee Championship by Toddy: Jean Pierre Acero Cechetti (Fecve Lab, Venezuela)
  • Global Coffee Roasting Contest by !Fest Coffee Mission: Alejandro Macías (Lusitania Coffee Co., Colombia)
  • Campeonato de Olla by Amor Perfecto: David Alejandro Galeano Díaz (Col-Spirit, Colombia)
  • Fibtex Championship: Zurcos Historia de Café (Colombia)

• PRF Guatemala to take place on 7 & 8 March 2024. Producer & Roaster forum returns to Guatemala for the first time since 2019, promising three days of high-level talks, workshops, and cupping sessions from prominent global coffee experts. Guatemalan Coffees will be the Official Host Country Sponsor for the event, which will take place at the Anacafé venue.

• Probat honours two employees for 50 years of service to the company. Manfred Esters and Johannes Kersjes were honoured for their commitment to the company at a festive ceremony in Emmerich, Germany. As per Probat tradition, they both received engraved golden watches.

• New York Coffee Festival announces Coffee Masters NYC contenders. The twelve baristas will face off at the competition from 6 to 8 October at the Metropolitan Pavilion. They are:
  • Mitchell Celicious, The Coffee Movement
  • Sum, Coffee Project New York
  • Joshua J. Nowland, Little Wolf Coffee
  • Nophadon Kantaros, Caravan Coffee Roasters
  • Angela Wang, Self-Employed
  • Francesco Luminati Tonelli, Likuid Element
  • Casey Wilson, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
  • Meg Skop, The Coffee Movement
  • Alejandro Griffin – Diaz, JACOB ALEJANDRO
  • Kayla Baird, Dayglow / Niteglow Brooklyn
  • Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement
  • Vladyslav Demonenko, kolo coffee

• Sucafina anticipates 10% drop in Ugandan coffee production as harvests begin. The company says farmers above the equator will produce a bumper crop, while areas below the equator are off-cycle and will produce less than last year. It adds that the quality outlook is positive.

• Gruppo Cimbali to unveil new corporate name and visual identity at HostMilano from 13 to 17 October. The coffee machine manufacturer says it will launch its new corporate vision at the event, alongside an exhibit featuring its latest LaCimbali, Faema, Slayer, and Casadio machines.

• Starbucks China promotes Molly Liu to co-CEO. Liu is also the new executive vice-president and will lead the company’s expansion plans as it competes with Luckin Coffee in China.

• Craft Hospitality LLC to host coffee festivals in DC, Austin, Nashville, and San Francisco. The San Francisco coffee festival returns from 11 to 12 November at the Fort Mason Centre for the Arts. Craft Hospitality will also host the following events:
  • Inaugural DC Coffee Festival – 30 September – Union Market complex
  • Second Austin Coffee Festival – 30 September to 1 October – Fair Market
  • Inaugural Nashville Coffee Festival – 4 November – Marathon Music Works

• Malaysian farmers hope to use coffee to support local tourism industry. According to the South China Morning Post, indigenous farmers in Sarawak have begun growing liberica coffee, hoping to enter international markets and entice more tourists to the region.

• Redbrick to host Australian Capital Territory AeroPress Championship on 6 October. The event will take place at Public Service in Canberra. The winner will take part in the Australian AeroPress Championship on 31 November in Melbourne.

Tue, 19 Sep

• NCA says US Americans choose coffee each day more than any other beverage – including water. In its latest National Coffee Data Trends report, the organisation found that 63% of Americans chose coffee in the past day, compared to 61% for bottled water and 45% for tea and tap water.

• Starbucks opens China Coffee Innovation Park in Kunshan. The 80,000m² facility features a roasting plant, a state-of-the-art integrated distribution centre (IDC), and an immersive experience centre. It represents the largest investment in any Starbucks coffee manufacturing and distribution centre outside the US.

• El Niño and the positive Indian Ocean Dipole are underway around the world. The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology says central and eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures continue to exceed El Niño thresholds, influenced by global warming. Several coffee producing regions around the world are expected to be adversely affected.

• Danny Andrade wins 2023 Australian Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. Andrade defeated ten other coffee professionals at the finals held at Sammy Jnr. in Sydney.

• Axil Coffee to host coffee tasting event with 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas. The session will take place at Axil’s Bourke Street café in Melbourne, Australia on 30 September. Anthony will recreate his championship-winning courses for 15 attendees, including the signature drink that features the El Diviso Sidra coffee.

• Sense It launches Roastersaurus coffee to help fund Diana Johnston’s 2023 World Coffee Roasting Championship campaign. The F1 hybrid natural Costa Rica coffee is described as “big and chewy” with notes of pineapple and mango. All profits will fund the UK Coffee Roasting Champion’s journey to the 2023 World Coffee Roasting Championships in Taiwan.

• Registration opens for 2024 NCA Annual Convention in Tennessee. The 2024 convention will focus on “fuelling the future” of coffee, featuring coffee experts and speakers from around the world. It’s scheduled to take place from 7 to 9 March 2024 in Nashville.

• Artpresso Design launches La Marzocco double-wall dosing cup. The cup enables baristas to accurately weigh and dose coffee grounds for a single shot of espresso. The double-wall design directs coffee ground flow, while the rim aligns perfectly with portafilter baskets.

• Kliro Capital Partners acquires minority stake in Solo Coffee. The UK brand, which sells espresso-style coffee concentrate, will use funding to expand into the US – and will also supply its product to actress Millie Bobby Brown’s brand Florence by Mills.

• Trung Nguyên Legend Cafe opens first US store in California. Vietnam’s most popular coffee chain has opened a store in Westminster, California, serving phin and espresso-based coffee drinks using 100% Vietnamese robusta and arabica.

Wed, 20 Sep

• D2C specialty coffee company Bean Box launches crowdfunding investment campaign. The company offers both subscriptions and a la carte coffee on its website. With new investment, it hopes to scale up and become a trusted brand and source of roasted coffee in the US.

• Boston Stoker Coffee Co celebrates 50th anniversary with special Vintage Collection. The collection includes several lots that were frozen immediately upon receiving, including a 2012 El Injerto from Guatemala and a 2019 Tesfaye Roba from Ethiopia.

• Ruralmente and Cafetear offer mental health support for Colombian coffee farmers. The two organisations provide comprehensive mental health support through innovative technologies and accessible psychosocial services. They aim to improve productivity, job satisfaction, and quality of life among farmers facing difficult working conditions and economic pressures.

• Northern Wonder partners with largest retailer in the Netherlands to distribute “coffee without coffee” products. The Dutch company manufactures a coffee alternative “without tropical ingredients” like coffee. Instead, it uses beans, legumes, blackcurrants, and other ingredients that don’t contribute to tropical deforestation.

• Conab revises Brazilian coffee production estimate to 54.36 million bags for the 2023/2024 season. The governmental agency has downgraded its earlier estimate by 380,000 60kg bags of green coffee, which still represents a 6.8% increase over the previous season.

• Mahlkönig to host exclusive coffee event in Milan on 12 October. The “pre-host” event will take place at Maka Loft and is described as an evening of community, technology, and the next era of Mahlkönig.

• Biggby Coffee appoints Erin Kaylor as new CFO. Kaylor previously worked as a finance leader for McDonald’s and retired in 2017. She’s now come out of retirement to join Biggby as it prepares to open another 140 stores.

• Finlay’s annual 1750 Magazine outlines the biggest trends in coffee and other beverages. The publication features insights into the cold brew market, elevated coffee offerings in the dessert sector, and the future of RTD coffee in the US.

• Blue Bottle Coffee announces new Blue Bottle Studio in Los Angeles, California. The first Blue Bottle Studio residency in the US will offer visitors “the pinnacle of specialty coffee” through an eight-course tasting menu featuring exceptional and rare coffees from around the world.

• Keurig Dr Pepper appoints Tim Cofer as Chief Operating Officer. Cofer, a veteran consumer packaged goods executive, will take over from chairman and CEO Bob Gamgort on 6 November. Gamgort will subsequently serve as executive chairman of the group.

Thu, 21 Sep

• Cup of Excellence to host Sensory Education Training in Seoul, South Korea from 12 to 15 October. The comprehensive training schedule aims to help coffee professionals improve their cupping skills and also prepares them for CoE jury duty. Alliance for Coffee Excellence members are eligible for a 20% discount.

• Joe Coffee replaces almond milk with NotMilk Barista at all locations. The New York specialty coffee roaster will use the chickpea and oat milk blend as a plant-based alternative at its cafés, becoming NotCo’s first US coffee house partnership to make use of the product.

• Veneziano Coffee Roasters launches dairy-free RTD cold brew range. The canned Neapolitan Latte and Chai Latte join the Straight Up Cold Brew and Oat Milk Latte to complete the company’s RTD lineup.

• La Marzocco launches Pico home espresso grinder. The grinder features a brushless induction motor, sound-dampening design, programmable dose selection, and an accurate adjustment collar.

• Digital Coffee Future to host Coffee Prices and Technology Summit on 25 & 26 October. The online summit will focus on a “Trends, Margins, and Pay Gap” theme, featuring discussions between participants from all sectors of the coffee value chain.

• Coffee prices and volumes fall sharply at Nairobi Coffee Exchange as government introduces Coffee Bill 2023. According to Business Africa Daily, traders and buyers anticipate worker layoffs at coffee processing stations, while confusion persists over the issuance of state trading permits in line with new coffee regulations.

• Robusta reaches record prices in Vietnam as stocks dwindle ahead of harvest season. The local robusta price reached US $2.79/kg, representing a 76% increase since the beginning of the year. Traders expect prices to fall over then next two months ahead of the 2023/2024 harvest season.

• This year’s Specialty Coffee & Tea Asia event to host Roaster’s Village. Micro roasters can book booths for the event, which will take place at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore from 26 to 28 September.

Fri, 22 Sep

• Romanian AeroPress Championships scheduled for 1 October. The competition, hosted by Artisan Coffee Gear, will take place at the Slow Coffee Festival in Bucharest on 1 October. The winner will go on to represent Romania at the World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia on 1 December.

• Café Business Expo 2023 scheduled for 10 to 11 October in London, England. The annual expo will be held at ExCel, featuring 100 different speakers, a product innovation showcase, and an industry awards ceremony.

• SCA Japan to celebrate 20th anniversary at World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition 2023. The event, which will feature insights from the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Cup of Excellence, will take place at Tokyo Big Sight from 27 to 30 September.

• Weber Workshops to launch KEY Mk ii grinder at 2023 SCAJ World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition. The new model includes an improved bean loading and anti-popcorning mechanisms, as well as a 50% increase in torque compared to its predecessor model.

• Qatar Museums announces Stories of Coffee in Qatar and Indonesia exhibition. The exhibition, set to be unveiled in October, will take visitors through the global history of coffee while exploring the coffee cultures of both Qatar and Indonesia. It forms part of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture.

• Athens Coffee Festival gets underway at the Technopolis. The three-day event features seminars, Coffee Masterclasses, exhibitions, and the Panhellenic Coffee Championships.

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

• Fri, 8 Sep – TONE appoints Adib Maksoud as sales manager for MEA region. Maksoud has worked in the coffee industry for more than 23 years, beginning as a barista. He will help the company further develop its operations in the region.

• Tue, 12 Sep – Favy names Santa Cruz, California as the best coffee city in America. The company assessed 267 American cities with more than 50,000 residents across five categories: cappuccino affordability, walkability, coffee shops, independent coffee shops, and “Coffee Fanatic Factors”. There are four California cities in the top 25 and a total of nine West Coast coffee hubs.

• Wed, 13 Sep – Meridia partners with ICE to launch ICE Commodity Traceability service. The platform is designed to facilitate “frictionless” trade of cocoa and coffee by supporting compliance with EU deforestation regulations.

• Thu, 14 Sep – Nestlé ranks first in sustainability in 2023 Coffee Brew Index. The company says the Coffee Barometer report recognises its “cohesive and comprehensive” coffee sustainability strategy and dedicated investments.

• Fri, 15 Sep – The Café Specialty Grind and Brew Coffee Maker is now SCA certified. The machine is the latest to be recognised as an SCA Certified Home Brewer. It meets various criteria and quality standards, including the SCA Golden Cup Standard.

• Sat, 16 Sep – Kenyan politician says new Coffee Bill 2023 will stem coffee thefts and save farmers from debts. Members of parliament ares set to discuss and pass the bill, which seeks to streamline the country’s coffee sector and secure better earnings for farmers.

• Sun, 17 Sep – SCA Sweden hosts world’s first fully-plant based Latte Art Championship in Stockholm. The event, won by Alexander Ntatsos, was sponsored by Sproud, which supplied all plant-based milks.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest coffee news 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 coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece on PRF Colombia.

The post Coffee News Recap, 22 Sep: PRF Guatemala announced for 2024, US Americans choose coffee every day over other beverages & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 11 Sep

• The 2023 Vienna Coffee Festival welcomed almost 9,000 visitors. Over 100 exhibitors were present at the event, which also hosted the 2023 Austrian Coffee Roasting Championship – with Lukas Stoelner of DeLuks Kaffee placing first.

• ASIC Conference on Coffee Science 2023 takes place in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 29th edition of the conference hosted coffee experts from around the world, and included discussions about agronomy, chemistry, technology, and the physiological effects of coffee.

• Colombia’s coffee sector faces challenges related to droughts and declining consumption. According to El País, decreasing coffee consumption and El Niño-induced droughts puts the future of Colombian coffee production at risk.

• Australian town builds road using coffee cups and glass bottles. Penrith City Council worked with an environmental agency and a local asphalt supplier to turn 136,000 coffee cups and 1.2 million glass bottles into 750m of road.

• Conflict in Ukraine causes drop in coffee quality in Japan. The Asahi Shimbun reports that the quality of coffee beans exported to Japan has declined, largely as a result of Colombian producers paying higher prices for Russian fertiliser.

• Vietnamese coffee exports fall by 5.4%. According to Reuters, during the first eight months of 2023, the country’s coffee exports totalled 1.2 million tonnes – representing a 5.4% decrease on last year.

• Luckin Coffee is now China’s largest coffee chain. The company opened its 10,000th store in China in June, and thereby has surpassed Starbucks as the country’s largest coffee chain.

• New study finds people who drink two to three cups of coffee daily are at lower risk of depression and anxiety. The analysis revealed consistent results regardless of whether consumers added milk or sugar. However, researchers found that the risks of developing depression or anxiety increased for people who drank less than this amount.

Tue, 12 Sep

• Specialty Coffee Association launches four practical SCA Skills Diplomas. The SCA says its new Café, Coffee Trade, Roastery, and Sustainable Coffee Diplomas provide participants with in-depth knowledge and practical experience in their respective fields that can be applied to different industry job roles. Diplomas require a combination of advanced level learning and foundational coursework from all three of the SCA Certificate Programs.

• Kenya’s Deputy President says the country is making progress with coffee reforms. Speaking ahead of his attendance at PRF Colombia this week, Rigathi Gachagua said that Kenya’s coffee reforms are “steadily on track” as the government aims to revive the Coffee Board of Kenya and Coffee Research Institute.

• This year’s Brighton Coffee Festival hailed as biggest and best to date. The event, which took place at the All Saints venue, featured local and national specialty coffee roasters, coffee shops, and brands. The festival also hosted a latte art competition, as well as several lectures and panels.

• Study outlines the antibacterial properties of coffee mucilage. Researchers say chemical compounds present in coffee mucilage are able to halt growth of several bacteria associated with food spoilage and human illness.

• Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity appoints Kim Dreux-Kelly as first Executive Director. The coalition aims to address long standing racial inequity in the US coffee industry and beyond. As the new ED, Dreux-Kelly will oversee strategic planning, partnership development, and collaboration with stakeholders across the industry.

• Registration opens for SCA Educator Summit to take place on 7 & 8 November 2023 in Belforte del Chienti, Italy. The event is designed to equip coffee trainers with the latest research on emerging coffee knowledge and training techniques. Sessions will include All About the New SCA Coffee Value Assessment and Developing Training Strategies for Evolving Skills.

• Biggby Coffee’s Farm-Direct programme to showcase Zambia’s Living Hope Coffee. Each year, the company highlights an individual from one of its three Farm-Direct partners. This month producer Wana Chipoya will be celebrated at Biggby stores across the US.

Wed, 13 Sep

• SCA Coffee Retail Summit 2023 takes place in Busan, South Korea. The in-person edition of the event took place at Momos Coffee Yeongdo Roastery & Coffee Bar in Busan. Guest speakers included CEO of Payhere Park Jun-ki and MD of Curly Choi Yoon-seo.

• This year’s DC Coffee Festival to take place on 30 September in Washington, DC. The event, which will be held at Dock 5 at Union Market, will feature several exhibitors – including the city’s most well-known roasters.

• World Coffee Research releases downloadable arabica and robusta coffee varieties poster. The poster displays the lineage and relation of different coffee varieties included in WCR’s Coffee Varieties Catalog, which profiles over 100 coffee varieties. The poster is free to download.

• Eversys to unveil Driving Performance concept at 2023 HOSTMilano. The coffee machine manufacturer will showcase its latest products at the event from 13 to 17 October, including its e’Levelling, flexible milk systems, and Extraction Time Control technologies.

• Howard Schultz steps down from Starbucks’ board of directors. The former CEO has held several roles at the company for over 40 years. Former Alibaba senior advisor Wei Zhang has been elected to the board.

• SCA’s fourth Coffee Retail Summit to take place online on 26 October. Following events held in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Busan, the 2023 virtual Coffee Retail Summit will include recordings of presentations delivered at the three in-person sessions – discussing topics such as marketing, business development, emerging technologies, and human resources & personnel management.

Thu, 14 Sep

• Over 5,000 people attend PRF Colombia 2023 in Medellín. The event included an exhibition, an extensive line-up of speakers and panellists – including the No Filter Panel series – workshops, and cuppings. It also hosted four competitions: the Toddy Cold Brew Championship, Global Coffee Roasting Contest, Olla Championship, and Fibtex Championship. PRF Guatemala will take place on 7 & 8 March 2024, with more details to be announced soon.

• Exhibitor pre-registration opens for 2024 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Next year’s MICE event will take place from 12 to 14 May. Official registration will open on 25 September 2023.

• This year’s Istanbul Coffee Festival begins. The annual coffee event will take place until 17 September at the Istanbul Shipyard. The festival will feature coffee tastings, workshops, seminars, live concerts, and numerous exhibitions.

• Saudi Coffee Company partners with Siemens on new smart factory in Jazan. The company says the facility will help to revolutionise coffee farming in the region by leveraging Siemens’ expertise and knowledge.

• New study finds most coffee firms aren’t prepared to comply with new EU anti-deforestation laws. The 2023 Coffee Barometer report says that as a result, companies may shift sourcing to more developed producing countries like Brazil. The report warns this will leave low-income smallholder farmers without sufficient income, and may threaten the longevity of coffee supplies.

• Cecafé reports record Brazilian coffee exports in August 2023. The Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council says Brazil exported 3.67 million 60kg bags of green coffee in August – representing a 29% increase year-on-year and a new record for the month.

• Doha International Coffee Exhibition 2023 takes place in Qatar. The country’s first premier international coffee trade show is hosting the 2023 Qatar Coffee Championships, and also features a Roasters Village, Cupping Corner, and several awards ceremonies.

• Kenyan coffee farmers benefit from low-cost revolving Cherry Fund. Around 1,000 farmers in Makueni County are beneficiaries of the fund, which aims to improve farmer liquidity – and thereby gives them easier access to agricultural inputs between harvests.

Fri, 15 Sep

• This year’s Barcelona Coffee Awards to take place from 29 September to 1 October. The second edition of the event will be held at Nau Bostik, and will include live roasting sessions and the 2023 Spanish Latte Art Championship.

• The 2023 Philippine AeroPress Championship to take place on 16 September in Manila. Yardstick Coffee will host the national competition in Makati. The winner will go on to represent the Philippines at the World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia from 1 to 3 December 2023.

• Singapore National Coffee Championships to take place at 2023 Speciality Food & Drinks Asia from 26 to 28 September. The event will host the national Barista, Brewers Cup, Latte Art, and Cup Tasters Championships. Winning competitors will represent Singapore at the World Coffee Championships in Taiwan later this year, and Busan and Copenhagen next year.

• Equator Coffee launches commercially-compostable specialty espresso capsules. The plant-based capsules are available in Mocha Java, French Roast, Jaguar Espresso, and Decaf Shakeout.

• This year’s Hellenic AeroPress Championship to take place at the 2023 Athens Coffee Festival on 25 September. The winner will go represent Greece at the World AeroPress Championship later this year.

• The Barista League returns to Melbourne on 22 September. The multi-disciplinary coffee competition will also include the Mystery Mocktail Challenge, with coffee provided by Proud Mary. Guest judges will include Fran Lee of Café Imports and 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas.

• UK chain 92 Degrees seeks US $3.7 million to fund expansion efforts. The company recently raised US $1.2 million in a series A investment round. Additional investors will be welcomed at the end of September.

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

• Sun, 29 Aug – Workers at Cincinatti Dunkin’ location file for unionisation. The filing is the first union push the company has faced in 12 years.

• Mon, 30 Aug – World Coffee Portal releases its 2023 UK Automation Report. Research from this year’s report found the UK premium self-serve coffee segment grew 11% year-on-year to reach 20,771 units, with 46% of UK branded coffee chains now using super-automatic espresso machines in-store.

• Wed, 6 Sep – Atomic Coffee Roasters launches public tours and education classes. The roaster will host sessions at its facility in Peabody, Massachusetts, which will include complimentary tasting sessions and free coffee beans.

• Wed, 6 Sep – The Cupping Room awarded Australia’s best flat white. The Canberra café, an ONA Coffee project, was recognised as serving the best flat white in the country by the Uniquely Aussie Awards.

• Wed, 6 Sep – Fair Trade USA appoints Sugumar Raman as Chief Programme Officer. Raman, who most recently served as Director of Operations at FLOCERT, will help design, innovate, and implement the organisation’s various programmes.

• Thu, 7 Sep – Seattle Coffee Gear launches new Diletta Bello+ espresso machine. The new machine includes PID temperature control, an integrated shot timer, programmable pre-infusion, and a low-power eco mode.

• Thu, 7 Sep – Juan Valdez reports 39% year-on-year sales growth in the first half of 2023. The Colombian coffee brand now operates 556 global stores, and generated US $83.4 million in sales during the first six months of the year.

• Thu, 7 Sep – New research from Kerry Group finds sustainability continues to be key driver of beverage innovation. The report outlines how sustainable ingredient sourcing, sustainable packaging, and balanced nutrition are some of the biggest consumer demands.

• Thu, 7 Sep – MONIN says over half of hospitality leaders feel optimistic about the next 12 months. Around 54% of leaders in the hospitality industry feel optimistic about the success of their businesses over the next 12 months.

• Thu, 7 Sep – Starbucks celebrates 25 years in the UK and EMEA regions with landmark store opening. The company’s Oldham location is its 20,000th store outside of North America. Starbucks first entered the EMEA region in 1998 with its Kings Road store in London.

• Fri, 8 Sep – Scientists develop 3D printing using coffee grounds. The team developed a 3D printing method using a paste made from spent coffee grounds, water, and several other sustainable ingredients.

• Fri, 8 Sep – Dutch Bros commences US $300 million public offering as it seeks to raise funds for expansion. The company has listed the Class A Common Stock in a bid to support increasingly expensive expansion plans.

• Sat, 9 Sep – Coffee production uplifts communities in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Farmers living in the park are benefitting from coffee production, with annual revenues tripling in some communities. Funds are being used to build schools, empower young girls, discourage child marriage, and encourage restoration of the park.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories and read the latest Coffee Intelligence news piece on China’s Hainan free trade port.

The post Coffee News Recap, 15 Sep: Thousands attend PRF Colombia in Medellín, SCA launches four Skills Diplomas & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 4 Sep

• Thousands set to attend PRF Colombia next week. The coffee industry’s largest producer-focused event returns to the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín on 14 & 15 September, featuring talks, panels, workshops, and cupping sessions hosted by international coffee professionals.

• Registration opens for 2023 Manchester Coffee Festival. This year’s event will take place at the Bowler’s Exhibition Centre on 18 & 19 November. Alongside an exhibition and tasting sessions, the 2023 MCF will host the 2024 UK Cup Tasters Championship and the new Extracted Development competition.

• German Coffee Association launches joint grievance reporting mechanism for coffee industry. The Ear4U platform allows coffee professionals to report workplace grievances, such as occupational health and safety hazards, environmental pollution, or forced labour.

• Luckin Coffee sells more than five million Kweichow Moutai hard lattes in one day. The “sauce flavoured latte”, which contains the Chinese alcoholic spirit baijiu, smells and tastes similar to soy sauce. Luckin Coffee hopes to attract more younger customers with the launch. Sales on day one surpassed US $13.72 million.

• Nestlé to retrench 210 staff at New Jersey instant coffee plant. Following months of deliberation, the company has decided to close the Freehold factory, which has been open since 1948. The company will outsource production to Mexico and Brazil.

• Crowdfunding campaign aims to raise US $100,000 to support Salvadoran Barista Champion through leukaemia treatment. Víctor Flores Menéndez, a well-known figure in the Salvadoran specialty coffee community, sadly relapsed in May 2023. Donations will be used to support Víctor’s ongoing cancer treatment while awaiting a bone marrow donor.

• Clooney, Dujardin, and Cottin for new ad launching Nespresso’s Paper Collection. Following the trio’s appearance in a Nespresso ad last year, they’ve returned to launch the company’s new line of home-compostable paper-based coffee capsules.

Tue, 5 Sep

• Neumann Gruppe appoints Michael Bode to its executive board. Bode joins as the Director of Group IT and Digitalisation and will lead Neumann Kaffee Gruppe’s digital transformation programme.

• Brazil’s Expocacer celebrates 30th anniversary with rebranding campaign. The Cooperative of Cerrado Coffee Growers has unveiled its new visual identity, representing a renewed commitment to coffee producers. It also anticipates double-digit growth in specialty and regenerative coffees.

• Saudi Coffee Company launches JAZEAN coffee brand. The brand sources arabica coffee from the south of the country and aims to highlight the work being done by local farmers, many of whom have sustained local producing areas for generations.

• McDonald’s Hong Kong suspends ground and premium roast coffee sales. The company’s 250 stores will instead now serve “upgraded coffee offerings”, including americanos, white coffee, and lattes.

• Death Wish Coffee sues Australian brand over trademark infringement. The American coffee brand cites trademark infringement and unfair competition on the part of Australia’s Death Before Decaf. It alleges that Death Before Decaf intends to market its products in the US and take advantage of Death Wish Coffee’s positive reputation.

• Uganda Coffee Consortium accused of lack of accountability and direction. Founding member Jacklene Arinda of Jada Coffee says the consortium has lost direction and “members don’t know what’s going on”. She and other former members have raised concerns that the US $9.9 million consortium’s leader, Nelson Tugume, is not accountable and no longer holds regular update meetings.

• Decades-long trial concludes that mineral fertiliser supports sustainable agriculture. The 65-year-long project took place at Yara International’s Hanninghof research centre in Dülmen, Germany and studied the long-term effects of nutrient management in farming. It concludes that balanced application of mineral fertiliser is part of sustainable crop production, with minimal environmental impact.

Wed, 6 Sep

• Booth registration opens for 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo in Chicago, Illinois. The annual expo, which will take place at McCormick Place from 12 to 14 April, will feature numerous industry exhibitors, networking opportunities, and various lectures and hands-on learning activities.

• Specialty Coffee Association of Poland elects three new members to its Chapter Committee. Marta Niwinska is the new Education Coordinator, Marcin Rzonca is the new Marketing Coordinator, and Katarzyna Zyzało-Moczydłowska is the new National Coordinator.

• Nespresso launches limited edition Nº20 coffee capsules. The capsules contain coffee sourced from 59 Colombian coffee farmers, which the company says encapsulates its 20-year culmination of expertise. It claims that the coffee boasts more than 900 aromas and notes of Seville orange and dried jasmine.

• Early bird tickets still available for World Coffee Summit London. The summit takes place on 13 September at the QEII Centre, featuring a high-level business conference and various talks. Early bird ticket sales close on 10 September.

• Nestlé and Starbucks celebrate five years of global coffee alliance. The companies established the partnership in 2018 to accelerate and expand the Starbucks brand’s consumer packaged goods and foodservice channels. In 2022, the Starbucks business generated US $1.6 billion in incremental sales for Nestlé.

• China’s Hainan grows coffee business through free port and Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative links the southern province to Indonesia, helping to expand China’s coffee industry to new markets. Earlier this year, Hainan State Farms Tropical Products Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Indonesia’s Kapal Api Global signed a cooperation agreement, aiming to achieve “common development through cooperation and exchange”.

Thu, 7 Sep

• New study suggests paper coffee cups are as toxic as plastic cups. Researchers at the University of Gothenberg found that paper cups leach various chemicals during decomposition. They suggest that because of polylactic acid lining, paper cups are “as toxic to aquatic midge larvae as plastic cups”.

• International Women’s Coffee Alliance appoints Blanca Castro as new Executive Director. Castro has over 16 years of experience in the coffee sector and has worked with the IWCA for several years. She will work to identify the needs of various stakeholders and find innovative solutions to industry challenges.

• JNP Coffee launches in Europe. The green coffee company has begun operating in Berlin, Germany, offering European customers direct access to its 2023/2024 East African coffee harvest. Customers can request samples and reserve lots now.

• Applications open for Roast Masters at the Milan Coffee Festival 2023. The competition returns to Superstudio Milan from 2 to 4 December, featuring a brand-new format that includes live roasting and seven different disciplines.

• Coffee Roasters Guild announces 2023 Diedrich Roasters Scholarship recipients for the CGR Retreat. Alisher Kamalov, Ashley Williams, Kevin Mejia, Alanna Halliday, and DJ Thomas will take part in the CGR Retreat in Bellingham, Washington, USA from 28 September to 1 October 2023.

• Coffee futures prices settle lower as US dollar weakens. The arabica and robusta contracts for December delivery closed 2.60% and 2% lower, respectively, on Thursday, following news of a weak dollar, concerns over excessive rain in Brazil’s coffee-growing areas, and low coffee inventories.

• Bellwether Coffee announces international expansion with Japanese retailer MUJI. The coffee roaster manufacturer will expand into the Japanese market, beginning with a new roaster installation at MUJI’s flagship store in Osaka.

Fri, 8 Sep

• MTPak Coffee announces rebrand. The specialist coffee packaging manufacturer has revamped its visual identity. It offers design services, digital printing, and industry expertise in sustainable packaging technology.

• Robusta prices near record high in August 2023. The latest ICO Coffee Market Report showed that the value of robustas averaged US 124.62c/lb in August. The organisation anticipates a shortfall of 7.3 million 60kg bags of green coffee in 2022/2023.

• SCA Coffee Evaluation System event takes place in Mexico. The event outlines the SCA’s new cupping and quality evaluation protocols to local coffee professionals.

• The Barista League returns to Bristol, UK on 9 September. The multidisciplinary coffee competition features three rounds of team-based challenges. This year’s event takes place at Extract Coffee Roasters and guest judges include Casey Lalonde of Girls Who Grind Coffee and Josh Tarlo of Headstand.

• Danish AeroPress Championship gets underway in Frederiksberg. The national competition is hosted by Coffee Collective. The winner will go on to represent Denmark at the 2023 World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia.

• Colonna & Small’s opens new café in Leather Lane, London. Founder Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood was on-site to brew coffee and chat with customers. The store also stocks Colonna Coffee beans, capsules, and limited releases and will host a 2023 Best of Panama cupping on 26th September.

• Yunnan Coffee Flavour Map and Coffee Fest 2023 scheduled for 14 to 17 September in Shanghai, China. The event aims to produce a comprehensive and definitive body of data on Yunnan coffee through blind cuppings of over 400 coffee samples.

• Gruppo Cimbali to showcase Faema and Slayer espresso machines at the Paris Coffee Show 2023. New machines include the Faema E71E Vivaio 2GR, Slayer EP 2GR, and Slayer Espresso SG. The Paris Coffee Show takes place at Parc Floral de Paris from 9 to 11 September.

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

• Thu, 24 Aug – Black Rifle Coffee Company secures US $56 million credit facility from WhiteHawk Capital Partners. The company says the funds will be used to develop its long-term capital structure.

• Tue, 29 Aug – Starbucks launches new merchandise collection honouring Latin American culture. The new range, which includes a stainless steel tumbler and two cups, features designs by Latinx artist Manuela Guillén.

• Wed, 30 Aug – World Coffee Research prepares for largest breeding project in over 50 years. The Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network will distribute 5,000 genetically unique coffee seeds bred by WCR partners in 2022. Seeds have already been shipped to seven out of nine network partners around the world.

• Wed, 30 Aug – Global Coffee Platform 2022 Snapshot report reveals highest increase in sustainable coffee purchases since 2018. The new report outlines sustainable practices of JDE Peet’s, Julius Meinl, Keurig Dr Pepper, Melitta Group, Nestlé, SUPRACAFÉ, Tesco, and Westrock Coffee Company, which shared a combined total of 70% sustainable coffee purchases.

• Thu, 31 Aug – International Coffee Organisation and International Labour Organisation team up to celebrate International Coffee Day 2023. On 1 October, both organisations will launch the #CoffeePeople social media campaign, aiming to promote the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain.

• Thu, 31 Aug – PJ’s Coffee opens three new locations in a single day. The New Orleans coffee chain now boasts a 100% growth rate in under six years and operates 175 locations around the world.

• Sat, 2 Sep – EL&N to open first German café in Düsseldorf on 14 September. The London café chain now operates stores in 12 countries, including South Africa, Italy, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Coffee news photo credits: Producer & Roaster Forum

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest coffee news 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 coffee news stories and be sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence news story on the dispute between Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, and the country’s Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC).

The post Coffee News Recap, 8 Sep: Thousands set to attend PRF Colombia next week, Saudi Coffee Company launches JAZEAN coffee brand & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 28 Aug

• PRF Colombia announces final event schedule for 14 & 15 September 2023, including three competitions. The coffee industry’s largest producer-focused event returns to the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín, Colombia for a second time. The two-day forum will feature lectures, panels (including the new No Filter Panel series), workshops, and cupping sessions led by international industry professionals. PRF Colombia will also host three coffee competitions: the Global Roasting Contest, Cold Brew Championship, and Olla Coffee Championship.

• DiFluid launches set of precision electronic coffee analysis tools. The Brew Control System retails for US $300 and includes a Microbalance brewing scale, R2 Extract refractometer, and the DiFluid Café app. The Omni roast and particle analyser is also available at an additional cost.

• Click Coffee opens first app-based stores in the UAE. Customers can place orders through a dedicated app, and have their drinks prepared with no barista involvement.

• San Francisco Bay Coffee earns Zero Waste certification for second year in a row. The company sends 94% of its waste to compost fields or recycling centres, and aims to reduce the remaining 6% of waste produced at its facilities.

• CropConex launches digital green coffee marketplace. The platform allows green coffee buyers to source contract coffee from producers via an online marketplace. CropConex aims to integrate the entire supply chain in one platform, and thereby increase efficiency and scale.

• illycaffè partners with Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority on new Coffee Training Centre. The Addis Ababa centre is hailed as the first of its kind in Africa, and will host workshops and specialist training courses to improve coffee quality from seed to cup.

• Fortnum & Mason to host Panama coffee tasting on 6 September in London. The cupping will take place at the Embassy of Panama. Producers from Hacienda La Esmeralda and La Huella will attend.

Tue, 29 Aug

• Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters launches fourth edition of Producer Series lots. The series includes some of India’s highest-scoring and rarest coffee lots, including experimentally processed coffees. The lots are available until stocks last.

• Liam Lam wins second April Brewers Cup in Singapore. The competition, created by April Coffee Roasters, is designed to help coffee professionals train for national Brewers Cup Championships.

• Conscious Coffee Fest to take place on 10 September in Portland, Oregon, US. The event aims to celebrate the complexities of ethical and sustainable coffee, and will feature tasting sessions from six local roasters, discussion panels, and a tour of the Buckman Coffee Factory roastery.

• Fair Trade USA partners with IDEO.org on new Innovation for Impact Initiative. The project aims to develop a more scalable, higher-impact Fair Trade Certified coffee programme. In collaboration with design consulting firm IDEO.org, the organisation will engage with producers and other industry stakeholders to assess the scope of its impact.

• J.M. Smucker’s retail coffee sales increased by 49% in first quarter of fiscal 2024. The company’s coffee portfolio, which includes Dunkin’, Café Bustelo, and Folgers brands, helped to drive sales during the analysis period.

• Cotti Coffee now operates more than 5,000 stores in five countries. The Chinese coffee chain says it’s now the fifth-largest coffee brand worldwide, operating stores in China, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, and Canada. It plans to continue expansion in coming months.

• This year’s Korean Coffee Roasting Championship takes place in Seoul. The winner of the competition, which is taking place at the Stronghold Technology headquarters in Geumcheon-gu until 2 September, will go on to represent South Korea at the 2023 World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taiwan from 17 to 23 November.

Wed, 30 Aug

• Washed Gesha receives US $10,005/kg bid at 2023 Best of Panama auction. The coffee, produced by Carmen Estates, received the highest score of 96.5 points. Several buyers purchased from the 25kg lot, including Japan’s Saza Coffee and New Zealand’s Coffee Tech Limited – with a total value of US $250,125 for the entire lot.

• Bancolombia signs two-year sponsorship deal to support PRF Colombia. Colombia’s national bank will sponsor the next two PRF Colombia events in 2023 and 2024, aiming to further support the country’s coffee farmers.

• British Coffee Association to host EU deforestation legislation webinar on 7 September. The webinar, which will include representatives from the International Coffee Exchange and Oritain, will explore how coffee businesses can meet new EU anti-deforestation requirements.

• New research from Third Wave Water suggests better water quality leads to better prices for coffee farmers. The company’s latest white paper emphasises the importance of water quality for cupping at origin, which can allow farmers to boost cupping scores and potentially secure better prices.

• Coffee prices settle following weather concerns and fluctuating US dollar. The arabica and robusta contracts for December delivery closed 0.55% and 0.28% lower, respectively, on Wednesday as a result of a resurgent US dollar. Earlier this week, rising temperatures and dry conditions in Brazil and Colombia, as well as a weaker US dollar and record low ICE-monitored robusta supplies, contributed to price increases.

• JNP Coffee to host public cupping at Communal Coffee in Berlin on 5 September. JNP Coffee founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian will hold the cupping at 5pm local time, which will include natural, fully washed, and anaerobic fermented lots.

• Steel Oak Coffee opens cutting-edge roastery and training lab in Florida. The Ormond Beach facility will host a grand opening on 22 September, featuring cupping sessions, equipment demonstrations, and a tour of the roastery itself.

Thu, 31 Aug

• This year’s Austrian AeroPress Championship takes place in Vienna. The competition took place at Foresight Cobenzl Events, with the winner going on to represent Austria at the World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia later this year.

• NotMilk launches barista-formulated plant milk. The plant milk blend is made with oats, chickpea protein, chicory fibre, pineapple juice, and various other additives. NotMilk says the blend produces high-quality cold and hot microfoam.

• Artem Kryuchenkov wins 2023 Australian Coffee Roasting Championship. Kryuchenkov, a roaster at Bench Coffee in Melbourne, will go on to represent Australia at the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taiwan later this year.

• Tims China reports record revenue in 2023 Q2. The operator of Tim Hortons and Popeyes in China says revenue grew by 129.7% year-on-year, resulting in an adjusted EBIDTA of US $2.5 million – compared to a US $6 million loss in 2022.

• Roaster applications open for new Extracted Development competition to take place at 2023 Manchester Coffee Festival. Eight teams, which must include a barista and a roaster, have 18 minutes to prepare and serve an espresso, a plant-based milk drink, and a filter coffee to a panel of three judges. This year’s Manchester Coffee Festival will take place on 18 & 19 November.

• Saudi Arabia plans to establish new city to support local coffee production. The city in Al Bahah will cultivate around 500,000 coffee trees and will include a factory and logistical services.

• SCA announces candidates for 2024-2025 Board of Directors Elections. Candidates include Giovanni Fucili of Simonelli Group S.p.A., Jiyoon Han of Bean and Bean Coffee Roasters, Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian of JNP Coffee, and Rob Stephen of Covoya Specialty Coffee. The SCA has also appointed Andrew Tolley, Director of Tolley Coffee & Tea, as its new 2nd Vice President.

Fri, 1 Sep

• ExpoEjeCafé 2023 begins in Montenegro, Colombia. The event, which is taking place at Parque del Café until 3 September, features a trade show, lectures, workshops, coffee auctions, and the 2023/24 Colombian Coffee Championships.

• CaféShow China 2023 takes place in Beijing. The annual Chinese coffee expo will run until 3 September, and will include numerous exhibitions and networking opportunities.

• Thirteen national AeroPress Championships to take place in September. Winners of all competitions will go on to represent their respective countries at the World AeroPress Championship final:
  • Laos AeroPress Championship from 1 Sep, hosted by Dam Dam in Vientiane
  • Colombian AeroPress Championship on 2 Sep, hosted by Amor Perfecto at Parque del Café, Montenegro
  • Czech AeroPress Championship on 2 Sep, hosted at Zrno Zrnko in Prague
  • Iranian AeroPress Championship on 7 Sep, hosted by Hayk Coffee Roasters at Tehran International Fairground
  • German AeroPress Championship on 9 Sep, hosted at Five Elephant Roastery in Berlin
  • Finnish AeroPress Championship on 11 Sep, hosted by Kahiwa Coffee Roasters in Lahti
  • Belgian AeroPress Championship on 16 Sep, hosted by Wide Awake Coffee in Brussels
  • Dutch AeroPress Championship on 16 Sep, hosted by Keen Coffee at LE:EN in Utrecht
  • Thai AeroPress Championship on 17 Sep, hosted by The Coffee Calling at Q Stadium in Bangkok
  • Slovak AeroPress Championship on 23 Sep, hosted by The Fleck Coffee in Banska Bystrica
  • Swiss AeroPress Championship on 23 Sep, hosted Académie du Café – Suisse at Swiss Coffee Connection in Lausanne
  • Indian AeroPress Championship on 28 Sep, hosted by Bangalore Palace Ground in Karnataka
  • Bulgarian AeroPress Championship on 30 Sep, hosted by DREKKA at Resonator in Sofia

• CAFEEX Shanghai 2023 scheduled for 29 to 31 December. Following successful CAFEEX events in Wuhan and Shenzhen held earlier this year, the expo will take place at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, featuring exhibitions, forums, cupping sessions, and various competitions.

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

• Fri, 18 Aug – Nestlé extends support to communities affected by Maui wildfires. Nestlé USA donated US $175,000 to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, which provides shelter, food, and financial assistance to those impacted by the fires.

• Fri, 18 Aug – Juan Valdez uses ChatGPT to develop new drinks. The Colombian coffee chain used AI to design two limited-edition coffee drinks: the Snowy Drink of Mocha and the Latte of Lavender and Blackberry.

• Thu, 24 Aug – Starbucks celebrates 20th anniversary of pumpkin spice latte. The seasonal drink is now available across the US and Canada. In the year ending 29 July 2023, US sales of pumpkin spice-flavoured products reached US $802.5 million – representing a 42% increase on 2019.

• Sun, 27 Aug – Papua New Guinea government opens new footbridge for coffee farmers in Gumine. The bridge, which forms part of the Coffee Industry Corporation’s Coffee Access Road Project, means farmers can more easily transport their green coffee to roadside markets in Kundiawa and other areas.

Coffee news photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest coffee news 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 coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece on PRF Colombia 2023.

The post Coffee News Recap, 1 Sep: PRF Colombia announces final event schedule, washed Gesha receives $10,005 bid at 2023 Best of Panama auction & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 21 Aug

• Honey processed Gesha sells for US $3,606/lb at 2023 Lamastus Family Estates Auction. Oklao Specialty Coffee and Black Gold Specialty Coffee purchased 9lbs (around 4kg) of the “special lot” coffee for a total of US $32,454.

• Rawirat “Jibbi” Techasitthanet wins first-ever Australia’s Richest Barista competition. Techasitthanet, who completed the final round in 2:03, received a cash prize of AU $25,000 (US $15,942). Runner-up Pirada Tungbenjaphol received AU $10,000 (US $6,377), while the third prize of AU $5,000 (US $3,188.50) went to Lucky Salvador.

• MICE to return from 12 to 14 May 2024. More than 10,200 attendees visited this year’s three-day event, which took place from 17 to 19 August. The 2023 MICE Product Innovation Awards were also held at the event, with winners including Franke Coffee Systems and Rhino Coffee Gear. MILKLAB also hosted the Barista Battle International Final, with Jie Yang announced as the winner. MICE 2024 will return to the Melbourne International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 12 to 14 May.

• New survey finds coffee is now the UK’s favourite beverage. According to the Statistica Global Consumer Review, 63% of Brits regularly drink coffee, compared to 59% who prefer tea. UK consumers purchased more than 533 million bags of coffee over the past year, with 287 million packs of tea bought in the same period.

• Sucafina Specialty celebrates tenth anniversary of the Kahawatu Foundation. Sucafina launched the non-profit in response to declining coffee yields and quality in East Africa, and the subsequent socioeconomic impact on local communities. Since 2012, Kahawatu Foundation has forged partnerships with ICO, IDH, GIZ, Nestlé, and Starbucks.

• Booth and visitor registration still open for 2023 Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia event. The exhibition will take place as part of this year’s Speciality Food & Drinks Asia event, which will be held from 26 to 28 September at the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore.

Tue, 22 Aug

• Bellwether Coffee commits to applying living income sourcing model to all its coffee by end of 2024. Launched two years ago, Bellwether’s Living Income Pricing model establishes origin-specific minimum prices, and is already in place in 26 countries.

• Bruvi partners with US specialty roasters for new B-Pod line. LAMILL Coffee’s Black Onyx B-Pod are available as part of the new range, as well as Joyride’s Original Cold Brew B-Pod. Both products are exclusive to Bruvi’s single-serve brewer. The Guilt Free Toss B-Pods are made with a bioenzyme which the company says helps to break down materials more quickly.

• Loyalty and pre-order app My Coffee Counts supports local charities in Australia. Participating coffee shops and roasters can convert customer loyalty rewards into donations for various local fundraising initiatives.

• New York Coffee Festival announces judges for 2023 Coffee Masters. The judges panel includes Anne Lunell of Koppi, Tymika Lawrence of the SCA and Sprudge, David Donde of Truth Coffee, and Juan Carlos de la Torre of Café Avellaneda, Café con Jiribilla, and Ratiorama. The competition will take place from 6 to 8 October in Manhattan, NYC.

• Researchers use spent coffee grounds to strengthen concrete. After adding used coffee grounds, engineers at RMIT University were able to increase the strength of concrete by nearly 30%. The process turns ground coffee into biochar – a carbon residue that can be used in place of sand when making concrete.

• South Korea reports first drop in coffee imports in five years. The Korea Customs Service said import volumes fell by 3.9% year-on-year in the first six months of 2023, with some experts citing lower global production volumes and a large jump in imports in 2022 as reasons for the decline.

Wed, 23 Aug

• Kenya’s coffee earnings grew by 4.2% during first half of 2023. The country’s Central Bank says higher export volumes offset a decline in coffee prices in global markets. Throughout August, producers have been able to sell coffee directly through the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, hoping to increase earnings by cutting out broker fees.

• Coffee Master Colombia awards ceremony takes place in Bogotá. The awards programme recognises leaders in the Colombian specialty coffee sector, and includes several different categories. Minka Café received the Favourite Store award, while Caffa Colombia was awarded the Best Drink Author.

• Value of Uganda’s coffee exports increased by 25.85% in July. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority says the country exported 645,832 60kg bags of green coffee in July, representing a 12.16% increase in volume compared to July 2022.

• Global Coffee Platform recognises five more sustainability schemes equivalent to Coffee Sustainability Reference Code. GCP recently recognised 4C, the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agricultural Standard, ECOM SMS Verified, Enveritas Green, and Sucafina IMPACT as part of its Sustainability Reference Code – bringing the total number of recognised schemes to 19.

• Onyx Coffee Lab launches Extractions concentrate range. The new line includes Southern Weather and Monarch coffee concentrates. Each bottle contains approximately twelve servings.

• This year’s Golden Bean North America names Bonlife Coffee Roasters as overall champion. Canterbury Coffee for Federated Co-Operatives is the 2023 Large Franchise Champion, while Theory Coffee Roasters was named Small Franchise Champion. Florida’s Oceana Coffee also won medals in all five categories it entered.

• Kaldi Company forms strategic partnership with Rapid Innovation to support growth of KaldiMarket blockchain coffee trading platform. Rapid Innovation will help to launch the platform, which uses blockchain technology, Web3 software, and IoT-enabled traceability to promote price transparency for green coffee.

• Dualit wins six awards at the 2023 Great Taste Awards. The Guild of Fine Foods recognised the coffee equipment manufacturer in six categories for several products, including the Organic Colombian Aluminium Coffee Capsules and Decaf Aluminium Coffee Capsules – which both received two-star “Outstanding” awards.

• SCA launches Extrinsic Assessment Survey to help develop new Coffee Value Assessment. Results from the community survey will be used to understand which “extrinsic” (or non-physical) attributes of green coffee are the most useful for assessing quality.

• Coffee futures prices rebound on lower global certified stocks. The main arabica contract for September delivery rose to US 153.90cents/lb on Wednesday, while the corresponding robusta contract increased by US $28/tonne. Reasons for the rise were a stronger Brazilian real, which resulted in lower export volumes.

Thu, 24 Aug

• ORIGAMI Cup 2023 to take place in Tokyo on 26 September. The coffee competition, which focuses solely on the ORIGAMI pour over brewer, will be held at Little Darling Coffee Roasters in Minato-ku – and is taking place in Tokyo for the first time.

• International Women in Coffee Convention announces Vanúsia Nogueira as this year’s keynote speaker. Nogueira, Executive Director of the International Coffee Organisation, will deliver a keynote address at the convention, which will take place from 16 to 22 October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

• Liverpool’s Andrew Keegan wins 2023 Starbucks UK Barista Championships. Keegan works as a supervisor at the Starbucks Myrtle Street Store in Liverpool. He will go on to represent the UK at the 2023 EMEA Barista Championship.

• Café Virtuoso rebrands as Talitha Coffee. The San Diego roaster has also launched a new online storefront. For every bag sold, Talitha Coffee donates a portion of sales proceeds to organisations supporting survivors of sex trafficking.

• Washed Gesha sells for US $216.50/lb at pilot Best of Taiwan auction. The coffee, which received 90.86 points, was produced by Fu-Sen Tseng at Royal Bean Geisha Estate in Chiayi County. A total of 110.23lbs were purchased for $23,864.80 by Oriowl Co. Ltd in Japan.

• Big Island Coffee Roasters raises US $30,000 for the Maui Strong Fund. Proceeds of sales of the Hawaiian roaster’s Lāhainā Strong Blend will help to support people affected by the recent wildfires on Maui island.

• WatchHouse opens 13th location in Covent Garden, London. The Southampton Street location includes a Slayer Steam LPx espresso machine, a custom brew bar, a 3Temp Hipster brewer, and a full brunch menu.

• UK Brewers Cup to take place at Caffè Culture in London on 3 & 4 October 2023. The UK competition forms part of the 2024 World Coffee Championships, and will be held at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Visitor tickets for Caffè Culture will go on sale on 4 September.

• Canephorum v.2.0 event to be held at the Swiss Coffee Festival on 6 & 7 October 2023. The forum, which is Europe’s first-ever event focusing solely on robusta, will include panel discussions, workshops, cupping sessions, and networking opportunities. The Swiss Coffee Festival will be held at Halle 550 in Zurich from 6 to 8 October.

• Pret A Manger expands coffee subscription service to the US and France. The Club Pret subscription service entitles customers to five barista-made drinks per day, as well as 10% off all menu items.

Fri, 25 Aug

• IKAWA and Campesino Coffee to host workshop in Medellín after PRF Colombia. IKAWA’s Andrew Stordy and Oliver Mutch will attend PRF Colombia on 14 & 15 September. They will also host a workshop and presentation with Colombian Coffee Roasting Champion Luisa Fda Quintero at Campesino Coffee on 16 September.

• Six national AeroPress Championships to take place in August and September. Winners of all competitions will go on to represent their respective countries at the World AeroPress Championship from 1 to 3 December in Melbourne, Australia:
  • Estonian AeroPress Championship on 25 Aug, hosted by The Brick Coffee Roasters at Viru Food Hall, Tallinn.
  • Peruvian AeroPress Championship on 26 Aug, hosted by Artidoro Rodríguez Café at Parque Candamo, Lima.
  • Ecuadorian AeroPress Championship on 26 Aug, hosted by AeroPress Ecuador at Cotopaxi International Airport.
  • Polish AeroPress Championship on 27 Aug, hosted by AeroPress Poland and Cophi Solutions at Focus Building, Warsaw.
  • Laos AeroPress Championship from 1 to 3 Sep, with the second edition hosted by Dam Dam in Vientiane.
  • Finnish AeroPress Championships on 11 Sep, hosted by Kahiwa Coffee Roasters in Lahti.

• Espresso Pro launches grind size measuring tool. The stainless steel Accurate Triangle includes ten different grind size measurements, ranging from Turkish coffee to cold brew.

• Expat. Roasters expands footprint with new store in Surabaya, Indonesia. The store is the Indonesian specialty roaster’s first outside of Bali, and includes a fusion cuisine menu and locally-sourced coffees.

• International Café & Beverage Show to return to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 23 to 25 May 2024. The 2023 event welcomed nearly 11,000 attendees, and also hosted the Malaysian Brewers Cup, Barista, and Latte Art Championships. More details will be announced about ICBS 2024 in the coming months.

• Evento Torrando Ideias conference to take place from 21 to 23 September in Patrocínio, Brazil. The event explores roasting trends and aims to share knowledge among local coffee professionals. This year, the conference will include the 2023 Ally Coffee Champs Trip guests – including World Barista and Brewers Cup champions.

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

• Thu, 17 Aug – HeyCafé launches new All-Round Grinder Jack. The new model features 64mm steel burrs, a stepless grind size adjustment, and a cast aluminium grinding chamber which minimises heat transfer and retention.

• Thu, 17 Aug – The San Franciscan Roaster Co. hires two industry veterans. The 2017 US Coffee Roasting Champion Mark Michaelson is the roaster manufacturer’s new Head of Education, while Ally Coffee’s Kelly Traw joins as Head of Client Success.

• Fri, 18 Aug – Cotti Coffee opens second international store in Jakarta, Indonesia. Following the opening of its first international location in South Korea last week, the Chinese coffee chain has also expanded into Indonesia.

• Fri, 18 Aug – Starbucks to open innovation and technology centre in Shenzhen, China. The company will invest US $206 million in the facility over the next three years, which is set to open in September 2023. Starbucks says the centre will help to automate more store operations, digitalise its supply chain, and improve personalised customer engagement.

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Here are this week’s coffee news stories:

Mon, 14 Aug

• Coffee prices remain stable as Brazil’s exports increase. September delivery contracts for arabica and robusta fell by 4.25% and 1.95%, respectively, following a 22% increase in Brazil’s green coffee exports in July.

• Dunkin’ announces new range of “spiked” iced coffees and teas. The new alcoholic coffee drinks will be available in several flavours, including original, caramel, mocha, and vanilla.

• El Niño to impact Indonesian coffee production and raise prices. Reuters reports the weather phenomenon is likely to cause dry conditions in Indonesia between late 2023 and early 2024, which could exacerbate harvest issues caused by excessive rainfall earlier this year. As a result, the country’s coffee production will likely decrease by 18%.

• UK packaging company says it can recycle both plastic and paper from single-use coffee cups. James Cropper claims its patented CupCycling technology can remove and convert plastic from disposable coffee cups into pellets. These can be used to create new packaging, as well as several applications in the agricultural sector.

• Reborn Coffee reports 93% increase in 2023 Q2 revenue. The US company says gross profits increased by 96% to US $1 million. Reborn also recently secured a new US $1 million credit facility for further retail expansion in the US and abroad.

• Starbucks launches reusable cup trial at 12 stores in California. Customers who order takeaway drinks are able to bring their own reusable cups, or opt into the TURN Systems trial scheme. Starbucks will use TURN Systems’ collection bins to assess and better understand customers’ cup return behaviour.

• Big Island Coffee Roasters calls for donations to support people affected by Maui wildfires. The fires have devastated communities across the island, with more than 100 deaths already recorded. All donations will go to the Maui Strong Fund, which is supporting those impacted by the fires.

Tue, 15 Aug

• Hard Beans Coffee Roasters publishes two research papers on water activity in green coffee. The company’s Head of Coffee Krzysztof Barabosz published the findings on LinkedIn. The first study explores how water activity affects the quality, food safety, and shelf life of green coffee, while the second study assesses the impact of water activity on flavour development during roasting.

• Probat supports ten graduates with apprenticeships. As part of its careers programme, Probat is offering ten graduates the opportunity to learn more about coffee processing, engineering, product design, and IT systems.

• Blue Bottle and The Weeknd’s Samra Origins line launches merch & instant coffee. The limited-edition Ethiopia Natural METAD Yirgacheffe Gedeb Chelebesa instant coffee is available until stocks last. The merchandise line includes t-shirts, hoodies, and canvas totes branded with the Blue Bottle logo and Amharic spelling of “Samra”.

• Dubai’s Saddle Café opens first international location in France. The chain operates 11 outlets across the UAE, and is now the only Emirati coffee brand operating in France. Saddle Café plans to expand into the UK and Saudi Arabia later this year, too.

• Neumann Gruppe USA announces partnership with GrainPro. The new initiative will allow green coffee buyers to recycle more GrainPro hermetic bags and other packaging liners. NGUS and GrainPro will work with New Jersey warehousing company Continental Terminals to create more accessible collection points.

• Morocco’s Bacha Coffee begins expansion strategy in Hong Kong. CEO Taha Bouqdip says the first Bacha Coffee store will open in Hong Kong this month. This will spearhead further expansion into South China’s Greater Bay Area in early 2024.

• World Coffee Research launches open-access arabica genetic fingerprinting database. The organisation says the new resource will make arabica variety identification and authentication more accessible and streamlined. In turn, WCR says this will reduce quality control costs at farm level.

Wed, 16 Aug

• Exhibitor spots still open for 2023 Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia event. There are several exhibition space options available for coffee businesses interested in attending the event, which will coincide with the 2023 Speciality Food & Drinks Asia expo from 26 to 28 September.

• Global latte powder market to grow by nearly US $1.2 million by 2027. Research firm Technavio says the market will increase by a 6.1% CAGR during the analysis period, driven by significant sales growth in Europe and rising global coffee consumption.

• SCA Poland Chapter opens voting for 2023 committee elections. Voting is open until 23 August, with eligible roles including Education Coordinator, Marketing & Communications Coordinators, and National Coordinator.

• Cotti Coffee opens first international store in Seoul, South Korea. The Chinese coffee chain, launched by former Luckin Coffee executives, plans to expand into other markets – adding to its 5,000 locations in China alone. The Seoul store is located in the Gangnam district, with more company-operated and franchise coffee shops to open across South Korea.

• The Alphabet Book of Coffee launches limited-release coffee subscription service. Subscribers will receive 26 different alphabetically-organised coffees bi-weekly over the course of a year, with each including a cassette tape describing the sensory profile. Each coffee is US $10, with subscribers receiving a 26% discount on the first two orders.

• Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat announces this year’s team challenge. The “Chrononautics” challenge will test roasters’ ability to work with past crop coffee. Competitors will work in teams, using both past crop and fresh green coffee provided by Atlas Coffee Importers, to produce a sample containing at least 75% past crop. Final submissions will be blindly cupped and scored by all attendees using Cropster’s Cup App.

Thu, 17 Aug

• Tenth MICE hosts first-ever Australia’s Richest Barista competition in Melbourne. The three-round knock-out style contest includes a prize pool of AU $40,000 (US $25,700). MICE will also host the Product Innovation Awards, and will coincide with this year’s Melbourne Coffee Week.

• Global Coffee Platform study finds many Brazilian coffee producers don’t receive a living income. The GCP Collective Action Initiative on Social Well-Being found that many smallholder farmers in Brazil depend on additional employment and government aid to support income from coffee production. GCP says it will use these findings to establish “transformational change on farmers’ prosperity”.

• Stronghold Technology launches S7X smart roaster at MICE 2023. The new machine features Stronghold’s patented drum heater design and X-Lens infrared temperature sensor.

• SCA opens qualified espresso machine sponsor applications for 2024-27 World Latte Art Championships. Applications are open to fully-automatic and traditional espresso machine manufacturers that are or will be in production by end of 2023. Espresso machines that meet specified criteria are considered “Competition Grade”, and are therefore eligible to sponsor the 2024-27 World Latte Art Championships.

• Arabica futures fall to seven-month low, while robusta falls to four-month low. The main ICE arabica contract for September delivery fell by 35 points to US 148.90 cents/lb on Wednesday, while the corresponding ICE robusta contract dropped by US $55 to close at US $2,378/tonne.

• MTPak Coffee to showcase innovative packaging solutions at this year’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas. The event will take place from 11 to 13 September at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, where MTPak Coffee will exhibit its sustainable packaging and takeaway cups.

• Darrell Baskin and Yoshawn Smith of Team Watts Riot win The Barista League Los Angeles 2023 competition. Twelve teams took part in the event, which included the Mystery Mocktail Challenge. Team Watts Riot will attend the Barista League’s Mystery Vacation in 2024.

Fri, 18 Aug

• This year’s Vienna Coffee Festival to take place from 8 to 10 September. The annual coffee festival will be hosted at the Marx Hall in Vienna, and will include an exhibition featuring over 100 brands, as well as cupping sessions and a series of talks. The Vienna Coffee Festival will also host the 2023 Austrian Coffee Roasting Championship.

• Costa Rican AeroPress Championship to take place on 19 August in Escazú. Agua y Tiempo Café and the Costa Rican Coffee Academy will co-host the competition, which will take place at Hermita Brewery in Escazú. The winner will represent Costa Rica at the World AeroPress Championship from 1 to 3 December.

• The Barista League to return to Bristol on 9 September 2023. The multi-disciplinary barista competition will take place at Extract Coffee Roasters. Guest judges include Casey Lalonde of Girls Who Grind Coffee and Josh Tarlo of Headstand.

• Seventh World Kokekaffe Championship to take place on 14 September. The competition, which celebrates and promotes the traditional full immersion Nordic brewing method, will be hosted at Kaffebrenneriet in Oslo, Norway. Each competitor has ten minutes to serve four coffees to four judges.

• MILKLAB hosts 2023 Barista Battle Australian final at MICE in Melbourne. Winners of regional heats, which were held earlier in the year, are taking part in the latte art competition to receive the chance to progress to the MILKLAB Master Baristas international final.

• Vietnamese coffee industry encouraged to adopt new EU anti-deforestation protocols. Vietnam News reported government officials state the country’s coffee producers must prepare for the law by integrating new digital technology into supply chains – which will be costly for many smallholders.

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

• Wed, 9 Aug – Swiss Water reports 10% drop in 2023 Q2 revenue. The company says production capacity constraints adversely affected revenue during the period, but that this was offset by higher sales in Q1.

• Fri, 11 Aug – Elektra Coffee Machines unveils new headquarters in Italy. The facility in Mogliano Venete includes workspaces for baristas and technicians, a showroom, and an office space.

• Fri, 11 Aug – Conservative Starbucks investor loses lawsuit against company over its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Reuters reports that the lawsuit, which claimed that Starbucks’ racial equity policies violate civil rights laws, was deemed “frivolous” by the judge. The case was made by non-profit Starbucks investor the National Center for Public Policy Research, which originally sued in August 2022 following Starbucks setting hiring goals for people of colour, awarding contracts to “diverse” suppliers and advertisers, and tying executive pay to diversity.

• Sat, 12 Aug – Caffè Nero sees 112% sales growth on pre-pandemic levels in 2023 Q4. The UK coffee chain opened 23 new stores during the analysis period, and also reported a 63% increase in delivery sales year-on-year.

• Sun, 13 Aug – Global “intelligent” coffee machines market expected to grow at 3.83% CAGR until 2030. Research indicates the market will reach a total value of US $3.46 billion by 2030, indicating significant growth in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled coffee machine sales.

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 coffee news and 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 Brazilian naturals in ICE stocks.

The post Coffee News Recap, 18 Aug: MICE hosts first-ever Australia’s Richest Barista competition in Melbourne, Blue Bottle & The Weeknd launch instant coffee & more appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Mon, 7 Aug

• Brazilian naturals allegedly included in certified exchange stocks. Reuters reports that “lower-grade” natural arabicas from Brazil, which meet ICE grading standards, are now being included in global certified exchange stocks. However, some traders believe this will negatively affect arabica prices in other producing countries.

• Global RTD coffee market to grow by almost 8% until 2027. Research firm Technavio says growing competition in the RTD coffee market will help to drive sales over the next four years. Although rising demand is a key driver of growth, Technavio warns that regulatory compliance changes may present challenges.

• Tim Hortons launches cold brew concentrate range in US grocery stores. The concentrates are available in four flavours: Medium Blend Black, Birthday Cake, Cinnamon Swirl, and Mocha Cereal. Each bottle contains eight servings and consumers can dilute the concentrate at home.

• Second G25 Africa Coffee Summit ends in Kampala, Uganda. The summit aims to address various challenges impacting producing countries across the continent, and serves as a platform to promote coffee value addition, trade, education, and domestic consumption.

• Tanzanian Vice President appeals to African leaders to find new solutions to boost coffee production. Speaking at the second G25 African Coffee Summit in Uganda, Dr. Philip Mpango encouraged fellow leaders to take steps to resolve Africa’s declining coffee exports. He adds that Tanzania aims to distribute at least 20 million coffee seedlings per year.

• Dry conditions accelerate harvests in Brazil as coffee futures fall from one-month high. The main arabica contract for September delivery closed at US 161.35 cents/lb on Friday – down by 3.35% on mid-week figures. Traders cite a weaker Brazilian real for the decline, but some anticipate prices to rise as ICE stocks continue to fall.

• Biggby Coffee on track to open 500 stores by 2024. The coffeehouse franchise company also plans to open 1,000 stores in the US by the end of 2028.

Tue, 8 Aug

• FCB Coffee to serve Sproud at all locations. Sproud manufactures plant milks made from yellow split peas, which will be served at all ten FCB Coffee locations in South England.

• Specialty Coffee Association to host Doughnut Economics webinar on 17 August. SCA Sustainability Director Andrés Montenegro will discuss how adopting a circular economy model can benefit the global coffee industry.

• Fellow launches new BIGFACE-branded product line. The new collection includes a number of BIGFACE customised Fellow products, such as the Stagg EKG Pro kettle, Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2, Carter Slide Mug, and the Stagg [X] Dripper Set.

• Bühler and IKAWA partner to bridge knowledge gap between micro and medium-to-large roasters. The partnership will help to develop new products using IKAWA’s sample roaster technology and Bühler’s RoastMaster machines. The two companies will conduct research and testing sessions with different-sized roasting businesses to better understand the goals and challenges they face, and will use research to inform design solutions.

• New study from NYU suggests drinking coffee can boost brain power. Using brain-monitoring technology, researchers found that various stimulants including coffee, music, and perfume increased “beta band” brain wave activity, which is linked to peak cognitive performance.

• Big Island Coffee Roasters opens flagship coffee shop, roastery, and tasting room in Hilo, Hawaii. The in-house roastery includes a custom, renewable energy-powered machine which can roast 102kg of coffee per hour.

• Americana Restaurants opens first Peet’s Coffee locations in Saudi Arabia. The local franchise partner has opened two Peet’s Coffee stores in the capital Riyadh, with more locations to open this year.

• EL&N seeks new investment to open 200 stores by 2028. The boutique café chain says it’s exploring opportunities to raise funding to build on record results in 2022.

Wed, 9 Aug

• Colombia’s coffee imports decreased by 50% year-on-year in July. The National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers says production has stabilised for two consecutive months, which has reduced import volumes. Total production reached 947,000 60kg bags in July.

• Dutch Bros appoints Christine Barone as new CEO. Barone, who has served as president of Dutch Bros since February 2023, replaces Joth Ricci – who worked at the company for more than five years.

• US appeals court rules Starbucks must rehire seven employees fired from Tennessee store. According to Reuters, Starbucks lost its appeal against a prior ruling which required it to re-hire seven staff members allegedly fired for being pro-union. The Memphis store is one of nearly 300 US Starbucks stores to unionise since late 2021.

• World Coffee Innovation Awards 2023 announces judges panel. This year’s judges include Erwin Wentzel, Director General of the European Vending & Coffee Service Association, Connie Blumhardt, founder of Roast magazine, and Rafaela Sousa, reporter at FoodBev magazine. The awards ceremony will take place at Caffè Culture on 3 and 4 October 2023.

• Producers in Karnataka, India benefit from rising coffee prices. Karnataka produces around 71% of India’s total coffee volumes, but local producers have struggled with “stagnant” prices for more than a decade. Rising coffee prices now means many are able to save money to prepare for the next season.

• Best of Yemen 2023 auction breaks record with highest bid of US $444/lb for natural processed Yemenia variety. The coffee, which was grown by Muhammad Zidan, scored 90.20 points. A total 37lbs were purchased by Tennessee’s Mad Priest Coffee Roasters. Overall, the auction sold a total 4,827lbs of coffee for US $296,000.

• Kaldi Company receives regulatory approval for new digital currency. The company plans to launch KaldiCoin as part of its KaldiMarket – a cryptocurrency platform which aims to create new opportunities and improve profitability for smallholder coffee farmers. The currency is underpinned by the USD value of green coffee.

Thu, 10 Aug

• Honey processed lot from Nan region receives 91.13 points at 2023 Cup of Excellence Thailand. The lot (which is 70% Java and also includes Catimor, Typica, and Yellow Bourbon) was grown by Wichai Kamnerdmongkon at Coffee De Hmong Biofarm. The auction will take place on 15 August.

• Speciality Coffee & Tea Asia to launch Roasters Village at 2023 event. The Roasters Village is largely focused towards micro roasters, and helps them to connect with potential buyers in the hospitality industry. The 2023 Specialty Coffee & Tea Asia event will take place from 26 to 28 September at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

• Winners of Coffee Co Fest cold brew competition to take part in championships at PRF Colombia. Steven Palechor and Yeíson Buitrago placed first and second, respectively, at the competition, which was created by former PRF volunteer David Panesso. Both Palechor and Buitrago will receive a free ticket to take part in the Cold Brew Championship at PRF Colombia on 14 & 15 September 2023.

• Cxffeeblack to host fundraiser dinner to support its Black Barista Exchange. The three-course dinner – which includes traditional Ethiopian and African American cuisine – will be held at the TONE Gallery Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee on 25 August. The event will also include a panel discussion featuring several prominent industry professionals.

• Singa Crew wins 2023 ASEAN Barista Team Championship. The team, which included coffee professionals from Singapore, won part of a total cash pool of US $11,000. The fourth edition of the competition will take place in Bangkok, Thailand in March 2024.

• Covoya Coffee announces Sip Happens exclusive cupping series. The cuppings will include several pre-shipment samples from various partner producers. The first session will take place at the Independent Coffee Lab in London on 16 August.

Fri, 11 Aug

• Second regional Venezuelan AeroPress Championship to take place on 12 August. The competition will be held in Caracas, while the first regional event took place in Carabobo on 5 and 6 August. More regional Venezuelan AeroPress Championships will take place in Miranda on 25 August, Lara and Aragua on 2 September, and Oriente on 9 September. Dates for the national competition will be announced soon.

• Five Elephant to host this year’s German AeroPress Championship on 9 September in Berlin. The winner will represent Germany at the 2023 World AeroPress Championship in Melbourne, Australia from 1 to 3 December.

• Expo Café Uruguay 2023 to take place on 12 August in Montevideo. The second edition of the event will include an exhibition, workshops and lectures, as well as the 2023 Uruguayan Latte Art and AeroPress Championships.

• Swiss Coffee Festival 2023 set to take place in Zurich from 6 to 8 October. The event will include networking opportunities, numerous exhibitions, and the 2023 Swiss Coffee Championships. Registration is now open for exhibitors and visitors.

• This year’s International Coffee Organisation World Conference to take place in Bengaluru, India from 25 to 28 September. In partnership with the Coffee Board of India, the fifth World Coffee Conference will bring together thousands of supply chain actors and stakeholders. The event will also coincide with the fifth CEO and Global Leaders Forum and the 136th International Coffee Council session.

• Manchester Coffee Festival to return on 18 & 19 November 2023. The annual event will feature an exhibition, extenstive talks and panels programme, workshops, and several competitions – including the 2023 UK Cup Tasters Championship and the new Extracted Development contest.

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

• Tue, 1 Aug – International Trade Centre launches processing handbook for West African coffee producers. The manual outlines best practices for harvesting, processing, and post-harvest methods, as well as guidance on how to develop coffee products for local markets.

• Fri, 4 Aug – Report outlines how El Niño could affect emerging market economies. According to Reuters, India and Egypt are some of the most vulnerable market economies. Overall, countries with “relatively weak economic fundamentals” are at risk, with agricultural exports like coffee likely to suffer as a result.

• Fri, 4 Aug – Robusta shortages encourage Brazilian traders to export more coffee to Europe. Bloomberg reports that Brazilian traders are “rushing” to ship more coffee to Europe to capitalise on the global robusta shortage, which has dramatically increased robusta prices on the London Coffee Exchange.

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 how automation impacts the specialty coffee sector.

The post Coffee News Recap, 11 Aug: Brazilian naturals allegedly included in more certified exchange stocks, drinking coffee may boost brain performance & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.