The 43rd edition of the expo will showcase the latest innovations in technology and product development in the global coffee and HoReCa industries. In addition to its extensive exhibition, HostMilano will also hold several coffee competitions and awards ceremonies.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to attend this year, with more than 2,000 companies exhibiting at the event – making it one of the most important in the global hospitality industry.

Read on to find out more about what’s happening at HostMilano 2023.

Check out the PDG Events Calendar here.

Coffee competitions & awards at HostMilano

HostMilano is one of the most influential and impactful B2B trade shows in the global HoReCa sector. Following the easing of pandemic restrictions, the 2021 event saw a record number of attendees with over 110,000 visitors and 1,345 companies present from across 144 countries. 

The expo is open to brands and companies in many food and beverage sectors, including:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Chocolate and cacao
• Bars and restaurants
• Bakeries and patisseries
• Pizza
• Pasta
• Gelato
• Vending machines
• Foodservice equipment

Every HostMilano trade show takes place in Milan, Italy – a city widely considered to be one of the design and fashion capitals of the world. Milan also hosted World of Coffee – another industry-leading event – in 2022. 

Alongside an expansive HoReCa exhibition, several competitions are also held at every HostMilano event. The 2021 expo hosted the 2021 World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters Championship, and World Barista Championship – with a Colombian competitor crowned the World Barista Champion for the first time.

Espresso Italiano Champion 2023

The Italian Espresso Institute will host this year’s Espresso Italiano Champion contest at stands V21 and Z22 in hall 24P from 13 to 17 October. International coffee professionals will compete to prepare espressos and cappuccinos to a panel of sensory and technical judges, and must also deliver a presentation.

Competitors will use the Rancilio Specialty RS1 espresso machine and Eureka Helios and Atom grinders.

World Latte Art Grading System Championship 2023

This year’s World Latte Art Grading System Championship will take place on 16 October at stands V57 & Z58 in hall 22. Held in more than 50 countries, the competition assesses baristas’ technical latte art skills, as well as their creativity and flair. 

The championship has six levels (or grades), with each one corresponding to specific skills baristas must demonstrate to receive an award:

• White
• Orange
• Green
• Red
• Black
• Gold

Although any coffee professional can apply to take part in the World Latte Art Grading System Championship, competitors must know how to extract espresso, steam milk, and pour latte art.

Participants who pass the championship receive a graded Latte Art Grading Certificate – as well as a milk jug in the corresponding colour. Certified competitors are also listed in an online directory.

Gran Premio Delle Caffetteria Italiana 2023 competition

Founded in 2009, the 2023 Gran Premio Delle Caffetteria Italiana competition will take place on 14 October at stands V57 & Z58 in hall 22. 

Competitors will have 13 minutes to prepare two cappuccinos, two espressos, and two cold coffee drinks which contain traditional Italian ingredients. Eight baristas will proceed to the finals to compete for the title of 2023 Best Italian Maestro del Caffé.

Milano Latte Art Challenge 2023

The fourth edition of the Milano Latte Art Challenge will take place from 14 to 16 October at stand N23 in hall 14. Twelve competitors will take part in nine rounds using the Rancilio Specialty RS1 espresso machine. The challenges range in difficulty, from pouring simple latte art patterns to more complex designs.

The judges’ panel will also include several World Latte Art Champions.

Moka Challenge 2023

The second Moka Challenge will be held at stands V57 & Z58 in hall 22 on 17 October – and is open to anyone interested in taking part. 

Competitors will have ten minutes to brew and serve coffee in a three-cup moka pot – with finalists vying to win the title of best brewer of the traditional Italian coffee pot.

Smart Label Host Innovation Award 2023

As well as competitions, HostMilano also includes several awards schemes – including the Smart Label Host Innovation Awards.

The awards scheme recognises excellence in product innovation in the HoReCa sectors, including coffee. This year’s awards ceremony will be held at stands A44, B43, B49 & B50 in hall 6 – celebrating and honouring global leaders in their respective sectors. 

Categories included in the awards programme are functionality, technology, product performance, and social and environmental sustainability.

Smart Label Host Innovation Award 2023 winners include:

• Latte Art Factory Bar Pro
• Pietro grinder
• Wacaco Company’s Minipresso NS2
• Franke Mytico
• Simonelli’s Eagle Tempo

Who’s exhibiting and attending this year’s event?

More than 2,000 exhibitors are expected to attend this year’s HostMilano, including leading companies from over 50 countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain, France, the US, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, and China. 

Brands from the coffee, tea, bakery, professional catering, pizza, gelato, and tableware sectors will showcase their products to thousands of visitors.

Automated beverage solutions

Many of the coffee industry’s most innovative equipment manufacturers and distributors will be at HostMilano. This includes Flo-Smart – a manufacturer of automated beverage and milk dispensing solutions.

Keelan Hartnett is the Managing Director at Flo-Smart.

“Manual milk preparation can cost businesses a significant amount of time and money,” he says. “The sometimes slow and inaccurate process of pouring milk by hand only adds to baristas’ movements, and can also increase milk waste.

“Flo-Smart is designed to transform milk preparation to be more precise and efficient,” he adds.

At HostMilano 2023, Flo-Smart will showcase its automated beverage dispenser, which is suitable for any non-carbonated beverage – including different types of milks or pre-made batch brews. With its portion-controlled dispensing system, baristas can prepare and serve drinks at a faster rate. Additionally, coffee shops can also reduce their waste, and therefore save money and time.

Flo-Smart’s system dispenses beverages directly into milk jugs and other vessels from pergals or containers in undercounter fridges. The dispensing machine includes three different functions:

• Automatic: for automated hands-free dosing based on the size of milk pitchers
• Semi-automatic: for small, medium, and large pours
• Manual: for free-flow dispensing

The Flo-Smart also includes a built-in pitcher rinser, which helps to optimise and de-clutter countertop space.

To learn more about Flo-Smart, visit the website and stop by stand M83 in hall 18P at HostMilano.

Coffee machine manufacturers

Some of the sector’s leading machine manufacturers will be exhibiting at HostMilano 2023, including pioneering Carimali.

Roberto Gregis is the Marketing Manager at Carimali.

“Designing a booth with interactive experiences to showcase the latest trends in the coffee industry was quite challenging,” he says. “However, it’s allowed us to explore and understand shifting market needs on a much deeper level, as well as Carimali’s current role in the market and its future prospects. 

“We look forward to welcoming visitors to our booth, where they will experience unrivalled super-automatic coffee machine technology,” he adds.

At HostMilano 2023, Carimali will showcase its CARItower coffee station, which serves a range of customised drinks. Considering that coffee is often only one ingredient of several in a beverage (including milk, cocoa, and syrups), serving increasingly personalised drinks which combine multiple ingredients can cater to different consumer taste preferences.

Carimali will also showcase its new SilverAce Power coffee machine, which also serves a range of customised beverages. The SilverAce Power is designed for high-sales locations which serve up to 400 drinks per day. The brand’s new CARIcream milk system can also produce both high-quality hot and cold milk foam, as well as preparing up to five drinks simultaneously – making it ideal for convenience stores, lounges, and quick service restaurants.

To learn more about Carimali, visit the website and stop by stand G23 in hall 24P at HostMilano.

Other companies at HostMilano 2023

Alongside these brands, a number of other specialty coffee companies will exhibit and/or attend the event. These include:

• Marco
• Rancilio
• Gruppo Cimbali
• IMF
• Dalla Corte
• Sanremo
• Latte Art Factory
• WMF
• Bazzara

Other events & activities

In addition to competitions, awards schemes, and an extensive exhibition, other key events will take place at HostMilano 2023.

Coffee Addition

Organised by AICAF, Coffee Addition returns after the 2021 HostMilano expo, where it attracted hundreds of attendees. The unique event will be held at different stands throughout the exhibition.

A personalised seminar will be hosted at each stand, catering to the needs of each individual brand and company on how they can incorporate coffee into their products and services.

Design Talks

The 2023 Design Talks will include several sessions across all five days of the event, with an overarching focus on the wider hospitality industry.

All sessions will be held in Italian, with each seminar having 60 reservation spots.

After parties

Several after parties and events will take place during the 2023 HostMilano. These include Rancilio’s and The Barista League’s Barista Roulette Competition on 14 October at 20:00, which is a private and invite-only event. Eight baristas will go head-to-head in a series of fun competitions, alongside live music, food, and drinks.

Please note that some afterparties and events may also be invite-only, and attendees may need to register beforehand – with some possibly sold out.

For those attending HostMilano 2023, there are plenty of events and activities to engage with – as well as opportunities to network with other coffee professionals.

If you are taking part in any capacity, make sure to register and book for any events and activities prior to attending. 

To learn more about HostMilano, visit the official website here.

Photo credits: Flo-Smart, Carimali

Perfect Daily Grind

Please note: Flo-Smart and Carimali are sponsors of Perfect Daily Grind.

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Over the past few years, several national Barista Championship competitors had openly defied the prior rule which stipulated they could only use cow’s milk. Ultimately, these competitors’ decisions to willingly score zero in the milk course round played a key role in changing the format of the WBC – and many would agree for the better.

It comes as somewhat of a surprise, however, that the SCA Swedish chapter recently made the decision to host the first-ever fully plant-based national Latte Art Championship. Considering that plant milks often perform differently to cow’s milk, to say this is a bold move is an understatement.

So are we starting to see a wider, more inclusive shift across more of the World Coffee Championships? And if so, what could that mean for the future of the competitions?

To find out more, I spoke to Ioana Bombea, former Global Community Manager at Sproud. Read on for more of her insight.

You may also like our article on why more competitors didn’t use plant milks at the 2023 World Barista Championship.

Plant milks at coffee competitions

Plant milks are incredibly popular in the specialty coffee sector. Walk into almost any coffee shop in many countries and they will offer at least one type of non-dairy milk. In fact, some specialty coffee shops have even started defaulting to oat milk as a result of growing demand.

This rising interest in plant milks is also reflected in many coffee competitions. These range from local latte art throwdowns to events like The Barista League, where participants must serve a plant-based beverage to the judging panel.

As of December 2022, the World Barista Championship also allows plant milks – but this wasn’t always the case. Prior to this rule change, the 2022 World Barista Championship Official Rules and Regulations stated that:

“A milk beverage is a combination of 1 single shot of espresso (per the definition of espresso in the ‘Espresso’ section) and steamed cow’s milk.”

This meant national and World Barista Championship competitors had to use cow’s milk in the milk beverage course – or risk receiving zero points in the category. Of course, this would significantly decrease their chances of winning, but it was a risk some were willing to take.

Making a statement

The decision to drink plant milks can be an ethical, sustainable, or dietary choice – or even purely based on personal taste preferences. As such, prior to the 2023 WBC rule change, some national Barista Championship competitors decided to make a statement and use oat milk in their routines. Some of these include:

• Cristian Tellez, who used Minor Figures oat milk during his 2019 Canadian Barista Championship routine – effectively disqualifying him from the competition.
• In October last year, 2023 German Barista Championship competitor Mikolaj Pociecha also used oat milk for his milk beverage course.
  • Mikolaj even published an open letter to SCA Germany requesting it “refrain from the compulsory use of cow’s milk at all upcoming competitions”.

It was clear the SCA had been listening to these demands for some time, and officially announced the new plant milk rule for the 2023 competition late last year.

Given the growing pushback against the exclusive cow’s milk rule, it came as a surprise that very few 2023 WBC competitors used plant milk in their routines. One of the more notable examples was finalist Patrik Rolf, but even he only used a blend of 90% cow’s milk and 10% coconut milk.

Canadian competitor and semi-finalist Benjamin Put, meanwhile, used a blend containing 40% oat milk, while UK competitor Ian Kissick exclusively used freeze-distilled oat milk.

The first-ever plant-based national Latte Art Championship

In the years to come, it’s likely we’ll see more World Barista Championship competitors incorporate alternative milks in their routines. And at the same time, it seems the new plant milk rule is influencing other SCA competitions.

The 2023 Swedish Latte Art and Coffee in Good Spirits Championships recently took place in Stockholm, with Alexander Ntatsos winning both competitions. He will represent Sweden at both World Coffee Championship events at the Taiwan International Coffee Show from 17 to 20 November.

In an interesting twist, SCA Sweden decided to host a fully plant-based Latte Art Championship – reportedly the first-ever national competition to do so. 

As it stands, when it comes to milk, the 2023 World Latte Art Championship Rules & Regulations state:

“Competitors are required to use WLAC-provided milk during their performance. Provided milk will be whole milk,” – thus insinuating cow’s milk.

So what was the motivation behind SCA Sweden’s decision to use plant milk?

“The coffee industry is not always the most sustainable,” Ioana says. “But if there is one factor we really focus on, it’s our carbon footprint.

“Simply put, SCA Sweden and Sproud decided to show that you don’t have to sacrifice performance or taste while minimising your impact on the environment,” she adds. “We can safely assume that this year’s Swedish Latte Art Championship had the smallest carbon footprint yet!”

A sustainable choice – but what are the broader considerations?

Reducing the coffee industry’s environmental footprint can only be a good thing. Making the switch to plant milks, however, brings about a number of technical considerations.

“Hosting a fully plant-based national Latte Art Championship is a really bold move,” Ioana tells me. “While the popularity of non-dairy milks has increased considerably in the past years, their performance also varies greatly.”

Many baristas will know that plant milks must be treated differently to cow’s milk when steaming and pouring latte art. This ranges from how much air you need to incorporate into the liquid to the temperature range you should heat it to.

Moreover, despite how well some plant milks can replicate the texture and mouthfeel of dairy, it’s often more difficult to pour crisp, high-contrast latte art with plant-based drinks.

So given that WLAC judges assess several aesthetic attributes of competitors’ latte art – including foam quality, contrast between coffee and milk, level of difficulty, and overall visual appeal – using the best-performing milk is absolutely essential to receive high scores.

“You want to give all competitors a fair chance, so hosting a fully plant-based SCA-accredited competition is somewhat of a risk, and it opens the door to criticism,” Ioana explains. “SCA Sweden chose Sproud because it closely replicates cow’s milk – and we’re always trying to make it even better.”

So could the WLAC change?

Does this mean plant milks will be used at future World Latte Art Championships? More importantly, will WLAC competitors be able to choose between cow’s milk or plant milks?

While the answers are largely unknown for now, the latter question raises a valid concern that competitors who use dairy will potentially score higher. Essentially, without a level playing field, WLAC participants using plant milks could be at a disadvantage.

As it stands, the World Latte Art Championship will continue to exclusively use cow’s milk. Following the recent WBC rule update, however, this could always change.

“Now that the World Barista Championship allows plant milks, we’ll get to see more of them on the global stage,” Ioana concludes.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on what the new plant milk rule means for the future of the WBC.

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Many of these events, however, are held in export market countries and regions, including the US, Europe, and Australia. While this isn’t to say these events don’t serve an important purpose when hosted in such places, it can often mean many coffee professionals at origin aren’t able to participate and contribute on a similar level.

This leads to a number of complex issues along the coffee supply chain. Chief among these is a lack of knowledge sharing in producing countries, in addition to concerns that producers’ perspectives and opinions are not acknowledged to the same extent as those of other industry professionals.

To address these problems, some coffee companies are organising their own events to make sure more value is retained at origin. I spoke to three people who attended the first-ever Ally Open Summit held in Brazil on 19 and 20 September 2023 to find out more. Read on for their insight on why hosting events in producing countries is so important.

You may also like our article on why coffee competitors should go on origin trips.

A growing number of coffee events

Now more than ever, there is a more diverse range of events in the coffee sector. Industry professionals have the option to attend a broad range of festivals, expos, and competitions, as well as organised trips to coffee farms.

The latter naturally take place in producing countries, where green buyers, roasters, and baristas can tour farm facilities and understand more about coffee production.

Although origin trips can be a useful way for producers to connect with other coffee professionals, networking and knowledge sharing often take place in much less formalised settings.

Ricardo Pereira is the COO of Ally Coffee, which has been hosting an annual Champs Trip event since 2016 as an opportunity for US and World Coffee Champions to visit producing countries.

This year, he explains Ally Coffee also organised the inaugural Ally Open Summit as part of the 2023 Champs Trip.

“Ally Coffee decided to launch the first Ally Open Summit as an evolution of our annual Champs Trip because we wanted to take advantage of having so many incredible coffee professionals join us from all over the world,” he says.

Along with several leading figures in the Brazilian coffee industry, Ricardo spoke at the opening ceremony of the event on 19 September, before joining the How to add value to coffee production panel with producers from Colombia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

“It’s great to visit farms, see post-harvest processing, and meet producers, but we can also go beyond this,” he tells me. “If we’re going to invite coffee professionals with different backgrounds and experiences then why don’t we create an opportunity for knowledge sharing and making more of a meaningful impact at origin.”

Creating space for producers’ perspectives

With so many events held in export market countries, many producers and other coffee professionals at origin miss out on attending them. This is especially true for smallholder farmers who may have fewer financial resources to travel.

Inevitably, this means producers’ voices and opinions can be left out of important conversations. But without their perspectives, it’s impossible to understand some of the biggest issues the global coffee industry faces today.

Diego Campos is the 2021 World Barista Champion, and also recently opened his own coffee shop in Colombia. He attended the Ally Open Summit at Fazenda Minamihara where he spoke on the How to add value to the cup panel with several other World Coffee Championship competitors.

“Hosting events at origin makes it much easier for producers to showcase where coffee comes from,” he says. “Baristas and roasters can see with their own eyes what it takes to grow coffee and understand more about coffee production.”

Similarly, producers also have the opportunity to learn from traders, roasters, baristas, and other coffee professionals – which allows them to gain new insight as well.

“It’s always important for producers to be able to attend these kinds of events because then we get to expand our knowledge,” Diego says. “Conversely, more people can comprehend the work we do on farms and how we improve coffee quality.

“Everyone has different ideas and concepts about coffee, so it helps to combine and share them,” he adds.

Why does more knowledge sharing need to take place at origin?

It’s no understatement to say education is one of the main driving forces of the specialty coffee industry. With both industry professionals and consumers becoming more and more informed, the sector only continues to evolve.

Events play a key role in improving access to coffee education, too – with many including panels and lectures, workshops, cuppings, and networking sessions. In turn, hosting more events at origin means industry professionals in these countries have the chance to participate and engage in a more accessible and meaningful way.

“Knowledge is power,” Ricardo tells me. “As my father said when I was younger, if there’s one thing that people can’t take from you, it’s knowledge.

“So bringing coffee events to producers is so important,” he adds. “As an industry, we must understand the struggles that producers face, as well as finding ways to resolve them and create opportunities for sharing information.”

Hosting more events in producing countries

Alongside the Ally Open Summit, a small but growing number of producer-focused events have been held at origin – with the aim of placing coffee farmers at the forefront of important industry-wide discussions. These include Producer Roaster Forum, which Ally Coffee sponsors every year.

“Producer Roaster Forum is an incredible platform that Ally Coffee is very proud to have sponsored since the first event,” Ricardo says. “Empowering producers and creating opportunities for knowledge sharing at origin is a powerful tool for the coffee industry.”

Diego Campos, who also owns Finca Diamante in Colombia, emphasises that these events allow for two-way communication.

“Giving feedback to producers is very important,” Diego Campos tells me. “It’s not just about asking them to try different things, but building a relationship and creating consistency.

“Events like the Ally Open Summit allows us to see where coffee quality is at right now, as well as what consumers are asking for and what the future of coffee looks like,” he adds. “We need to listen to everyone along the supply chain because there are many unique challenges – which makes connecting the coffee chain even more important.”

Effectively addressing issues in the coffee industry

As well as offering the chance to connect and network with other coffee professionals, attending events held at origin means producers have more of a platform to speak about the difficulties they face in an ever-evolving industry.

“Finding ways to provide real support and create new learning opportunities for producers is essential,” Ricardo says. “We can ask them about the social and environmental aspects of coffee farming, and understand how we can join forces as an industry to invest in the sustainable future of coffee.

“For instance, the average age of coffee producers around the world is only increasing,” he adds. “So how can we motivate younger generations to show them that coffee has a future which depends on them?”

He continues to say that he sees attitudes shifting, particularly in Brazil.

“Younger people are becoming more interested in coffee and more involved in their family businesses,” he continues. “We’re seeing more third, fourth, or fifth generations now working in coffee and telling their stories.”

Ensuring a more diverse range of coffee professionals benefit

There is often much discussion about how we can improve sustainability and equity along the supply chain – which are prominent talking points at many coffee events.

These conversations are certainly necessary and important, but they can exclude insight from producers when held in places like the US and Europe. Moreover, farmers are usually the most affected by issues such as fluctuations in coffee prices and the impact of climate change, which means their perspectives are invaluable in addressing these challenges.

“There’s so much we can learn as an industry,” Ricardo explains. “When we were talking to Diego Campos for our new podcast Rooted in Coffee, he said something that really struck me. He told me that when coffee professionals go to origin, they’re sometimes trying to tell producers what to do, but they don’t want to share any of the risk.

“But the truth is that we can learn so much more from producers than we can actually teach them,” he adds. “So if we can create opportunities like the Ally Open Summit where producers can participate and share their experiences and knowledge with other farmers, traders, roasters, baristas, equipment manufacturers, and technology brands, then we can bring all these different facets of the industry together in one place.”

Bringing producers together to create more value

Diego Baraona is a producer at Los Pirineos in El Salvador. He took part in two panels at the first-ever Ally Open Summit entitled How to add value to coffee production and How to add value in coffee sales. 

He explains how connecting with other coffee professionals helps him to deepen his knowledge of coffee.

“As a producer, it’s really interesting to interact with competitors because they are the ambassadors of specialty coffee,” he says. “It’s a mingling of different experiences and perspectives.”

Furthermore, he adds that meeting producers from different countries is also invaluable.

“I’m feeling inspired because I shared a lot of my own knowledge, but I also took in a lot of information, too,” he tells me. “It’s really cool to share knowledge between producing countries because we are all different. It’s interesting to see the large scale of production in Brazil, yet also experience how producers keep quality and processes consistent.

“Also, the cost of production is lower in Brazil, which inspires me to bring costs down while also focusing more on implementing organic farming practices,” he adds.

Improving the diversity of events at origin

With specialty coffee consumption steadily growing in some producing countries, the types of events taking place in these regions are also broadening. For example, according to research from the Specialty Coffee Association:

• Brazil’s specialty coffee market share doubled between 2016 and 2018 from 6% to 12%
•  In 2018, the estimated value of the Colombian specialty coffee market was around US $1.52 billion – and is likely to have grown since
• It’s believed specialty coffee accounts for between 3% and 5% of Mexico’s coffee consumption, with more and more specialty coffee shops opening in bigger cities

Given this growth, more events are launching in producing countries which focus on roasting and brewing. One of these is Torrando Ideias, which was held from 21 to 23 September 2023 in Patrocínio, Brazil. In addition to workshops, presentations, and cuppings, there were several panel discussions at the event – bringing together a wide range of coffee professionals from different countries.

“Ally Coffee has a strong presence in Brazil, so having a lot of networks in the country really helped us to facilitate the first Ally Open Summit,” Ricardo concludes. “But we don’t intend to only host the Ally Open Summit in Brazil – we’re exploring holding it in other producing countries as well.”

Ultimately, if we want to grow as an industry, there needs to be more groundbreaking events held in producing countries. By doing so, we can help to retain more value at origin – and create a more equitable and knowledgeable supply chain.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why more producers don’t market their own coffee.

Photo credits: Ally Coffee

Perfect Daily Grind

Editor’s note: Perfect Daily Grind attended the Ally Open Summit on 19 & 20 September, and was invited to speak on a panel alongside other industry professionals.

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On 19 September, the National Coffee Association (NCA) published its autumn 2023 National Coffee Data Trends Report, which monitors the biggest evolving trends in US coffee consumption over the past seven decades. The report found that coffee remains US Americans’ “favourite” beverage – with 63% of those surveyed drinking coffee every day. 

Based on these findings, this makes coffee more popular than bottled water, tea, and tap water in the US. This also follows on from the spring 2023 NCDT report which stated more US Americans drank coffee in the previous day than any other beverage.

With the vast popularity of larger coffee chains like Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Peet’s in the US, it’s safe to assume these brands are the biggest drivers of coffee consumption. But what about the specialty coffee market?

Read on to learn more about the NCA’s latest NCDT report, as well as how specialty coffee is influencing consumers in the US.

You may also like our article on whether specialty coffee culture is dominated by the US.

Unpacking the new NCDT report

Since the early 20th century, coffee has been an integral part of US food and beverage culture. It was during the Great Depression that coffee became much more accessible to the masses when food banks handed out free coffee and doughnuts.

Fast forward to the 1970s and the second wave of coffee had begun to emerge in the US. Larger chains like Starbucks and Peet’s became pioneers in the industry – and even helped to define standards in the specialty coffee market decades later.

Given the country’s longstanding history of coffee consumption, it comes as no surprise that coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the US – as found by the NCA’s autumn 2023 NCDT report.

The association’s latest study found that nearly two-thirds of US Americans drank coffee the previous day. According to the data, the Midwest consumes the most of any region in the country, with 65% of people choosing coffee every day over other beverages, including:

• Bottled water (61%)
• Tea (45%)
• Tap water (45%)
• Soft drinks (41%)
• Juice (22%)

As expected, the study found the vast majority of US consumers (81%) drink coffee with their breakfast, with 19% also drinking coffee beverages in the afternoon.

Additionally, the NCDT report found that US Americans between the ages of 25 and 39 are more likely than any other age group in the country to drink coffee in the previous day, as well as to choose an espresso-based beverage in the past day.

According to NCA data, the most popular espresso-based drinks in the US are:

• Latte (18%)
• Espresso (16%) – which is especially impressive considering espresso culture is much more prominent in Europe
• Cappuccino (15%)
• Mocha (11%)

Is second wave coffee culture predominantly driving US coffee consumption?

As part of its latest NCDT report, the NCA found that 53% of consumers drank specialty coffee in the past week – a figure that has been steadily increasing over the past few years. For example, in the spring 2022 NCDT report, US specialty coffee consumption was the highest on record.

Furthermore, according to some market research groups, the North American specialty coffee market is expected to grow 20% year-on-year until 2030. This would make it one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.

However, it’s also hard to ignore the influence that second wave coffee culture has on US consumers. With almost 16,000 Starbucks locations in the country alone, larger chains are immensely popular among coffee drinkers.

Drive-thru and app-based pick-up services continue to play a key role in this. The 2023 spring NCDT report found that use of these services remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. For instance, around 59% of past-day coffee drinkers who purchased beverages from a coffee shop, convenience store, or service station used a drive-thru service. Compared to January 2020, this represents an 11% increase.

Similarly, 29% of people who consumed coffee the previous day used an app to order their beverages – amounting to a 5% increase on January 2020.

The autumn 2023 NCDT report also found that 30% of US Americans drank a flavoured coffee in the past week, including flavours like vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, and pumpkin spice.

Although specialty coffee shops can certainly offer pick up (or even drive-thru) services and serve flavoured drinks, we mostly associate these more with second wave coffee culture.

Could specialty coffee become more dominant in the US?

The US definitely has a thriving specialty coffee scene, especially in larger cities. But at the same time, it’s evident that second wave coffee is still heavily shaping consumer behaviour.

Younger generations, however, are helping to shift trends. The NCA’s latest report claims 65% of US Americans aged 25 to 39 drank specialty coffee in the past week, with 51% of 18 to 24-year olds doing the same.

The ever-growing popularity of cold and iced coffee beverages in the US also presents a gateway to drinking more specialty coffee. In this year’s autumn NCDT report, the NCA says iced coffee consumption rose by a staggering 64% since January 2023. 

So with the explosive growth of the ready-to-drink specialty coffee market in recent years, this could encourage more US Americans to start drinking more specialty coffee in a more accessible way.

Claiming coffee is more popular than water in the US is a bold statement. But given that the NCA has been tracking US Americans consumption behaviour since 1950, it’s by far the longest available statistical report series in the industry – so we should be inclined to trust the data.

However, it’s also important to question what exactly is driving coffee consumption in the US. With second wave coffee shops still playing a big role in US coffee culture, it will be interesting to see how specialty coffee continues to influence consumer behaviour.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the history of the US coffee shop.

Perfect Daily Grind

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There were a number of activities held at PRF Colombia this year, including lectures and panels led by industry experts, as well as cuppings and workshops. Additionally, PRF Colombia hosted four diverse and unique coffee competitions – including the second edition of the groundbreaking Global Coffee Roasting Contest.

Read on to find out what happened at PRF Colombia, as well as when and where the next PRF event will take place.

Learn more about PRF Colombia here.

Hosting industry-leading events in producing countries

As with every PRF event, the goal is to drive green coffee sales in the host country and highlight Latin America as a leading international coffee knowledge hub. Moreover, with such a significant focus on producers, PRF ensures their voices and perspectives are at the forefront of some of the most pressing industry-wide conversations.

Martin Mayorga is the founder of Mayorga Coffee, which is the PRF Diamond Sponsor. At every PRF event, Mayorga Coffee sponsors around 500 smallholder farmers to attend the forum through its Beca Mayorga scholarship programme.

“PRF helps us to connect and talk to smallholder producers, who have been quite disconnected from the market,” he said at the event. “Here, we can do the most important thing, which is to start the conversation, because if we really want to create change and make an impact, we have to know what farmers’ goals are and the challenges they face.”

In line with its vision to host world-class events at origin, PRF Colombia is estimated to have generated business of more than US $12.5 million, with additional tourism spending of at least US $1.5 million – adding significant value to Colombia and its coffee sector.

Furthermore, the two-day forum generated over 300 jobs, and welcomed volunteers from 25 different countries.

More than 5,000 industry professionals from around the world – such as producers, roasters, baristas, and more – attended the event, including special guest Deputy President of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua.

“Colombia is a leader in coffee production, processing, and exporting to the world’s highest value markets,” His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua said at the event. “As Kenya traces its roots as a specialty coffee origin to [improve] sustainable profitability for our coffee farmers, we are participating in PRF Colombia to [embolden our efforts in] our reforms in the coffee sector.”

Lectures, speeches & panels

Alongside an extensive trade show exhibition, PRF Colombia hosted a series of speeches, lectures, and panels led by some of the industry’s leading experts – including 30 international and ten Colombian speakers.

Some of the lectures and speeches included:

• Beyond higher prices (Martin Mayorga – PRF Diamond Sponsor Mayorga Coffee, US)
• Embracing Latin American identity: Embedding culture into your business (José Guzmán – Kofra Coffee, UK)
• How to enhance aroma compounds during coffee processing & brewing (Sasa Sestic – ONA Coffee, Australia)
• Understanding what it takes to roast for competitions (Eduardo Choza – Mayorga Coffee, US)

PRF Official Finance Sponsor Bancolombia also gave a speech on day one of the forum.

Alongside insightful lectures, PRF Colombia also hosted several panel discussions over the two days, which included:

• Exploring the opportunities & challenges in sourcing competition coffees (Traci Armstrong – Balzac Brothers, US; Santiago Carvajal – Forest Coffee, Colombia, and Juan Díaz – KWC SPECIALITY COFFEE COLLECTIVE, US & Colombia)
• Bridging the age gap in coffee production: Success stories directly from origin (Ricardo Pereira & Nicholas Castellano – PRF Bronze Sponsor Ally Coffee, US; Julia Peixoto Peters – Peixoto Coffee, Brazil; Lucas Cuadros – Unblended Coffee, Colombia)

No Filter Panel series

On the morning of the second day at PRF Colombia, the No Filter panel series took place. This is a groundbreaking discussion platform for industry experts to have difficult and challenging – but also necessary – discussions.

This year’s No Filter Panel included three topics:

• Commercial or specialty: Which has a bigger impact on the producers’ livelihoods? (Rubén Gallozzi Cálix, Scarlette Soanny Zeron, and Luis Velez)
• What is more important: The price per pound or the cost of production? (Piotr Kotarba, Jonathan Moral, and Juan Ricardo Gómez)
• Beyond microlots: Every coffee has a market (Olga Cuellar Gomez, Francesco Sanapo, and Dale Harris)

Workshops & cuppings

PRF Colombia also included a number of interactive workshops and cuppings across both days.

On day one, several companies and organisations hosted workshops:

• Yeast manufacturer Selvatech
• Cold brew manufacturer Toddy
• Mayorga Coffee, which discussed its scholarship programme in a roundtable
• StoneX, which presented on “Coffee Prices’ Risk Management”

Day two, meanwhile, included workshops led by:

• Digital platform Trace.Coffee
• Sigma Advisors S.A.S, which discussed “The Plateau: The route to growing and financing your exports”
• Rainforest Alliance, which presented on “Current vision for the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program – More sustainability equals more benefits for farms”
• Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, which discussed its Bird Friendly Coffee Landscape Partnership
• International non-profit TechnoServe

Numerous cupping sessions were held in two dedicated rooms at PRF Colombia, sponsored by PRF Gold Sponsor MTPak Coffee – which is also the Official Education Sponsor for the event.

These sessions were hosted by:

• Ally Coffee
• Armonia by Promising Crops
• Global Cafés
• !Fest Coffee Mission
• Cooperativa de Caficultores del Cauca
• Colors of Nature SAS
• Kilometro Cero Coffee
• Glop Coffee Company
• Cooperativa Cafetalera San Miguelito Limitada COCASMIL
• Those Coffee People
• Lohas Beans
• Jaguara Coffee

Which competitions took place at PRF Colombia?

This year, PRF Colombia hosted three coffee championships, as well as the winner announcement for a fourth contest. Each competition assessed a broad range of skills and expertise, with the winners recognised and celebrated at the event.

Global Coffee Roasting Contest

Following the first edition of the Global Coffee Roasting Contest held in El Salvador earlier this year, the second iteration of the competition took place at PRF Colombia.

The competition has a unique judging format unlike any other in the coffee industry. In addition to a panel of judges who selected a technical winner, there was a final assessment round where all PRF Colombia attendees had the chance to vote for their favourite coffee at the Brew Bar (sponsored by Kofra Coffee, along with Official Espresso Bar sponsor Sanremo).

Specialty green coffee sourcing company !FEST Coffee Mission is the Official Roasting Sponsor for the Global Coffee Roasting Contest. Professional sample roaster manufacturer ROEST also provided equipment for the competition.

Alejandro Macías of Lusitania Coffee Co. in Colombia was the winner of the second Global Coffee Roasting Contest, and received a ROEST sample roaster. Alejandro Gonzales was also voted the people’s choice winner for the competition, and received a voucher for the SCA Coffee Skills Program.

Cold Brew Championship

The third edition of the Cold Brew Championship was held at PRF Colombia. Sixteen competitors went head-to-head to prepare two cold brew-based beverages for a panel of judges.

Toddy is the Official Cold Brew Sponsor for PRF, and supplied the competition equipment and prizes.

The winners of the Cold Brew Championship are:

• First place – Jean Pierre Acero Cechetti of Fecve Lab, Venezuela
• Second place – Nicolás Gonzales of Nebraska Café, Colombia
• Third place – Yeison Leandro Buitrago of Desarrolladores de Café, Colombia

Olla Coffee Championship

In partnership with Official Barista Sponsor Amor Perfecto, PRF hosted the third edition of Olla Coffee Championship (or Campeonato de Olla in Spanish). The competition celebrates and honours the Olla coffee pot – a traditional Latin American brewing method.

The winners are:

• First place – David Alejandro Galeano Díaz, Col-Spirit in Colombia
• Second place – Fernando Pedroza
• Third place – Nicolás Tovar

Fibtex Championship

Fibtex, which produces and distributes coffee packaging, created the competition to highlight and celebrate the hard work and dedication of Latin American producers who grow high-quality coffee.

Submitted green coffee samples were roasted and cupped prior to PRF Colombia. The winners of the Fibtex Championship are:

• First place – Zurcos Historia de Café in Colombia
• Second place – Erick Bravou of Finca El Chaferote in Colombia

In 2024, PRF will return to Guatemala on 7 & 8 March. The two-day forum was previously held there in 2019, and is once again expected to draw in thousands of attendees. 

Guatemalan Coffees will be the Official Host Country Sponsor for the event, which will take place at the Anacafé venue. More details about PRF Guatemala will be announced soon.

You can stay up to date with all announcements for PRF Colombia (including upcoming videos of lectures and panels) here, or by subscribing to the newsletter here.

Please note: PRF does not cover any travel, accommodation, or other costs for speakers and panellists.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

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However, we wouldn’t have some of these unique varieties without extensive research and breeding programmes. One example is World Coffee Research’s (WCR) Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network, which first launched in November 2022. Through the network, WCR and its partners have created new and improved breeding populations. These will be available to producers in several coffee-growing countries.

On 30 August 2023, WCR announced that the first 5,000 “genetically unique” seeds developed by the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network were sent to seven partner countries. This marks a major milestone in the world’s largest collaborative coffee breeding programme in 50 years. Potentially, it could also lead to substantial change in the global specialty coffee sector.

I spoke to Hanna Neuschwander to find out more.

You may also like our article on WCR showing more interest in robusta.

What is the Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network?

Around the world, there are many coffee research organisations and breeding programmes. One of the biggest collaborative research programmes, however, is World Coffee Research’s Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network. 

First officially announced at the 2022 Sintercafe International Coffee Week, the Innovea network currently includes partners in nine countries:

• Instituto del Café in Costa Rica
• Central Coffee Research Institute in India
• Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute
• Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation
• Chapingo Autonomous University in Mexico
• Peru’s Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria
• Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board
• National Coffee Research Institute in Uganda
• United States Department of Agriculture

The network receives funding from more than 175 international WCR members. Through this funding, WCR builds on years of research to develop and implement science-based solutions for sustainable coffee production.

Essentially, Innovea allows participating countries to have open access to new and unique coffee genetic materials. They can then use these for final variety development and/or continuous breeding.

Why is sharing genetically unique coffee varieties so significant?

As part of a recent announcement, WCR stated it sent over 5,000 seeds to seven of its nine partner organisations. The institute describes this as “the first step in a global, collaborative effort to transform the future of coffee”.

Each country received an average of 800 to 900 seeds. The end goal of the project is to plant 300 mature coffee trees in each of the nine Innovea research plots. Moreover, all 5,000 seeds are genetically unique from one another. This opens up a world of possibilities to develop new coffee varieties for a number of purposes.

Hanna Neuschwander is the Strategy and Communications Director at World Coffee Research.

“This is the first time in over 50 years that global coffee breeding programmes are receiving a significant amount of new breeding materials that they are free to use for their own variety development,” she says. “The seeds shipped to participating countries are the future of coffee production.

“The ‘best’ seeds will become new varieties that can help farmers remain profitable and resilient in the face of the climate crisis,” she adds. “These varieties will play a critical role in supporting quality and sustainable coffee production for decades to come.”

Supporting future coffee production

It’s certainly early days for the Innovea programme. But partner countries have already initiated genetic testing of each individual plant. WCR says it will work with partners to make final selections of which seeds will be planted in its research plots, and will begin collecting data on the thousands of individual plants. Some of these will be planted as early as September 2023.

“The seeds shipped so far are only the first wave of the project,” Hanna tells me. “The goal of Innovea is to provide new batches of improved plants to participating countries every three to six years – each of which will be better than the last.”

In a press release, two WCR partners discussed their participation in the project.

“With this network, we will be able to achieve results that would not be possible while conducting breeding within the borders of a single country,” said Xinia Chaves Quiros, Director of ICAFE. “Costa Rica is very excited to participate. It will allow us to develop more and better varieties and make them available to farmers faster.”

Dr. Senthil Kumar is the Director of Research at the CCRI.

“The network brings together a wide diversity of high-performing varieties from Africa, Asia, and the Americas that have never been bred together before,” he said. “India is enthusiastic about the opportunities this network provides for us to develop varieties that address farmers’ needs and to ensure our success in achieving climate resilience.”

How could this affect the coffee industry?

It will take years for WCR to assess the full impact of the Innovea breeding programme. But without a doubt, the network presents an exciting opportunity for the coffee industry to become even more resilient and sustainable.

Moreover, against the ever-growing threat of climate change, this research has never been so important.

“Innovea is the first time that countries from the world’s three major coffee-producing regions are working together – despite competing in the global marketplace – to accelerate genetic advancements and climate resilience,” Hanna explains.

“The varieties we grow today are the result of research and breeding conducted between 20 and 100 years ago,” she adds. “The breeding we do today will be essential for the children and grandchildren of today’s coffee farmers and drinkers.”

Tackling the climate crisis

In recent years, many studies have indicated climate change is one of the biggest challenges the coffee industry faces. Alongside research which suggests rising average global temperatures will reduce areas suitable for growing coffee by up to 50% by 2050, other studies also present a stark picture of the future of coffee production.

For instance, between 1980 and 2020, a 2023 research paper in the journal PLOS Climate found the frequency of “climate hazards” (including extreme high temperatures) had increased in the top 12 coffee-producing countries. What’s more, five of the six “most hazardous years” occurred between 2010 and 2020. Clearly, climate change is an issue the coffee industry has to take seriously – or else risk irreversible damage.

“The multi-billion dollar global coffee business rests on the success of farmers. But to be successful, farmers need to have access to higher-yielding and more tolerant coffee plants that are also tailored to local climates and specific market demands,” Hanna says. “Right now, farmers’ choices are severely constrained because coffee faces a decades-long innovation crisis.

“In most countries, farmers have access to only a small handful of different varieties – many of which date back to breeding programmes in the 1960s and 1970s, or even older,” she adds. “Creating more and better varieties to give farmers more choice is critical to sustain production, adapt to climate change, and reduce environmental footprint and carbon emissions of coffee production.”

So what about specialty coffee?

Although arabica makes up around 60% of the total coffee market, specialty coffee’s preference for this species makes the sector particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 

Several studies indicate that in the years to come, arabica will be impossible to grow in many areas where it’s currently produced. Not only will this affect yields and stockpiles, but also quality – meaning specialty coffee will either need to adapt or find new alternatives.

While exciting new varieties and species like Coffea eugenioides and Ombligon have made a splash at competitions and high-end coffee shops, they are not the end solution to creating a more sustainable coffee industry. As well as producing smaller yields, producers also typically need access to more resources and formal training programmes to grow these coffees. In turn, production is incredibly difficult to scale effectively.

The same could be said for Innovea’s 5,000 genetically unique coffee varieties. Of course we don’t yet know the potential of these coffees, and it will take years for us to know just how much they could benefit producers.

Hanna, however, points out that Innovea doesn’t focus on existing rare arabica varieties and robusta, but rather aims to create new varieties. Ultimately, backed by decades of research, the breeding programme could produce varieties that could transform the future of the specialty coffee industry for the better.

The coffee industry faces many challenges, but climate change is arguably the most pressing of all. Only time will tell just how extreme the impact will be on the global coffee industry. Breeding programmes like Innovea, however, play a key role in understanding how we need to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.

If we want specialty coffee to thrive, the industry needs to evolve in line with the issues ahead. And new and more resilient varieties could be one of the solutions.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether new varieties will help to safeguard the future of Vietnamese coffee production.

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On 29 & 30 August, the 2023 Best of Panama (BoP) auction – which primarily focuses on Gesha – took place online. A total of 6,081 bids were placed on 50 different lots, with an average price of US $868.22/kg of coffee.

The biggest bid, however, was US $10,005/kg for a washed Gesha from multi-award winning Carmen Estate Coffee. This coffee also received the highest score of 96.5 points. To say this is an eye-watering price is something of an understatement. But more impressively so, it’s not even the highest price ever paid at a coffee auction.

Ultimately, the 2023 BoP results lead us to ask some increasingly pressing questions: why are specialty coffee roasters willing to spend so much money on Gesha? And what is the impact on the wider sector? Read on to find out more.

You may also like our article on whether coffee shops should charge US $150 for a cup of coffee.

Looking at record coffee auction prices

Although specialty coffee auctions are inherently exclusive, they still serve an important role in the industry. But arguably one of the most influential and attention-grabbing is the annual Best of Panama auction.

Organised by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, BoP serves as a platform for local producers to showcase their best coffees. In the context of Panama, these are some of the most sought after lots in the world.

We can clearly see this from the high prices paid for such small quantities of coffee. At the 2023 auction, 1,250kg of coffee received an astounding total of US $1,085,275. This set a new record for the Best of Panama auction. In comparison, at the 2022 BoP event, 5,000lbs of coffee (or 2,268kg) generated a total revenue of US $1,058,581.

In a press release, BoP organiser Sensible Coffee stated the highest-scoring coffee at the 2023 auction – 25kg of a washed Gesha from Carmen Estate Coffee – broke the BoP record for the most expensive lot.

“With cupping notes of… jasmine, sweet orange, lemongrass, and sugarcane, this [coffee] has now broken the record for the most expensive lot in the Best of Panama competition, with a total value of US $250,125,” the company said.

Previous world record Gesha prices

The top bid of US $10,005 at the 2023 Best of Panama is astonishing. But over the years, we have seen buyers pay increasingly more for Gesha at a number of auctions:

• In 2004, Hacienda La Esmerelda sold one of its Geshas for US $21/lb at the BoP auction that year. At the time, this was a world record for the highest price ever paid for a coffee
• Panama’s Ninety Plus sold an undisclosed micro lot for US $10,000/kg (or US $4,535/lb) at its own auction in 2019
• At the 2022 Lamastus Family Estates auction, a honey processed Gesha produced by Elida Estate sold for an unbelievable US $6,034/lb. This equates to more than US $12,068/kg – by far the most expensive coffee in the world

Do these prices add any value to specialty coffee?

With no price regulations in place, it seems there’s no limit to how much some buyers are willing to spend on Panamanian Gesha. Beyond the variety’s floral-heavy flavour profiles and notable presence at the World Barista and Brewers Cup Championships, Gesha generally yields small quantities of coffee. This only adds to its exclusivity.

Nicolas Pastellopoulos is the Head of Coffee at Sensible Coffee.

“Buyers are eager to invest significant sums in auctions like the Best of Panama as they seek unique and exceptional coffees with distinct flavour profiles,” he says. “These rare lots often represent the pinnacle of coffee quality, allowing buyers to offer their customers extraordinary tasting experiences and differentiate themselves in a competitive market.”

At the same time, however, it’s also important to point out that only a small group of companies are bidding such high prices at these auctions. 

For example, various buyers from New Zealand, Japan, China, the UK, France, and the United Arab Emirates purchased coffee from the 25kg washed Carmen Estate Gesha lot at the 2023 BoP auction. Some of these roasters are often present at high-end coffee auctions – and are usually the ones placing the highest bids.

Moreover, it’s not uncommon for East Asian coffee buyers to pay record-breaking prices at auctions. Premiumisation plays a key role in driving brand appeal in this market – and therefore consumer prices.

Is there justification for these prices?

A representative from CoffeeTech NZ – which purchased some of the Carmen Estate Gesha – says high bids are sometimes necessary.

“We think this is a fair price for the farmers,” they say. “If we compare prices paid for premium whisky or wine, the coffee sector still has a long way to go.

“Growing this coffee isn’t easy or something that can happen overnight,” they add. “We think the high price rewards producers’ hard work and encourages other farmers – even from other origins – to improve coffee quality.

“Generating more interest in these coffees drives more people to want to try them,” they continue. “And with more buyers placing bids on these coffees, it means we can pay less money on smaller quantities.”

However, we also need to consider the range of prices paid at auctions. At this year’s Best of Panama event, across the Natural Gesha, Washed Gesha, and Varietals categories, bids ranged from US $90/kg to US $3,048/kg (not including the top price of US $10,0005/kg).

Although US $90/kg is generally higher than the average price paid at many Cup of Excellence auctions, it remains clear that record-breaking top bids are not representative of the wider specialty coffee market. In fact, the vast majority of roasters couldn’t afford to pay these prices in the first place – and probably wouldn’t want to even if they could.

How are coffee auctions changing?

Originally designed as platforms for producers to showcase their best coffees and be rewarded for their hard work, coffee auctions have certainly changed over the past decade. Most notably, the growth of private auctions has shifted more focus on attracting the world’s top green coffee buyers.

Top-scoring coffees at auctions are certainly a useful marketing tool for high-end specialty coffee roasters. The most recent example was Australian and US roaster Proud Mary Coffee, which sold a natural processed Panamanian Gesha for US $150 per cup earlier this year. To add to its already high level of exclusivity, only 22 cups of the coffee were available between the roaster’s US locations.

However, only a very small number of consumers are willing to pay such a high price for one cup of coffee – and understandably so. These coffees are not marketed or branded as “everyday” coffees. Instead, they are exciting and intriguing selling points for more established producers and roasters. In turn, they still serve an important purpose in the specialty coffee sector.

For many coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike, paying over US $10,000 per kg of Gesha is unfathomable. And whether or not these coffees are worth this amount of money is a matter of opinion – and people will certainly have strong feelings one way or the other.

However, it’s clear that these ultra-high quality lots do have an important part to play in specialty coffee. Auctions like Best of Panama will continue to impact coffee competitions and more premium markets. Ultimately, this will influence the future of the industry.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how El Salvador can leverage Pacamara like Panama did with Gesha.

Photo credits: Sensible Coffee, Specialty Coffee Association of Panama

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Taking place at the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín, this will be the second time the two-day forum has been held in Colombia, after the 2022 edition brought together thousands of coffee professionals.

This year’s forum is set to be even bigger. Producers, traders, roasters, baristas, and other industry professionals from around the world will attend, network, and share their knowledge and insight.

As with every PRF event, alongside a trade show exhibition, there will be an extensive range of expert speakers and panellists, as well as workshops, cupping sessions, and competitions.

Read on to find out what’s happening at PRF Colombia in September 2023.

Learn more about PRF Colombia here.

PRF returns to Colombia

Although many different supply chain actors and stakeholders attend PRF, the event is one of few in the global coffee industry which focuses primarily on producers. 

Earlier this year, PRF El Salvador took place at the Salamanca Exhibition Centre in San Salvador. The event welcomed attendees from over 70 countries, including Honduras, Colombia, China, and the US. 

The two-day forum is hosted in a prominent or renowned producing country in Latin America, with the overall aim to empower producers and retain more value at origin.

To achieve this goal, PRF places producers at the forefront to ensure their perspectives are included in the most pressing and important conversations in the coffee industry today.

Moreover, the event helps to drive green coffee sales in the host country, and champions Latin America as a global coffee knowledge hub – allowing local producers and other coffee professionals to share their expertise.

Antoine Communaudat is the Export Area Manager at BWT water+more. He attended PRF El Salvador earlier this year.

“Today, consumption of specialty coffee is growing in Latin America,” he says. “Events like PRF help producers forge closer relationships with roasters so they can get the most value out of their coffee.”

Speakers and panellists at PRF Colombia

At every PRF event, leading figures and experts from across the coffee supply chain are invited to give speeches and presentations or take part in panel discussions. As part of these sessions, industry professionals address some of the most critical and compelling topics in the coffee industry. 

Cleia Junqueira is a coffee consultant in Dubai. She also spoke at last year’s PRF Colombia event about specialty coffee trends and consumption in the Middle East. 

“It was such an honour to be a part of PRF Colombia,” she says. “Even with all of the different backgrounds and cultures, there was a brilliant connection between people and we had such an amazing time together.”

Lectures, speeches, and panels

This year, PRF Colombia will host all lectures and speeches in a dedicated auditorium area. 

Day one

• Are genetic improvements for coffee the key to increasing competitiveness and sustainability? (Luis Jiménez – Catie, Costa Rica)
• The importance of understanding the chemical and physicochemical nature of coffee (Seneida Lopera-Cardona – Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia)
• Coffee prices for 2023/24 (Albert Scalla – StoneX, US)
• Beyond higher prices (Martin Mayorga – PRF Diamond Sponsor Mayorga Coffee, US)
• What should a producer consider when they start roasting coffee? (Rodrigo Jaeger – Black Drop, Chile)
• Biomass management on coffee farms: A strategy for optimising production and quality (Ángela Barrero – La Bodega de la Finca, Colombia)
• Embracing Latin American identity: Embedding culture into your business (José Guzmán – Kofra Coffee, UK)
• Elevating flavour profiles and quality at scale for coffee producers (Santiago Lopez – The Colombian Coffee Bar and Roastery, Canada)
• Using invasive microorganisms for “exotic” fermentation: Is there a risk for the environment? (Andrés Ospina – Color of Nature Group, Japan)
• Transitioning to organic agriculture: The path to differentiation for your coffee farm? (Oscar Alonzo – Finca Cual Bicicleta, Honduras)
• Revitalising the coffee sector with younger generations at origin (Ana Maria Donneys – Café Primitivo, Colombia)
• Wastewater treatment for smallholder coffee farmers: A sustainable alternative (Patricia Tello Reategui – TechnoServe, Peru)
• Export factoring: An alternative for scaling sales in the coffee sector (Adriana Quiceno – RTS International, Colombia)
• Adding value at origin: The economic impact of coffee roasting and processing (Luis Velez – Amor Perfecto, Colombia)
• Creating an inspired menu with cold brew (Julia Leach – Toddy, US)

PRF Official Finance Sponsor Bancolombia will also present a speech on day one of the forum.

Day two

Other speeches and lectures on day two will include:

• Understanding what it takes to roast for competitions (Eduardo Choza – Mayorga Coffee, US)
• How to enhance aroma compounds during coffee processing & brewing (Sasa Sestic – ONA Coffee, Australia)
• Analysing the evolving US coffee market (Matt Swenson – Nestlé, US)
• Capturing new markets: Strategies for producers accessing emerging specialty countries (Mostafa El-Saiid – Al Fayrouz Company, Egypt)
• The rise of exotics: Unveiling China’s growing enthusiasm for specialty coffee (Jason Kew – Kew Specialty Coffee, China)
• Navigating EU legislation: Should producers engage with the ESG agenda? (Fabricio Andrade – Sancoffee, Brazil)
• A roaster’s guide to entering the Eastern European market (Zoran Stanojevic – Kafeterija, Serbia)
• Exploring the opportunities & challenges in sourcing competition coffees – panel discussion (Olivia Morris – Balzac Brothers, US and Vladislav Demonenko – Kolo Coffee, Germany)
• Bridging the age gap in coffee production: Success stories directly from origin (Ricardo Pereira & Nicholas Castellano – Ally Coffee, US; Julia Peixoto Peters – Peixoto Coffee, Brazil; Lucas Cuadros – Unblended Coffee, Colombia)
• Your coffee delivered right! The importance of successful trade execution in specialty and commercial coffee (Konstantinos Vallianos – Kafea Terra, Greece)
• Building a successful vertically integrated brand: From farm to cup (Julia Peixoto Peters – Peixoto Coffee, Brazil)
• Prolonging fermentation according to the state of maturation of the coffee cherry (Valentina Osorio – Cenicafé, Colombia)

No Filter Panel series

On the morning of the second day at PRF, the No Filter panel series will take place. This is a groundbreaking discussion platform for industry experts to have difficult and challenging – but also necessary – discussions.

This year’s No Filter Panel will include three topics:

• Commercial or specialty: Which has a bigger impact on the producers’ livelihoods? (Rubén Gallozzi Cálix, Scarlette Soanny Zeron, and Luis Velez)
• What is more important: The price per pound or the cost of production? (Piotr Kotarba, Jonathan Moral, and Juan Ricardo Gómez)
• Beyond microlots: Every coffee has a market (Olga Cuellar Gomez, Francesco Sanapo, and Dale Harris)

Competitions at PRF Colombia

This year, PRF Colombia will host three coffee championships. Each competition will assess a broad range of skills and expertise, and help to push the boundaries of innovation in specialty coffee.

Global Roasting Contest

Following the inaugural Global Coffee Roasting Contest which was held in El Salvador earlier this year, the second iteration of the event will take place at PRF Colombia. 

The unique judging format of the competition is unlike any other in the coffee industry. The Global Coffee Roasting Contest includes a final assessment round where all PRF Colombia attendees have the chance to vote for their favourite coffee, as well as a panel of judges who select a technical winner.

Specialty green coffee sourcing company !FEST Coffee Mission is the Official Roasting Sponsor for the Global Coffee Roasting Contest. Professional sample roaster manufacturer ROEST will also provide equipment for the competition.

The practice round will take place on 13 September, while the first sample preparation and judging round will be held on 14 September. On 15 September, the second judging round, serving of finalists’ samples at the Brew Bar (sponsored by Kofra Coffee, along with Official Espresso Bar sponsor Sanremo), and winner announcement will take place.

Cold Brew Championship

The third edition of the Cold Brew Championship will take place at PRF Colombia. Sixteen competitors will go head-to-head to prepare two cold brew-based beverages for a panel of judges.

Toddy is the Official Cold Brew Sponsor for PRF, and will supply the competition equipment. Competitors are responsible for their coffee, signature drink ingredients, and any other items not included on the final equipment list.

Competitors will prepare their cold brew on 14 September and present their drinks on 15 September. The judging round and winner announcement will also take place on 15 September.

Olla Coffee Championship

In partnership with Official Barista Sponsor Amor Perfecto, PRF will host the third edition of Olla Coffee Championship (or Campeonato de Olla in Spanish). The competition celebrates and honours the traditional Latin American Olla coffee pot.

All competition rounds will be held on 14 September and the winner will be announced on 15 September.

Fibtex Championship

Fibtex produces and distributes coffee packaging, and operates in Colombia and Peru. The company created the competition to highlight and celebrate the hard work and dedication of Latin American producers, as well as showcase high-quality GrainPro green coffee packaging.

Submitted green coffee samples will be roasted and cupped prior to PRF Colombia. The winner of the Fibtex Championship will be announced at PRF Colombia on 14 September.

Who will host workshops and cupping sessions?

Alongside lectures, panels and competitions, PRF Colombia attendees can also participate in interactive workshops at the event. These will take place in a designated area, with each workshop having a limited number of attendees – so prior registration is recommended.

On day one, several companies and organisations will host workshops:

• Yeast manufacturer Selvatech
• Cold brew manufacturer Toddy
• Mayorga Coffee, which will discuss its roundtable scholarships
• StoneX, which will present on “Coffee Prices’ Risk Management“

Day two, meanwhile, will include workshops led by:

• Digital platform Trace.Coffee
• Sigma Advisors S.A.S, which will discuss “The Plateau: The route to growing and financing your exports“
• Rainforest Alliance, which will present on “Current vision for the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program – More sustainability equals more benefits for farms“
• Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, which will discuss its Bird Friendly Coffee Landscape Partnership
• International non-profit TechnoServe

Cuppings

Numerous cupping sessions will be held in two dedicated rooms at PRF Colombia, sponsored by PRF Gold Sponsor MTPak Coffee, which is also the Official Education Sponsor.

These sessions will be hosted by:

• PRF Bronze Sponsor Ally Coffee
• Armonia by Promising Crops
• Global Cafés
• !Fest Coffee Mission
• Cooperativa de Caficultores del Cauca
• Colors of Nature SAS
• Kilometro Cero Coffee
• Glop Coffee Company
• Cooperativa Cafetalera San Miguelito Limitada COCASMIL
• Those Coffee People
• Lohas Beans
• Jaguara Coffee

Attendee space will be limited for all cupping sessions, so visitors interested in taking part should register in advance.

PRF will return to Colombia on 14 & 15 September, and this year’s event is set to be even bigger than the last. The two-day forum will take place at the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín, Colombia.

To find out more about tickets for the Sourcing Trip Experience, a separate package which also includes a ticket to the two-day PRF event, you can find more information here.

You can stay up to date with all announcements for PRF Colombia here, or by subscribing to the newsletter here.

Please note: PRF does not cover any travel, accommodation, or other costs for speakers and panellists.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

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Over the years, we’ve seen many competition winners – most notably at the World Barista Championship – go on to establish themselves in the industry or develop their own personal brands. The widespread recognition and respect for taking part in such highly-regarded championships has helped kick start the careers of many well-known coffee professionals.

Recently, however, it also seems a small but growing number of event organisers have started to offer bigger cash prizes to winners. And while some level of financial compensation for competitors is certainly warranted, it’s also important to question whether credibility is still the top prize.

To discuss this further, I spoke to seasoned coffee competitors Hany Ezzat and Josh Tarlo. Read on for more of their insight into how championship prizes are changing – and how this could impact future career opportunities for competitors.

You may also like our article on what happened at the 2023 World Barista Championship.

How have prizes for coffee competitions changed in recent years?

Although the specialty coffee competition scene is relatively new, there is now a more diverse range of events than ever before. These vary from more prestigious and rule-focused competitions like the World Coffee Championships to more inclusive events like the World AeroPress Championship and the Barista League.

Similarly, the prizes also vary. For instance, at the 2023 WBC, winner Boram Um received a cash prize of €5,000 (US $5,446.65) provided by qualified water filtration sponsor BWT water+more. Um also received a WBC trophy and an origin trip ticket.

However, arguably an even more important prize is gaining the title of “World’s Best Barista” – an accolade that has been a launch pad for the careers of many prestigious coffee professionals. Some of the most well known examples include:

• The first-ever World Barista Champion Robert Thoresen, who founded several prominent coffee companies – including KAFFA Oslo
• Tim Wendelboe who won the 2004 WBC, and opened the eponymous and influential Nordic roastery three years later
• The 2006 World Barista Champion Klaus Thomsen, who opened trailblazing Scandinavian roaster Coffee Collective the following year
• James Hoffmann, who won the 2007 World Barista Championship, and has been credited as a pioneer of the UK specialty coffee scene
• The 2010 WBC winner Michael Phillips who co-founded Handsome Coffee Roasters in LA – which was purchased by Blue Bottle Coffee in 2014
• Sasa Sestic, the 2015 World Barista Champion, who has become a prominent figure in experimental coffee processing methods
• The first-ever woman to win the WBC, Polish competitor Agnieszka Rojewska, who helped to improve inclusivity and visibility of women in specialty coffee

A bigger focus on prize money?

Most of us can agree that industry-wide validation of competitors’ skills, dedication, and passion for specialty coffee is always the most sought-after prize at these events. 

But while this certainly remains true, a small number of coffee competitions have also started to offer substantial cash prizes. One of the most recent examples is the inaugural Australia’s Richest Barista, which took place at the 2023 Melbourne International Coffee Expo.

Winner Rawirat “Jibbi” Techasitthanet received the grand prize of AU $25,000 (US $16,110), with runner-up Pirada Tungbenjaphol and third-place Lucky Salvador also awarded prize money. 

It goes without saying that earning the title of “Australia’s Richest Barista” obviously needs to come with a hefty cash prize. But is gaining credibility still as important with these kinds of competition formats?

Hany Ezzat is a Sales and Guest Roaster Manager at ONA Coffee in Canberra, Australia. He also competed in the first-ever Australia’s Richest Barista competition, and placed fifth at the 2023 Australian Brewers Cup.

“I definitely still believe the biggest benefit of competing is the platform and respect you receive from the coffee community,” he says. “For many years, credibility had been the only prize offered, except some short-term sponsorship deals or ambassador roles until the next champion was crowned.

“I love that we’re finally seeing bigger and bigger cash prizes,” he adds. “For the majority of competitors, if you compare the time spent on training to prize money, they aren’t proportional.”

Aligning competitors’ expectations with reality

For many competitors, the biggest pay-off for weeks (or even months) of training and financial investment is being considered the best in their respective field. Prize money also clearly helps, but gaining this title often holds more weight.

However, it’s what competitors make of their newly-crowned title that ultimately counts in the long term.

Josh Tarlo is the founder of Headstand, a RTD coffee leaf tea seltzer brand. He is also the 2018 UK Barista Champion and 2013 Canadian Brewers Cup Champion.

“I think having a variety of competitions is great,” he says. “In my experience, however, competitors’ disappointment is sometimes rooted in the fact that people have an idea of what the competitions are, but they don’t live up to their expectations.

“Coffee competitions can’t be everything for everyone,” he adds. “So the more diversity we have, the more opportunities there are for competitors to find a format that resonates with them the most.”

In line with this, we could see some coffee competition organisers focus more on awarding substantial cash prizes – while others continue to use a more traditional format. Both types of competition can co-exist harmoniously, as long as there is transparency about the overall purpose of taking part.

Investment from industry stakeholders

Most competition winners would agree that respect and admiration from fellow competitors and peers in the coffee sector is incredibly important. But if you want to progress further in your career, there needs to be a similar level of interest from companies and brands.

“I might be wrong, but I’m not seeing many big career boosts from competitions in recent years,” Josh says. “This only really matters as much as the industry gives it credit. I can only speak from a UK context, but besides the World Coffee Championships, my impression is companies don’t share the same level of enthusiasm for other competitions.”

Since launching in 2000, this has been most noticeable at the World Barista Championships. Many winners have gone on to become prominent roasters, brand ambassadors, content creators, and influential figures – and also receive more support from prominent coffee companies.

“It’s a shame given how many coffee businesses don’t differentiate from their competitors,” Josh adds. “If a company knew how to leverage an award-winning team, it’s one of the few ways to stand out from the crowd.”

It’s clear that the format of coffee competitions is changing, including the prizes that winners receive. But how they will continue to evolve in the future remains to be seen.

“I still believe the most valuable prize is the recognition and platform you gain when performing well at competitions,” Hany concludes. “How you chose to use that platform, however, is a whole other conversation.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether the World Barista Championship is becoming more mainstream.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association

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At the same time, more and more celebrities and well known personalities have started to launch their own coffee brands or collaborate with specialty coffee companies. 

One example is the US National Basketball Association player Jimmy Butler, who launched BigFace Coffee in October 2021. The lifestyle brand sells a small selection of beans, as well as a wider range of coffee accessories and apparel. 

Since its launch almost two years ago, BigFace has collaborated with several different coffee companies. The most recent partnership is with coffee equipment manufacturer Fellow. The company is selling a variety of BigFace-branded kettles, scales, grinders, brewers, and more.

The collaboration has been successful so far, with some products already sold out. However, beyond generating value for both coffee brands and the celebrities in question, how do these partnerships benefit the wider specialty coffee industry? Moreover, is the sector starting to rely on them too much?

To find out more, I spoke to Jake Leonti, CEO of food and beverage consultancy and agency F&B Therapy. Read on for more of his insight.

You may also like our article on whether Blue Bottle’s collaboration with The Weeknd is good for specialty coffee.

Specialty coffee & celebrities: Why are these partnerships so successful?

There’s no denying the power that celebrities and well known public figures have in influencing consumer behaviour. In fact, a 2021 study found that people are willing to pay higher prices for food and beverages if they are endorsed by a recognisable and influential celebrity.

Over the past decade or so, it seems that more celebrities than ever before have started to partner with specialty coffee brands – or even launch their own. Some recent examples include:

• Samra Origins, an exclusive coffee range created by Blue Bottle in partnership with musician The Weeknd. The two also recently launched merchandise and instant coffee products
• Starbucks’ collaboration with Taylor Swift to promote the re-release of the singer’s Red album
• Marley Coffee, founded by Rohan Marley (son of reggae singer Bob Marley)
• US rap artist Snoop Dogg and Indonesian coffee entrepreneur Michael Riady who launched the INDOxyz coffee brand
• Rock legend Mick Fleetwood, who started his own coffee company

“Celebrity partnerships or celebrity-owned brands aren’t new to the coffee sector,” Jake says. “Over the past ten years, people like film maker David Lynch, actor Hugh Jackman, and socialite and philanthropist Grace Hightower-De Niro have all launched their own coffee brands.”

Jake goes on to explain why he thinks celebrity endorsements have become more and more popular in the coffee industry.

“Consumption of specialty coffee has increased, so the perceived value of investing in the coffee sector has also risen,” he says. “This is especially apparent with La Colombe’s recent billion dollar valuation and acquisition.

“Everyone wants to be part of the unstoppable train that is specialty coffee,” he adds. “A growing number of beer and liquor companies are trying to partner with specialty coffee brands, too. It’s largely considered a safe investment with steady returns.”

Looking at BigFace’s success

Circling back to Jimmy Butler and BigFace, the brand has seen a lot of success since its early beginnings. Butler has spoken extensively about how he and other NBA players lived in a “social bubble” at the Walt Disney World resort during the pandemic. 

After feeling unimpressed by the coffee offerings at the resort, Butler purchased an espresso machine and started selling US $20 cups of Salvadoran coffee to his NBA teammates – but initially as a “joke”.

However, throughout the pandemic and in the months following, Butler says he started to invest more in coffee education and training, including learning how to pour latte art. Butler also visited farms in Costa Rica to understand more about coffee production.

The BigFace founder even purchased more than 1,000lbs of three 90 plus-point lots at the 2021 Cup of Excellence El Salvador auction – totalling over US $65,000.

Since then, BigFace has partnered with a number of brands, including some specialty coffee companies. These include:

• Launching a luxury clothing line with designer Daniel Patrick at Art Basel in Miami
• Partnering with Van Leeuwen to create an affogato-flavoured ice cream using Ethiopian coffee
• Collaborating with Onyx Coffee Lab on a limited-edition coffee and merchandise release
• Working with Artpresso Design to create a range of customised espresso machines and barista accessories

As part of its most recent collaboration, BigFace has partnered with coffee equipment company Fellow. The two brands are selling a line of limited-edition brewing accessories. These include the Stagg EKG Pro Studio kettle, Ode Gen 2 grinder, and Stagg [X] Dripper set, to name a few.

“I’ve admired… the Fellow brand for several years now,” Butler said in a press release. “Not only do I own and personally use many of their great coffee products, their commitment to premium design and new innovation is unmatched.”

How much value is in these partnerships?

Whether you like them or not, specialty coffee-celebrity partnerships and endorsements are popular. Research from Morning Consult found that 34% of adults are more likely to visit a coffee chain if their favourite musician promotes it. Looking at Gen Z and millennial consumers, this jumps to 44% and 51%, respectively. 

This means that celebrity collaborations can potentially grow interest in specialty coffee. Based on findings, this is particularly apparent among younger demographics who are already drinking more coffee in the first place.

“I don’t believe tea drinkers will suddenly start drinking coffee simply because a celebrity is endorsing a certain brand,” Jake explains. “However, I do think that existing coffee consumers will be drawn to these brands, especially if they are focused on a specific set of values and beliefs – or a lifestyle – associated with the particular celebrity.”

There is an argument that celebrity endorsements can commercialise specialty coffee and make it less authentic. In this case, the only way to truly add value is for these collaborations to leave a positive and lasting impact on the sector.

“In the case of Grace Hightower-De Niro and Hugh Jackman, they both invested in coffee to support certain communities,” Jake says. “Hugh was inspired by a village in Ethiopia, while Grace was motivated by the people of Rwanda. 

“These projects and brands were created to provide greater market access to producers, and to sell products that impact people in these communities,” he adds. “For example, Hightower-De Niro’s Coffee of Grace is direct trade and makes sure to pay above Fair Trade minimum prices, while also handling all of the logistics.”

Questioning the motives behind these partnerships

Not all coffee-celebrity collaborations will have the same message or level of impact. But as long as specialty coffee brands stay true to their values of quality, sustainability, transparency, and traceability, these partnerships are likely to benefit the wider sector.

Moreover, as the specialty coffee industry continues growing, consumers will keep looking for the latest and newest trends – or they could lose interest. In line with this, celebrity partnerships and collaborations could be one of the solutions, but only if consumers perceive them as genuine and valuable.

“Some celebrity-backed coffee brands – like BigFace, Green Day’s Oakland Coffee Works, and heavy metal singer Rob Zombie’s collaboration with Dead Sled Coffee – seem to be more inspired by the culture and business of coffee,” Jake tells me. “They appear to rely more on third-party coffee companies, rather than fully investing in sourcing coffee themselves.

“Celebrity brands without an underlying ethos or message will be less successful than those which have them,” he adds.

Showcasing authenticity

Looking at Jimmy Butler specifically, it’s clear the NBA player did his homework – and deserves credit for it. From investing in learning about specialty coffee to visiting farms to partnering with well-respected roasters like Onyx Coffee, BigFace has evolved from a side project to a high-end coffee lifestyle brand.

Furthermore, with Butler planning to retire from basketball and open permanent coffee shops in Miami and San Diego in the coming years, it’s clear the NBA player is serious about making a career in specialty coffee.

With global consumption of specialty coffee only continuing to grow, coffee-celebrity partnerships are also going to become more prominent. As an industry, we have to make the collective decision to accept and engage with those that we feel are authentic and genuine.

“Specialty coffee isn’t courting celebrities,” Jake concludes. “Instead, celebrities are seeing the value in specialty coffee and looking for ways to participate.” 

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why more musicians are launching their own coffee brands.

Photo credits: BigFace Coffee, Fellow, Artpresso Design, Blue Bottle Coffee

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