Mon, 19 Jun

• Researchers at Instituto Agronomico de Campinas to begin regional field trials of low-caff varieties. Using the IAC’s germplasm bank, researchers have been developing these varieties – which are naturally low in caffeine – for years. The IAC expects to see results in two to three years.

• Simonelli opens new headquarters in Dubai. The new facility will act as a key support and sales hub in the UAE market. Simonelli also appointed former Eversys Regional Business Development Director Federico Ortile to oversee its operations in the Middle East.

• Weber Workshops launches BUCK naked portafilter and three new Unibasket sizes. The 58mm BUCK portafilter sits flat against countertops, while the Unibasket is now available in 28g capacity – which the company says is an industry first.

• Kenya signs duty-free EU trade deal to safeguard coffee exports. Reuters reports that the EU accounts for some 21% of Kenya’s exports, which include coffee and other agricultural commodities. It took seven months to negotiate the deal, and Kenya is currently negotiating another trade and investment deal with the US.

• Japanese automatic brewer BALMUDA The Brew now available in North America. The brewer uses bypass brewing by preparing a concentrate and then adding specific measurements of water through a dedicated bypass tube.

• Anaerobic natural Red Bourbon sells for US $29/lb at Best of Ka’ū Private Collection Auction. The coffee, which was produced by Leo Norberte at JN Farms, scored 87.23 points in the competition. Decameron Coffee in China purchased 40lbs of the coffee – totalling US $1,160.

Tue, 20 Jun

• Kiss the Hippo opens fifth location in London. The new store is the roaster’s second location in Fitzrovia, central London.

• Robusta futures reach record highs on tight supplies and impact of El Niño. Robusta futures hit a record high of US $2,783/tonne, while arabica futures fell to US 180.75 cents/lb. Price increases are attributed to depleting robusta stocks following high demand, as well as potential dry conditions in Southeast Asia due to El Niño.

• Loring Smart Roast appoints Abbie Walther as President. Walther, who is a long-time marine industry expert, joins Loring as the company plans to develop new products.

• M-Cultivo to co-host private auction series starting 5 July. Upcoming auctions include Finca La Hermosa’s Gesha Forest, A Taste of Los Pirineos, Catalyst Trade, and Paramount by El Conacaste.

• Fellow launches new Tally Pro Precision scale. Available to pre-order at US $185, the scale has three “Thoughtful” modes: Brew Assist, Timer, and Weight. The scale also includes an OLED display.

• Coffee Association of Canada launches annual awards programme. The awards will honour coffee professionals for their lifetime achievements and volunteer efforts, and companies will also be recognised for their levels of impact and innovation. Nominations close on 9 October 2023.

• Japanese company H Concept launches new ceramic Cerapotta brewer. The porous ceramic brewer is made using Hasami porcelain manufacturing techniques, and will be available to buy online in the US in the coming weeks.

Wed, 21 Jun

• Biggby Coffee partners with Cincinnati Bengals for upcoming National Football League season. The US coffee chain will offer a variety of Bengals-themed drinks to promote the NFL sports team, as well as exclusive promotions at participating stores.

• This year’s World Barista Championship, World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters Championship, and World Cezve/Ibrik Championship begin in Athens. Some 140 competitors across all four competitions are expected to take part. All four winners will be announced on Saturday 24 June at WoC Athens.

• Schaerer’s Supersteam automatic steam wand now available on Coffee Skye automatic machines. The company says its Supersteam wand automates the milk foaming process and is compatible with several types of milk, including plant milks and lactose-free cow’s milk.

• Kicking Horse Coffee appoints Cédric Malaga as new CEO. Malaga previously served as Global Revenue Growth Director at Lavazza, which purchased an 80% stake in Kicking Horse Coffee. Malaga will oversee the company’s growth plans.

• Pilot project successfully recultivates stenophylla in Sierra Leone. As part of the project, which was partially funded by Sucafina, over 1,400 stenophylla seedlings were planted – with another 6,000 seedlings to be grown in a nursery during the country’s rainy season. However, more grafting expertise and funding is needed to scale the project.

• Tims China and Oatly launch new RTD oat milk latte product line. The exclusive operator of Tim Hortons stores in China’s new RTD line includes a cold brew latte and an osmanthus latte.

• Starbucks to open coffee sustainability education and innovation lab in Costa Rica. The company says the lab will open at its global headquarters for agronomy R&D at Hacienda Alsacia. The lab will offer hands-on and virtual learning opportunities for employees, students, researchers, and industry leaders.

Thu, 22 Jun

• World of Coffee Athens begins at Athens Metropolitan Expo. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the trade show, which includes two Roasters Villages, lectures and workshops, cupping sessions, and the 2023 Best New Product and Coffee Design Awards.

• New article explores how specialty coffee is adapting to the airport market. Speaking to New Ground, Taf Coffee CEO Yiannis Taloumis says airports are an ideal platform to “communicate the new coffee culture and spread knowledge about superior quality coffee”.

• The 2023 Singapore AeroPress Championship takes place at Lowercase. Co-hosted by Common Man Coffee Roasters, 36 people took part in the competition.

• Barista Attitude launches its first single-boiler espresso machine at WoC Athens. The company says the Pilot machine is designed to be used by baristas in training. The machine includes touch screen controls with programmable parameters, as well as Barista Attitude’s anti-shock steam wand.

• Guatemalan Coffees opens World of Coffee Athens. The organisation, which represents around 125,000 coffee-producing families in the country, cut the ribbon to officially open the event. Guatemala is also this year’s Portrait Country. Anacafé also has two competitors taking part in the 2023 World Barista Championship and World Cup Tasters Championship.

• Crown Digital secures more funding for its ELLA robot barista concept. RealTech Holdings was the lead investor in the latest funding round, with the total remaining undisclosed. The ELLA robot barista combines AI-technology and an app-based interface with Eversys’ Cameo superautomatic machine, which Crown Digital says can prepare up to 200 beverages per hour.

• Peet’s Coffee to recruit its first-ever Chief Cold Brew Officer as part of new promotion. Customers can apply online to become the US coffee chain’s cold brew ambassador, which includes unlimited cold brew for the summer period.

• Pact Coffee announces donation campaign for Colombian LGBTQIA+ organisation for Pride Month. For every bag of its El Triunfo coffee sold between 19 & 26 June, the UK roaster will donate £1 (US $1.27) to Colombia Diversa – a leading defender of LGBTQIA+ rights in Colombia.

• International Coffee Organisation funds new Anker Living Income Benchmark studies in four producing countries. The studies will take place in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Vietnam, and will aim to assess the costs of a decent standard of living for smallholder coffee farmers in the respective countries.

Fri, 23 Jun

• Host applications open for 2024 preliminary US Coffee Championships. The SCA is looking for hosts for next year’s US Barista, Brewers Cup, Cup Tasters, Coffee Roasting, Latte Art, and Coffee in Good Spirits Championships. Applications close on 2 July 2023.

• Victoria Arduino launches new E1 Prima EXP one-group professional espresso machine. The new machine includes the PureBrew system, which allows users to brew filter coffee, as well as espresso.

• Colombian coffee company develops cascara-based sparkling energy drink. Bebidas Ineditas SAS BIC plans to enter the European market, and is offering private label services for international coffee brands.

• Dalla Corte to host second iteration of the World Espresso Championship in Athens on 25 June. The competition, which is only open to current national Barista Championship and Brewers Cup winners, will take place at the 360 Degrees Hotel after WoC Athens.

• Hawaii Coffee Association announces winners of annual Coffee Cupping Competition and inaugural Latte Art Throwdown. The highest-scoring coffee was a parchment-dried Red Bourbon from the Kona region, which received 87 points. Daryl Fukunaga is the first-ever winner of the Hawaiian Latte Art Throwdown.

• USDA expects Indonesian coffee production to decline by 18% in 2023/2024 season. The US Department of Agriculture says excessive rainfall disrupted the cherry development stage this season, which lowered yields in certain robusta-producing regions. Exports are also anticipated to drop by 32%.

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

• Wed, 7 Jun – Oritain launches in Brazil. Operating in more than 20 countries, the company develops technologies which can trace the origins of several commodities, including coffee.

• Mon, 12 Jun – San Francisco Bay Coffee partners with Enveritas to improve conditions for smallholder producers. Through the partnership, the roaster says it will develop a better understanding of the challenges which producers face, as well as knowing how to target its efforts to maximise impact.

• Tue, 13 Jun – Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Honduran President Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento regarding new trade deal. In March 2023, China greenlighted the imports of several key Honduran commodities, including coffee.

• Tue, 13 Jun – Heifer International invests US $420,000 in financial access for smallholder coffee farmers in Mexico. The revolving credit facility will pilot more-efficient dissemination of loan funds to qualifying coffee co-operatives who are part of the Beyond Coffee II Project in Chiapas, Mexico.

• Wed, 14 Jun – Germany’s Coffee Fellows opens first location in Texas, US. The chain plans to open three more stores in Texas in this year, as well as between ten to 25 locations in the state by 2025.

• Thu, 15 Jun – BSCA estimates Brazil exports 90% of its specialty coffee. South Minas has become one of the country’s biggest producers of specialty coffee.

• Thu, 15 Jun – World Coffee Research to improve access to genetically pure coffee varieties in El Salvador. As part of the USDA’s MOCCA project, the non-profit will focus on “cleaning” three important seed lots, which includes identifying and removing mother trees that are not true-to-type to ensure all seeds are the correct variety.

• Thu, 15 Jun – Brazil’s 2023/24 harvest could increase by 7.5%. Industry experts predict total production could amount to 54.74 million bags – despite 2023 being an off-year of the biennial cycle.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events

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Mon, 12 Jun

• PRF Colombia announces first line up of speakers. PRF Colombia will once again take place at the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín on 14 & 15 September 2023. The first speakers include Martin Mayorga of Mayorga Coffee, Adriana Quiceno of RTS International, Ángela Barrero of Bodega De La Finca, and Matt Swenson of Nestlé Coffee Partners.

• Diana Johnston Ledezma wins 2023 UK Coffee Roasting Championship. The professional Q grader will represent the UK at the 2023 World Coffee Roasting Championships in Taipei in November.

• Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung and TeamUp Uganda to premiere joint webinar on YouTube. The pre-recorded webinar explores how cross-sectoral collaboration can improve efficiency in the agricultural sector, including in coffee.

• ONA Coffee’s Sasa Sestic and Hugh Kelly to launch new Sanremo X-One in UK. Sestic (also founder of Project Origin and the 2015 World Barista Champion) and Kelly (2021 WBC finalist) will co-host the Chasing the perfect cup event on 26 & 27 June. Alongside the launch of Sanremo’s X-One espresso machine, Sestic and Kelly will also host a series of workshops, including one on extract chilling.

• Colectivo Coffee employees ratify first union contract. The contract covers employees across 15 locations in Wisconsin and Illinois, and includes provisions for pay raises, paid leave policies, and joint labour management systems.

• Bluestone Lane launches Coconut Water Cold Brew. The new drink includes Bluestone Lane’s Flagstaff blend and Vita Coco Original Coconut Water, and has notes of toasted almond, vanilla, and milk chocolate.

• Germany’s sales of roasted coffee reached record high in 2022. The German Coffee Association reports that domestic coffee sales totalled 479,700 tonnes last year. The out-of-home market grew by 45%, and it’s estimated that annual per capita consumption was 167l in 2022.

Tue, 13 Jun

• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe acquires majority share in specialty coffee trader Nordic Approach. The acquisition also includes Tropiq, Nordic Approach’s green coffee sourcing department. Nordic Approach and Tropiq founders Morten Wennersgaard and Andreas Hertzberg remain minority stakeholders and will continue as Managing Directors.

• Coffee futures drop following news of good weather conditions in Brazil. The most active arabica contract for September delivery fell by 515 points, while the corresponding robusta contact fell by US $21. Meanwhile, Brazil has already harvested 26% of its 2023/24 coffee crop.

• Intercontinental Coffee Exchange to help coffee companies comply with new EU anti-deforestation regulations. Reuters reports that ICE plans to introduce a Commodity Traceability (ICoT) service in 2024 to assist with compliance.

• Mozambique joins the International Coffee Organisation. The organisation says Mozambique produces some of the world’s most environmentally and socially sustainable coffee, including shade-grown coffees in Gorongosa National Park. By joining the ICO, the country aims to contribute to developing sustainability policies for global coffee production, as well as within its own sector.

• SCA opens nominations for 2024-25 Board of Directors. The SCA is now accepting nominations for its Board of Directors, with interviews set to take place in July. Nominations close on 26 June.

Wed, 14 Jun

• Buyer of Starbucks assets in Russia reportedly paid US $6 million. Anton Pinskiy, who now operates former Starbucks Russia locations under the Stars Coffee brand, told TASS news agency that he paid around RUB 500 million (US $6 million) for assets formerly licensed by the company. Starbucks has declined to comment.

• New US roaster Talitha Coffee strives to combat sex trafficking through job opportunities and access to support networks. Founded by Jenny and Robert Barber, the San Diego roaster partners with the Talitha Survivor Support Network to provide job opportunities and training to survivors of sex trafficking, as well as providing access to support networks.

• Blank Street launches new cold brew menu. The New York coffee chain’s new menu items include the Cold Brew Shot, Cortado Cold Brew, and Grapefruit Spritz Cold Brew.

• Eversys S.A. fully acquires UK subsidiary. The coffee machine manufacturer acquired the remaining 49% stake in Eversys UK Limited, which was previously held by a local managing group. The UK subsidiary employs around 50 people.

• FairWave Coffee Collective acquires Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. Anodyne’s leadership team will oversee the US coffee company collective’s operations in Milwaukee.

• Regional Indian Bengaluru AeroPress Championship 2023 to take place on 28 September in Bangalore. Benki Brewing Tools will co-host the event at the Bangalore Palace Ground. Dates and locations for the regional Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi competitions will be announced in the coming weeks.

Thu, 15 Jun

• Next year’s World of Coffee Europe event to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark from 27 to 29 June. The 2024 trade show will be held at the Bella Centre, and will host the 2024 World Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Coffee Roasting Championships. BWT water+more will be the Official Host Sponsor. WoC Copenhagen will run in addition to WoC Dubai from 21 to 23 January 2024, as well as the inaugural World of Coffee Busan from 1 to 4 May 2024.

• University of Santo Tomás publishes results of robusta project in Colombia. Researcher Diego Alejandro Salinas reported that as part of the project, 17 robusta genotypes have been introduced to Meta, Colombia. The project aims to determine the potential for robusta production across the country.

• Starbucks appoints Roberto Alonso Vega Alfaro as vice president of Global Coffee Agronomy, R&D, and Sustainability. Vega will oversee the company’s global agronomy research, development, and sustainability operations, as well as its global network of farmer support centres.

• Certification body 4C hosts Regional Stakeholder Conference in Campinas, Brazil. Some 170 coffee and sustainability professionals attended the New Requirements for Coffee Exports and Latest Developments in Sustainability Certification event, along with government officials. Key themes covered at the conference included the new EU anti-deforestation regulations, with a specific focus on the German market.

• The Barista League Toronto to take place on 17 June at The Redwood Theatre. Guest judges include Caitlin Campbell of Street Brew, Venice Vallega of Sanremo Canada, and Tiff Bhagwandin of Pilot Coffee Roasters.

Fri, 16 Jun

• Chilean AeroPress Championship 2023 to take place on 21 October in Santiago. CaféStore will co-host the event at Ubuntu Café Coffeeshop in Ñuñoa. Spectator tickets are free.

• Faema raises funds for World Bicycle Relief at 2023 Giro d’Italia. At the event, over 29,000 cyclists pedalled more than 7,000,000km, beating Faema’s target of 120,000km. Funds raised will help distribute bicycles to disadvantaged communities in the Global South.

• SouthmaTea to host maté blending & tasting workshop in NYC on 12 July. Attendees will have the opportunity to create their own yerba maté blend. The event will take place on 62 Bedford St. in Manhattan.

• European Specialty Tea Association to launch barista skills programme at WoC Athens. The Tea Barista Foundation course mainly focuses on practical skills, including brewing and tasting tea, as well as providing basic information about tea.

• Caffè Culture Show announces new talks programme Total Coffee. Curated by United Baristas founder Tim Ridley, and co-sponsored by Sanremo, Total Coffee explores key themes and trends in the coffee industry. Speakers at this year’s event, which will take place on 3 & 4 October, will include Vanúsia Nogueira, Executive Director of the ICO, and UK Barista Champion Paul Ross.

• Attendees from over ten countries took part in The Barista League’s Brno event. More than 24 different coffee companies were also present. Tomas Laca and Jan House of Team Sidra placed first at the competition.

• Applications extended for Australia’s Richest Barista competition at MICE 2023. Competitors will take part in a fast-paced, knock out-style contest to gain access to a collective prize pool of AU $40,000 (US $27,080) – the largest cash prize ever for a barista competition. Applications close on 16 June.

What not to miss at World of Coffee Athens

Next week, World of Coffee Athens will take place at the Athens Metropolitan Expo from 22 to 24 June.

The event will host four 2023 World Coffee Championships: World Barista Championship, World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters Championship, and World Cezve/Ibrik Championship.

The SCA’s flagship European World of Coffee trade show will also host the Best New Product and Coffee Design Awards – as well as lectures, workshops and cupping sessions.

A large number of exhibitors are expected to attend the event, including:

• Gruppo Cimbali – commercial espresso machine and grinder manufacturer
• Pentair – water filtration systems company
• Ecotact – green coffee packaging solutions company
• Dalla Corte – professional espresso machine and grinder manufacturer
• Sancoffee – specialty green coffee trader in Brazil
• Ally Coffee – specialty green coffee importer
• MTPak Coffee – coffee packaging and takeaway cup manufacturer
• AeroPress – coffee brewer manufacturer
• Cropster – coffee software company
• Rancilio – commercial and prosumer coffee machine and grinder manufacturer
• Covoya Coffee – specialty green coffee trader (formerly Olam Specialty Coffee)
• Marco Beverage Systems – beverage dispensing solutions manufacturer
• Guatemalan Coffees – official specialty green coffee trader for Anacafé
• Stronghold – professional coffee roaster manufacturer
• IMF – commercial coffee roaster manufacturer
• Taf Coffee – Greek specialty coffee roaster
• Roastelier by Buondi Craft – roasting solutions manufacturer
• Fiorenzato – premium coffee equipment manufacturer
• Sanremo – professional espresso machine and grinder manufacturer
• Toddy – cold brew equipment manufacturer
• Latte Art Factory – commercial milk foaming solutions manufacturer
• Sucafina – international specialty green coffee trader
• Pinhalense – coffee processing technology company
• Heylo – modular espresso machine manufacturer
• Elektra – home and professional espresso machine manufacturer
• Fairtrade – global sustainability certification
• Lallemand – yeast and bacteria developer and supplier
• BWT water+more – water filtration solutions company
• !FEST Coffee Mission – specialty green coffee trader
• Aillio – countertop roaster manufacturer

These companies will be joined by many other prominent brands in the industry, including roasters, green coffee traders, coffee producers, and coffee equipment manufacturers. For more information and to register, visit the World of Coffee website.

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

• Wed, 7 Jun – TreeHouse Foods to acquire Farmer Brothers’ Northlake, Texas coffee facility. TreeHouse says the acquisition (for around US $100 million) will add roasting, grinding, flavouring, and blending operations to its existing single-serve and RTD coffee businesses.

• Thu, 8 Jun – Bewley’s Tea & Coffee sells UK business to Cafédirect. Cafédirect is a long-term customer of Bewley’s, and says the acquisition will allow it to grow its out-of-home coffee consumer category. Bewley’s, meanwhile, will focus on sales in Ireland.

• Thu, 8 Jun – Löfbergs sells Percol brand to focus on UK market. Indian brand Continental Coffee acquired Percol, which was first acquired by Löfbergs in 2013. The Swedish coffee company says the acquisition will allow it to focus on strengthening and developing its brand in the UK.

• Thu, 8 Jun – Indonesian minister says new EU deforestation laws constitute “regulatory imperialism”. The country’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs told Reuters that the EU is “building walls” with new regulations, which are negatively affecting the country’s coffee, cocoa, rubber, and timber industries.

• Thu, 8 Jun – Universitas Gadjah Mada and UC Davis collaborate on coffee research. The Indonesian university has partnered with coffee researchers at UC Davis to develop a coffee research field station in the country, which aims to encourage academic cooperation.

• Fri, 9 Jun – Espresso House outlines updated House Habits workplace policies. The Swedish coffee company’s new employment policies include improved onsite training resources, talent acquisition, and diversity, equality, and inclusion practices.

• Fri, 9 Jun – Starbucks considers opening delivery-only stores in the US. Speaking to investors, CFO Rachel Ruggeri said more delivery-only stores could help meet increasing consumer demand for convenience, as well as improving overall efficiency.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum, Specialty Coffee Association

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Mon, 5 Jun

• World Coffee Championships Judge Certification events to take place in Athens and Taiwan this year. Coffee professionals who are interested in judging at the WCC this year can attend a Judge Certification event in Athens, Greece on 14 & 15 June, as well as another session in Taipei, Taiwan on 11 & 12 November.

• Keurig partners with rock band The Rolling Stones on Start Me Up iced coffee kit. The limited-edition set includes a K-Iced brewer featuring custom Rolling Stones branding, as well as Start Me Up blend K-Cups. Buyers will also gain access to an exclusively curated Spotify playlist.

• Pret A Manger opens first Italian location at Malpensa airport near Milan. The store is the first of 40 planned to open in Italy over the next few years.

• Luckin Coffee opens 10,000th store in China. The Chinese coffee chain opened its 10,000th location in Xiamen this month, marking a major milestone following its recovery from bankruptcy in 2020.

• New research suggests UK sales of home coffee machines will grow by 4.1% in 2024. The Coffee At Home UK Report 2023 found that the market grew by 3.5% over the past 12 months, and estimates that capsule machine sales, as well as sales of home filter and espresso machines, will continue to grow in 2024. Around 57% of UK customers surveyed reported drinking coffee at home more than once per day.

• André Kirberg retains title at 2023 German Coffee Roasting Championship. Andrès Maraia placed second, while Nicolai Fürst came third. Kirberg will represent Germany at the 2023 World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taipei later this year.

• World AeroPress Championship confirms another seven National Championship hosts for 2023 season. New hosts include Armenia, England, Estonia, Finland, Iran, Japan, and Venezuela.

• Brazil’s 2023/24 coffee harvest expected to produce 3.8 million more 60 kg bags. The USDA predicts Brazil’s production will increase by 6%, citing favourable weather conditions. Arabica production is expected to grow by 12%, while robusta production is likely to fall by 5% because of lower yields in Espírito Santo.

Tue, 6 Jun

• Two Geshas score over 96 points at 2023 Best of Panama competition. Carmen Gesha by Carmen Estate Coffee received 96.50 points in the washed category, while De La Rosa Mount Totumas Cloud Forest Gesha from Mount Totumas Coffee scored 96.25 points in the natural category. In the varietals category, Guarumo Coffee Farm’s Chicho Gallo Gold Selection received 92.38 points.

• Nestlé launches pilot scheme to pay farmers in cash for more sustainable coffee. The company has offered around 3,000 coffee farmers in the Ivory Coast, Indonesia, and Mexico conditional cash incentives to encourage them to transition to regenerative agricultural practices. The scheme is part of Nestlé’s plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions in its coffee supply chains by 2030.

• The 2023 ASIC Conference on Coffee Science to take place from 11 to 14 September in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 29th ASIC conference will explore the latest coffee research in the fields of agronomy, chemistry, technology, and physiology. Early bird registration closes on 1 September 2023.

• La Marzocco to sponsor SIC58 team at 2023 Mugello Moto GP Grand Prix in Italy. The race will take place until 11 June, La Marzocco supplying the team’s coffee.

• Nestlé releases first Nescafé Plan 2030 progress report. The report found that coffee producers are gradually adopting more regenerative agricultural practices, which is helping to improve yields. The plan offers financial support to farmers who want to adopt more sustainable farming practices.

Wed, 7 Jun

• Entries open for 2024 Good Food Awards coffee nominations. The award scheme recognises sustainable and local specialty food and beverage products in the US. This year’s entry fee is US $105, which includes judging from qualified tasters.

• First-ever Costa Rican AeroPress Championship to take place on 19 August in Escazú. Agua y Tiempo Café will host the competition in San José, Escazú. Competitor registration costs US $50, while spectators can attend for US $6.

• The 2023 World AeroPress Championship to take place in Australia from 1 to 3 December. The world final (which will take place in Melbourne) is preceded by the 2023 Australian National AeroPress Championship. Competitors from over 50 countries are expected to take part in the 2023 world final as the competition celebrates its 15th anniversary.

• Nestlé Professional hosts webinar for coffee shops on how to best use plant milks. Following the company’s launch of several barista-formulated plant milks in Asia and Latin America, the Plant-Based and So Good! webinar provided tips and best practices on how to use them in coffee shops.

• Jimmy Butler’s BIGFACE Coffee receives Dieline Award. The coffee brand placed third place in the Beverage – Tea & Coffee category for packaging, and was awarded for creativity, marketability, innovation, execution, and on-pack branding.

• International Café & Beverage Show 2023 attracts more than 11,000 visitors. Event organiser Montgomery Group says this represents an 80% year-on-year increase. The show also hosted the 2023 Malaysian Coffee Championships – with Surender Kumar as the new Malaysian Barista Championship, Liew Kar Weng placing first at the Malaysian Brewers Cup, and Ryan Liew as the new Malaysian Latte Art Champion.

Thu, 8 Jun

• This year’s Athens Coffee Festival to take place from 23 to 25 September. Greece’s largest annual coffee festival will be held at Technopolis in Athens. The event will feature an exhibition, live demonstrations, interactive workshops, and the 2023 Hellenic Coffee in Good Spirits, Coffee Roasting, Ibrik, and Latte Art Championships.

• Stronghold to launch new S7X smart roaster at World of Coffee Athens in June. The roaster manufacturer’s new machine includes a new Drum Heater system and a X-Lens infrared temperature sensor.

• CBI to host webinar on meeting sustainability requirements for the European coffee market on 14 June. CBI will host the virtual session to discuss the effects of new anti-deforestation regulations on exporting coffee to Europe, as well as sustainability issues and how companies can comply with requirements.

• Natural Gesha scores 91.60 points at 2023 CoE Nicaragua competition. The coffee was produced by Inversiones Valladarez Acevedo S.A. at Los Alpes farm in the Nueva Segovia region. All 16 lots will be up for auction on 13 July.

• Rising costs of plant milks isn’t leading to decline in sales. Despite the cost of plant milks increase up to 14% over the past 12 months, in 2022, global sales of plant milks grew by 9% to US $2.4 billion.

• This year’s Grounds for Health coffee auction to take place on 14 & 15 June. The annual auction raises funds for cervical cancer prevention programmes in coffee-producing communities. This year’s auction lots include a Brazil Black Producers Blend from BD Imports, a Burundi Bavyeyi from JNP Coffee, and a Guatemala El Morito Pacamara Natural from Caravela Coffee.

• The Green Coffee Company secures US $25 million in Series C funding round. Following the company’s intentions to become the world’s largest producer of arabica in the next two years, GCC is considering a potential US IPO launch in 2026.

• Washed Gesha scores 91.13 points at 2023 CoE Guatemala competition. The coffee was produced by Cercol S.A. at El Socorro farm. All 28 lots will be up for auction on 25 July.

Fri, 9 Jun

• Robusta futures surge as average monthly indicator price reaches 28-year high. ICE robusta coffee futures rose to a record US $2,636 per tonne on Wednesday as supplies continued to tighten following growing demand. Furthermore, experts have confirmed that El Niño has already begun, which could tighten supplies even more.

• Mozambique Government to showcase local coffees in London on 13 June. The event will be hosted at The Groucho Club in Soho, and will feature cuppings and tastings with coffee experts.

• Royal Coffee offers promotional code for Royal Gems collection. Buyers who purchase five or more 50lb Royal Gem lots can save US $5 per box with the code: GEM25. For roasters buying ten or more lots, they can save US $10 per box with the code: GEM100.

• VAE Labs launches Energy Spray caffeine supplement. The spray contains natural caffeine extract and amino acids. VAE Labs claims the spray works five times faster than drinking coffee, with every three sprays equivalent to the caffeine content of one cup of coffee.

• Honey processed Gesha receives 91.08 points at 2023 CoE Costa Rica competition. The coffee was produced by Johel Monge Naranjo at El Cedro farm in the Los Santos region. All 30 lots will be up for auction on 6 July.

• Cup North launches new Brewing It Over podcast. Hosted by Hannah Davies and Grace Talbot, the podcast explores various topics shared in the content programmes at Cup North’s Coffee Festivals, including sustainability.

• Ally Coffee celebrates three-year anniversary of Ally Open learning platform. The specialty green coffee trader is running several promotions, as well as a giveaway on Instagram which launches on 20 June.

• The Barista League to host WoC afterparty in Athens on 23 June. Co-hosted by Oatly, The Big Opa event will take place at award-winning roastery The Underdog, and will include the chance to win a variety of prizes supplied by PuqPress and Acaia.

• Visitor and exhibitor registration still open for 2023 Caffè Culture show. The event, which takes place on 3 & 4 October in London, will also host the 2024 UK Barista Championship.

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

• Tue, 16 May – USDA predicts 2023/24 Peruvian coffee production to increase by 16%. The agency says production and exports are expected to rebound thanks to higher international coffee prices.

• Thu, 18 May – Mexico’s 2023/24 coffee production predicted to increase due to planting of new varieties and expansion of growing areas. The USDA estimates the country will produce 4.1 million 60 kg bags of coffee, while domestic consumption is also expected to increase. However, the USDA states Mexico’s coffee sector will be affected by a lack of resources and support to smallholder farmers, as well as inconsistent investments from the private sector.

• Thu, 18 May – Kenya’s 2023/24 coffee production to increase by 6.7% following fertiliser application and recovery from drought. The USDA estimates Kenya will produce 800,000 60 kg bags of coffee, however, areas harvested will remain the same size as planting material shortages continue.

• Mon, 22 May – Mr. Espresso opens first coffee shop in Oakland, US. Founded over 45 years ago, the roaster uses oak wood to slow roast its coffee. The Caffè is Mr. Espresso’s first-ever coffee shop.

• Wed, 31 May – USAID invests US $8.2 million in sustainable coffee production in Indonesia. The project aims to improve environmental sustainability in the agricultural sectors, as well as supporting rural communities gain better market access and implement more climate-smart farming practices.

• Thu, 1 Jun – Equator Coffees celebrates tenth anniversary of inaugural Mill Valley, CA location. The roaster launched a new line of merchandise and a limited edition latte, as well as also celebrating the opening of its tenth location in Fairfax, Los Angeles.

• Fri, 2 Jun – Brazil’s CEPEA says demand for arabica has increased despite lower farmgate prices. The centre says rising demand for arabica led to an increase in sales throughout May, despite farmers’ disinterest in current local prices. Meanwhile, weather issues in the Espírito Santo region have adversely affected robusta harvests.

Photo credits: Shane Gallagher, World AeroPress Championship

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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 Nestlé’s growth in the Indian market.

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Mon, 29 May

• PRF announces new No Filter panel series. The new innovative panel discussion format will debut at PRF Colombia, which takes place on 14 & 15 September 2023 in Medellín. The aim of the panel series is to discuss some of the most pressing yet often overlooked issues in the coffee industry. PRF Colombia attendees can apply here in English and here in Spanish.

• Upcycled coffee fruit snack launches at Woolworths stores across Australia. I Am Grounded contains around 50g of upcycled coffee fruit in each bar, which is available in five different flavours.

• Fairtrade says it now represents more than two million international farmers and agricultural workers as consumers are still willing to pay more for its products. The organisation’s latest monitoring report recorded earnings of more than US $214 million in Fairtrade Premiums in 2021. The number of its female members also increased by 3% in the same year, while 56% of shoppers surveyed across 12 countries are willing to pay more for Fairtrade labelled products.

• Semi-washed Pacamara receives 91.82 points at 2023 Cup of Excellence El Salvador competition. The coffee was produced by Norelvia Angelica Elias De Diaz at Mileydi farm in the Alotepec-Metapan region. All 30 lots will be up for auction on 20 July.

• HOTELEX Shanghai takes place at National Exhibition and Convention Centre. Alongside hosting the 2023 China Coffee Championships, a number of exhibitors were present at the event – including Carimali China.

• SCA Turkey announces 2023 Barista and Cezve/Ibrik Championships winners. Süleyman Rifat Yalçın won this year’s national Barista Championship, while Kevser Atmaca placed first at the national Cezve/Ibrik Championship. Both will go on to represent Turkey at their respective competitions in the world finals.

Tue, 30 May

• USDA predicts 21% increase in 2023/24 Tanzanian coffee production. The department says recovery from drought conditions, as well as coffee plants entering their most productive period of yield cycles, will result in total exports of 1.35 million 60kg bags of green coffee for the 2023/24 harvest.

• Estate ’98’s ultra-concentrated coffee receives full funding on Kickstarter in under 40 minutes. The ten-times concentrated coffee is made with shade-grown Bourbon sourced from the Salvadoran highlands.

• Yolk Brands acquires Dubai specialty roaster The Climbing Goat. The UAE hospitality group, which was established earlier this year, says it plans to transform the brand into Dubai’s leading specialty coffee roaster.

• Royal Coffee offers online promotion for East African Crown Jewels selection. Roasters who buy three or more Crown Jewels boxes sourced from East Africa can save US $10 per box with the code: CJ10EA.

• Strauss Coffee reports 10% organic growth in 2023 first quarter. The Israeli company reported 11% sales growth in Brazil alone, with the Três Corações subsidiary now accounting for more than a third of the country’s total roast and ground coffee sales.

• WMF launches CoffeeConnect telemetry solution. The platform allows businesses to collect data about machine performance to improve efficiency. Users can also receive support from WMF’s CoffeeConnect digitisation team.

• Nestlé appoints Anna Manz as new Chief Operating Officer. Manz, who is the current CFO of the London Stock Exchange Group, will succeed François-Xavier Roger in the coming months.

Wed, 31 May

• International Women’s Coffee Alliance seeks candidates for Executive Director role. The position involves overseeing and providing hands-on direction for all global IWCA projects and activities.

• Starbucks on track to reach 9,000-store mark in China by 2025. During a recent visit to China, CEO Laxman Narasimhan reaffirmed the chain’s “large” ambitions in the Chinese market, and added that it plans to hire a further 30,000 staff members in the country over the next three years.

• SCA Greece Chapter announces two new coordinators. Tasos Delichristos is the chapter’s new Community Coordinator, while Ioannis Papadopoulos is the new Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Both will join the committee until the current two-year term comes to an end in 2024.

• Tims China reports 50% revenue increase in 2023 first quarter despite net losses. The exclusive operator of Tim Hortons stores in China reported a net loss of US $25.4 million in 2023 Q1. However, Tims China opened 31 net new stores and a experienced a huge surge in revenue during the same period.

• Specialty Coffee Association Educator Summit takes place in Busan, South Korea. The two-day summit is designed to equip coffee educators with the latest knowledge and training techniques. The event featured various lectures, workshops, and sensory experiences.

• World Coffee Research to potentially launch robusta breeding programme. The organisation says over the past year, it has continued to seek opportunities to establish more robusta research and development projects – largely driven by increasing demand.

• Green Coffee Association stops publishing US coffee stockpile data reports. Reasons for the abrupt end of the reports are unknown, but analysts say the decision makes it difficult to accurately estimate US coffee consumption.

Thu, 1 Jun

• Chamberlain Coffee secures US $7 million in latest fundraising round. Founded by content creator and social media influencer Emma Chamberlain, the brand sells a wide range of products including RTD drinks and pods.

• This year’s Milan Coffee Festival to take place from 2 to 4 December. Alongside the Roasters Village and Global Coffee School Live, the event will include the Roast Masters and Latte Art Live competitions.

• This year’s French AeroPress Championship to take place on 1 July in Bordeaux. The national competition will be hosted by La Claque Café at Deux Ex Machina, with several regions championships to be announced soon, too.

• Oatly partners with Snapchill and Little Wolf Coffee on RTD café au lait drinks. This is Oatly’s first collaboration with Snapchill. The RTD coffee drink is currently sold at Clover Food Lab retail locations in Boston, US.

• Robusta futures reach over US $2,600 while arabica prices bounce back from one-week low. Falling robusta production in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Brazil are attributed to the decline, largely because more Vietnamese farmers are switching to growing other fruits such as durian, avocado, and passion fruit. Certified arabica stocks, meanwhile, are at the lowest levels since December.

• Flash Coffee becomes first major coffee chain in Singapore to default to oat milk. The international tech-enabled coffee chain now uses OATSIDE as its default milk option for all milk-based drinks across locations in Singapore. OATSIDE oat milk is provided to customers at no extra charge.

Fri, 2 Jun

• Toddy launches new Cold Brew Coffee Maker Essential Brewer. The smaller-sized brewer can produce up to 1.1l of cold brew at a time. Toddy’s new brewer is available exclusively at Walmart.

• Cocinare to launch wireless electric grinder on Kickstarter. The USB chargeable grinder, which won a 2022 Red Dot Good Design Award and a 2023 iF Design Award, includes 38mm conical burrs and a 80-step grind adjustment system.

• Brighton Coffee Festival returns on 12 August 2023. The event will be held at All Saints church, and will feature local and international exhibitors, live talks, and a number of other attractions still to be announced. Tickets are available now.

• Registration opens for 2023 Caffè Culture Show. Visitors and exhibitors can now register to attend the event, which will take place on 3 & 4 October at the Islington Business Centre in London. This year’s show will feature hundreds of exhibitors, lectures and workshops, the Marco Brew Bar, the Roasters Forum in association with Sucafina, the World Coffee Innovation Awards, and the 2024 UK Barista Championship.

• The 2023 Singapore AeroPress Championship scheduled for 22 June. The event will be hosted by Common Man Coffee Roasters at Lowercase⁠. The winner will represent Singapore in the world final in Melbourne, Australia this December.

• New roaster BiraBiro becomes first in Europe to source coffee exclusively from Africa. BiraBiro sells coffee from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For every pound of roasted coffee sold, BiraBiro will donate £1 (US $1.25) to the Ethiopian Education Foundation.

• National Coffee Association promotes Matthew Cariani to Director of Education, Research, and Innovation. Carani will assist the NCA in expanding its educational programmes and market, including the association’s webinars, its annual convention, and the National Coffee Data Trends market research series.

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

• Tue, 2 May – Oatly announces multi-year partnership with Minor League Baseball in the US. The company says the partnership makes it the country’s first-ever national plant-based sponsor. Oatly will begin to roll out advertising and concession menu items at Minor League Baseball ballparks in the coming months.

• Thu, 18 May – USDA estimates 2023/24 Ugandan coffee production to increase by 4%. The agency says the country could produce up to 6.85 million 60kg bags of coffee during the period – largely driven by the maturation of high-yielding robusta seedlings planted in 2019.

• Thu, 25 May – Research suggests chemicals used to manufacture decaf coffee contribute to ozone damage. Researcher Julián Villamayor at the Madrid Institute of Physical Chemistry says various chemicals used to remove caffeine produce short-lived pollutants that harm the ozone layer in the tropical lower stratosphere.

• Thu, 25 May – JDE Peet’s to cancel 15.3 million of its treasury shares. The company filed a notice of cancellation with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, and is taking the necessary steps to complete the process. The cancellation is expected to take effect by end of July 2023.

• Fri, 26 May – Probat receives entrepreneurial excellence award for outstanding corporate governance. The award – presented by Deloitte, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Credit Suisse – recognises the company’s customer-first strategy and various measures aimed at increasing productivity.

• Fri, 26 May – International Labour Organisation supplies new equipment to coffee and tea farmers in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The effort is part of a project to support coffee and tea producers with increasing yields and reducing processing times.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

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The post Coffee News Recap, 2 Jun: PRF to launch new No Filter panel series, USDA estimates Tanzanian coffee production to increase by 21% & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Mon, 22 May

• SCA announces speaker schedule for 2023 Education Summit to take place in Busan, South Korea. Speakers will include Peter Giuliano and Dr. Mario Fernández-Alduenda, who will present the new Coffee Value Assessment, and Dr. Nancy Cordoba, who will share the latest ongoing research on sweetness in coffee. The 2023 Education Summit will take place on 31 May & 1 June.

• Dunkin’ India closed 11 stores over the past year. Franchise partner Jubilant FoodWorks Limited says it wants to attract younger customer demographics through a renewed, more coffee-focused brand identity.

• USDA anticipates 2% rise in India’s coffee exports in 2023/24 season. The USDA forecasts exports will reach 6.3 million 60 kg bags during the period, driven by strong export prospects.

• Benjamin Put wins 2023 Canadian Barista Championship. Ply Pasarj of Rogue Wave Coffee placed second, while Jair Garduno of Hatch Coffee came third. Put of Monogram Coffee will represent Canada at the 2023 World Barista Championship at World of Coffee Athens in June.

• SCA launches survey for its Sustainable Coffee Agenda. The SCA is looking for professionals across the supply chain to assess and track the impact of how value is created, measured, and distributed in the industry, with the broader goal of creating more equitable value distribution. Results of the survey will be used to generate a report. The survey is also available in Spanish here.

• SCA Denmark announces winners of 2023 National Barista, Brewers Cup, and Cup Tasters Championships. Patrik Rolf is this year’s Danish Barista Champion, Kian Hickman placed first at the Danish Brewers Cup, and David Savovski is the 2023 Danish Cup Tasters Champion. All three will represent Denmark at the World Coffee Championships in Athens.

Tue, 23 May

• SCA announces workshop schedule for 2023 World of Coffee Athens. Workshops across the three-day event will include Understanding and applying the evolved cupping protocol: the SCA’s Coffee Value Assessment, Physical and sensory evaluation of experimentally processed coffees, and Espresso extraction and beverage creation on fully automatics.

• This year’s Sheffield Coffee Festival to take place on 3 & 4 June. The event will include an exhibition, latte art and home brewing workshops, the Northern Filter Championships, coffee tasting sessions, and a series of talks.

• Swiss company Pinecone launches Foxtail commercial grinder and Pinion home grinder. The Foxtail includes 120mm flat burrs which can grind up to 2.5kg (5lbs) of coffee per minute. The Pinion grinder, meanwhile, includes 65mm flat burrs and can dispense ground coffee directly into portafilters.

• Royal Coffee sells new coffee from award-winning Ecuadorian producer Juan Peña. The Ecuador Zamora Chinchipe Chito Community coffee is part of Peña’s new project, and is produced with the same protocols as award-winning Hacienda La Papaya. Buyers of five boxes will receive a sixth box at 50% off with the code: 30036.

• Robusta futures reach 15-year high as demand rises and production estimates fall. Robusta futures closed at US $2,629 on Monday – the highest price since 2008. Industry experts say the rise is attributed to increased demand for robusta-based blends and dwindling supplies. Meanwhile, ICE arabica futures fell to US 189.20 cents/lb.

• World’s largest coffee variety trial cupping to take place in June. As part of the International Multilocation Variety Trial, Q graders from 29 international companies will assess the quality and sensory attributes of 31 varieties. World Coffee Research says the project aims to help its members determine which varieties might have high-quality potential in their respective countries.

Wed, 24 May

• USDA downscales estimates for Vietnam’s 2022/23 coffee production by nearly 6%. The USDA says it anticipates a total of 29.75 million 60kg bags of green coffee. Reasons for the decline include an off-cycle year, higher production costs, and a decrease in the size of coffee-growing areas.

• Artpresso Design partners with BIGFACE on custom espresso machine and barista accessories. The collaboration with NBA player Jimmy Butler’s coffee brand includes a customised La Marzocco Strada espresso machine, as well as milk jugs, bar towels, tampers, and distribution tools.

• This year’s German Coffee Roasting Championship takes place in Emmerich. Probat is hosting the two-day competition. The winner will go on to represent Germany at the 2023 World Coffee Roasting Championship in Taiwan in November.

• Poursteady launches PS2 two-cup automatic pour over brewer. The new Poursteady includes an integrated boiler, precision temperature control, and on-machine recipe creation and calibration technology.

• Researchers plan to use parasitic wasps to target coffee borer beetle in Hawaii. The University of Hawai’i’s Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences partnered with USDA to disseminate thousands of Phymastichus wasps in coffee-growing areas. The wasp parasitises the beetle, which reduces its negative impact on coffee yields.

• Flash Coffee Indonesia’s Managing Director steps down. Maxine Chaury spent two years in the role, and helped increase revenue by 33% during that time.

• Caffè Nero launches Nero Book Awards. The UK coffee chain says its awards scheme celebrates excellence in UK and Irish literature. The first edition will open for entries on 19 June and will include four categories: children’s fiction, debut fiction, fiction, and nonfiction.

Thu, 25 May

• Analysts say El Niño poses a larger risk to robusta than arabica. Reuters reports that the weather phenomenon – which disrupts rainfall and temperature patterns, and is expected to develop in the second half of 2023 – could decrease supplies and raise prices of robusta. Conversely, it may reduce the chance of frost occurring in some of Brazil’s arabica-growing regions.

• Research indicates that loyalty schemes and subscriptions don’t directly result in financial benefits for coffee shops and roasters. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that rather encouraging repeat customers, loyalty schemes and subscriptions rely on customers to purchase additional or more expensive items during their visits.

• International Coffee & Tea Asia Expo and Café Asia 2023 begin in Singapore. The tenth edition of both events will run until 27 May, and will include more than 200 exhibitors, educational talks, live brewing demonstrations, and networking opportunities. Fraser and Neave will also launch its Ömilk Oat Barista drink at this year’s Café Asia. Four-time Singapore National Latte Art Champion Jervis Tan will be at the event to host demonstrations.

• This year’s International Café & Beverage Show hosts the 2023 Malaysian Coffee Championships. The three-day event is hosting this year’s Malaysian Barista, Brewers Cup, and Latte Art Championships, as well as a trade show and a series of lectures and workshops.

Fri, 26 May

• UK government to potentially ban use of plant milk homophones on packaging. The draft proposal could ban terms such as “mylk” or “m*lk”. Plant-based product packaging may also be prohibited from including phrases like “not milk” or claiming they are “alternatives to dairy products”.

• Saudi specialty coffee chain Barn’s to open ten stores in London, UK. The company currently operates over 500 stores across Saudi Arabia, and plans to reach 1,000 global stores by 2030 – including ten in London.

• Scottish roaster announces multi-million pound investment in Glasgow headquarters. Matthew Algie, which has been operating for more than 150 years, says the upgrade will enable it to roast over 2,500 tonnes of coffee every year. Upgrades to the headquarters include a new green coffee handling and blending system, updated automation solutions, and new packaging lines.

• The Barista League takes place in Brno, Czech Republic for first time. The barista-style competition includes three rounds of multidisciplinary tasks, as well as the Mystery Mocktail Challenge and the Guess the Infusions interactive experience.

• SToK Cold Brew Coffee sponsors Wrexham historic Racecourse Ground. The sponsorship deal with US actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who co-own the cold brew company, will now see the grounds renamed as the SToK Racecourse.

• Next year’s London Coffee Festival to take place from 11 to 14 April 2024. The event will be held at the Truman Brewery in East London, and will host the 2024 Coffee Masters competition.

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

• Thu, 4 May – Costa Coffee India renews business strategy to target more millennial and Gen Z consumers. The coffee chain says India remains a key part of its market focus. Costa Coffee plans to open new stores in eight to ten major cities in the country and has redesigned existing stores to appeal more to younger consumers.

• Thu, 11 May – Reborn Coffee reports 51% revenue increase in 2023 first quarter. The Californian specialty coffee retailer operates 12 international locations, and plans to open another four in the coming months.

• Wed, 17 May – Tim Hortons opens five new locations in Bahrain. Middle Eastern franchisee AG Café now operates eight Tim Hortons stores in Bahrain, a “key market” for the company.

• Thu, 18 May – Uganda’s coffee sector to benefit from new modern railway line between Kampala and Kenya. Turkish firm M/s Yapi Merkezi aims to begin construction this year. It’s hoped the line will improve efficiency and affordability of the export of Ugandan coffee.

• Thu, 18 May – Lavazza opens SCA Premier Training Campus in Chicago, US. The training facility will host classes led by SCA Authorised Specialty Coffee Trainers, as well as industry events and new product launches and demonstrations.

• Thu, 18 May – Brazilian National Supply Company cuts estimates for 2023 coffee production to 54.74 million 60kg bags. Conab says the total crop is still expected to grow by 7.5% compared to the previous harvest, despite a predicted 7.6% decline in this season’s robusta harvest.

• Thu, 18 May – USDA anticipates 3% increase in Colombia’s 2023/24 coffee production. Total production volume is expected to reach 11.6 million 60kg bags of green coffee by the end of the season. However, the USDA says Colombia’s slowing economic growth will restrict substantial growth of its coffee sector.

Photo credits: SCA Denmark

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The post Coffee News Recap, 26 May: Robusta futures reach 15-year high, Canada & Denmark announce National Coffee Championship winners & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.

Mon, 15 May

• Apply to be a volunteer at this year’s PRF Colombia. The event will take place on 14 & 15 September 2023 at the Plaza Mayor in Medellín. PRF Colombia will feature lectures, panel discussions, workshops, cupping sessions, several coffee competitions, and the second iteration of the Global Coffee Awards. English volunteers can apply here and Spanish volunteers can apply here.

• Australian Specialty Coffee Association announces winners of 2023 Barista Championship and Brewers Cup. Jack Simpson is the 2023 Australian Barista Champion, while Tom Hutchins placed first at the 2023 Australian Brewers Cup. Both will represent Australia at the World Coffee Championships in June.

• Most Brits agree UK government should do more to reduce impact of climate crisis on coffee supply chain. A new survey by Christian Aid also suggests 57% of British consumers are concerned about the impact of climate change on food supply chains, including coffee. The international development agency is also calling on the UK government to provide more support to farmers in developing countries.

• New 2023 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report finds coffee is still US’ favourite beverage. The report, which is published by the National Coffee Association in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association, found that 52% of Americans had consumed specialty coffee in the past week.

• Volunteer applications still open for World of Coffee Athens. The SCA has added more volunteer shifts for the event, which will take place from 22 to 24 June – and will host the 2023 World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup.

• Hublot and Nespresso collaborate on watch made from recycled coffee capsules and used coffee grounds. The two Swiss companies partnered to create the Hublot x Nespresso Big Bang Unico Origin watch – which currently retails for US $24,100.

Tue, 16 May

• Washed long-fermented Gesha breaks Colombia Land of Diversity auction record. The coffee, produced by Domingo Torres Angulo and purchased by Koffee Kult, sold for US $120.50/lb, with a total value of more than US $31,878. All 27 lots sold for an average of US $22.77/lb, breaking another record for the auction.

• Coffee prices rise following strong Brazilian real and decline in global production volumes. The most active ICE contract for July increased by 3.58% after Brazil’s currency rallied to a four-week high on Monday. ICE certified stocks also dropped significantly, which led to an increase in arabica prices.

• Belgian coffee company Miko acquires Germany’s PROCON. The coffee roaster and service specialist says its acquisition of coffee vending machine operator PROCON, which largely focuses on offices and workspaces, will allow it to expand across Germany.

• Entries open for 2023 Golden Bean North America roasting competition. Applicants can now submit their entries for the competition, which will take place from 8 to 12 August in Columbus, Ohio.

• EU Council gives final approval to adopt new anti-deforestation regulations. The new mandatory due diligence rules apply to all operators and traders who buy or sell a number of commodities in the EU, including coffee. Industry professionals exporting to the EU now have to prove production of their coffee results in no deforestation following 31 December 2020.

• Mahlkönig announces new international distributors. New partners include BaristaEquip and Chris’ Coffee in the US, JAKSU in Argentina, Altatec in Paraguay, SIDASA and Icoffee Solutions in Guatemala, KMS Roasting in Uzbekistan, Unicafé in Modlova, Primulator AB in Sweden, Best Friend of Barista in Ukraine, and Espressomat in Spain.

Wed, 17 May

• On The Ground calls for donations to support victims of flash floods in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 5 May, devastating floods destroyed infrastructure and displaced communities in parts of the country. The non-profit says the donations will provide vital aid to those affected, including the KACCECO, Muungano, and Spoacdi co-operatives.

• This year’s Manchester Coffee Festival to host 2024 UK Cup Tasters Championship. The festival will take place on 18 & 19 November 2023, and will feature a series of talks and tasting sessions – as well as the new Extracted Development competition, which focuses on combining barista and roaster skills.

• Digital Coffee Future launches Digital Fundamentals Education Programme. Developed in partnership with The Chain Collaborative, the ten-hour online course explores how coffee professionals can understand and apply digital tools and technology in their businesses.

• Oatly launches four “new and improved” products in the UK. The oat milk manufacturer now sells Light, Semi, Whole, and “No” Sugars oat milks in UK stores. All products are available as both chilled and shelf-stable.

• Applications open for Australia’s Richest Barista competition at MICE 2023. A total of 32 competitor spots are available, 15 of which are open to MICE 2023 exhibitors, five for Australian Specialty Coffee Association Members, and 12 for industry professionals. Applications close on 9 June.

Thu, 18 May

• Specialty Coffee Association updates rules and regulations for 2023 Taipei World Coffee Championships. Updated rules apply to the 2023 World Latte Art, World Coffee in Good Spirits, and World Roasting Championships. The SCA says the most significant rule change applies to the World Roasting Championship, which will now include new evaluation scales which are more clearly aligned with the SCA’s new Coffee Value Assessment.

• This year’s National Coffee & Cacao Convention to take place on 25 & 26 May in Lima, Peru. The event will include panel discussions, lectures, and several coffee competitions. The National Coffee & Cacao Convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Miraflores, Lima.

• Kuwait AeroPress Championship 2023 set for 6 October. The national competition will be hosted at Brewever Academy in the AlHamra Shopping Centre. Entry is free for spectators.

• Switzerland becomes first country to ratify the 2022 International Coffee Agreement. The country, which has been a signee to the original agreement since 1964, is a key market in the coffee industry.

• Danish roaster CleverCoffee launches 100% carbon-neutral coffee. Impact No. 01, which is sourced from Fazienda Santa Clara in Brazil through exporter Sancoffee, has been certified as 100% carbon neutral. CleverCoffee is also selling Impact No. 02, which is a shade-grown and certified organic coffee sourced from the Cafesmo Co-operative in Honduras.

Fri, 19 May

• Dalla Corte to host second iteration of World Espresso Championship on 25 June. Entry to the competition is currently only available to national Barista and Brewers Cup Champions. The 2023 World Espresso Championship will take place at the 360 Hotel in Athens following this year’s World of Coffee event.

• Meticulous automatic lever espresso machine raises more than US $5 million in crowdfunding campaign. The robot lever espresso machine uses a digital motor and high-precision sensors to automatically brew espresso, and includes an integrated scale. The company is also selling an automated modular milk steamer. Shipping will begin in December 2023.

• British actress Millie Bobby Brown launches coffee lifestyle brand. Florence by Mills Coffee currently offers two whole bean and roast & ground options, as well as single-serve bags, capsules, and concentrate.

• Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits partners with US actor Neil Patrick Harris on the After Hours espresso martini. The RTD coffee cocktail includes dark roast coffee, with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate.

• World AeroPress Championship releases statement on Slovakian competition. The event organiser says following a violation of its code of conduct, it is no longer affiliated with the competition.

• Shanghai Coffee Culture Week to be held from 20 May to 2 June as part of Double Five Shopping Festival. The third edition of the event will feature a range of coffee-themed promotions, cultural activities, and booths run by local and boutique coffee brands.

• Natural Pacamara receives top score of 91.78 points at 2023 Cup of Excellence Honduras competition. The coffee was grown by Oscar Edgardo Tinoco Madrid on Finca Pino De Oro. The auction will take place on 29 June.

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

• Wed, 10 May – Swiss Water reports 28% revenue increase in 2023 first quarter. The decaf coffee manufacturer says revenue increased by US $10.6 million, mostly thanks to a 21% increase in sales during the analysis period.

• Thu, 11 May – Krispy Kreme reports 14.4% increase in organic revenue during 2023 first quarter. The doughnut and coffee chain says e-commerce channels and partnerships with retailers were the biggest drivers of growth.

• Thu, 11 May – Labour unions ask UN agency to investigate Starbucks’ use of legal loopholes. Reuters reports that Service Employees International Union, Workers United, and the AFL-CIO claim US labour laws allow Starbucks to exploit and cause “excessive delays to frustrate organising and bargaining rights”.

• Thu, 11 May – Starbucks opens first location in Rome. The store overlooks the Piazza Montecitorio in central Rome, and is the company’s 25th location in Italy. The chain plans to open two more stores in Rome by the end of May.

• Fri, 12 May – Manual grinder Pietro wins 2023 Red Dot Design Award. The flat burr hand grinder placed first in the 2023 Kitchen Appliances Category of the international design competition.

• Fri, 12 May – Bad Ass Coffee launches green coffee energy drink line. Mana beverages contain “organic adaptogenic botanicals” extracted from cascara, lotus flower, and green coffee, among other ingredients.

• Sat, 13 May – De’Longhi reports decline in 2023 Q1 revenue. The Italian coffee machine and appliance manufacturer said revenue fell by 18%, although it also states these figures are in comparison to “extraordinary growth” over the last two years.

• Sun, 14 May – Coffee to be first commodity export in new Honduras-China free trade agreement. Honduras will soon begin negotiating a FTA with China, which aims to drive the country’s economic growth through the export of coffee, shrimp, bananas, and other products.

Photo credits: Producer Roaster Forum

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Mon, 8 May

• International Coffee Organisation to work with European Union on new anti-deforestation regulations. The ICO’s Coffee Public-Private Task Force held a webinar to discuss the new EU deforestation-free regulations, which included 260 coffee professionals and EU representatives. The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to work with the EU and all coffee sector stakeholders to implement due diligence checks.

• This year’s World AeroPress Championship to take place in Melbourne, Australia. The 2023 WAC finals will take place immediately after this year’s Australian AeroPress Championship, which will be hosted by Fieldwork Coffee. This year’s theme is “Plungin’ Down Under”, with more details to be announced soon.

• Anaerobic natural Red Bourbon coffee receives top score of 87.23 points at 2023 Best of Ka‘ū competition. The coffee, grown by Leo Norberte of JN Farms, will be up for auction along with seven other Ka‘ū lots at the Isla Custom Coffees & Alliance for Coffee Excellence Private Collection Auction on 15 June.

• National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers receives 750 lots in eighth Land of Diversity competition. The lots were grown in 16 of the country’s departments, with 39 of them from Antioquia, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila, Norte de Santander, Tolima, and Santander selected for international auction.

• ZHAW Coffee Excellence Centre opens applications for 2023 Certificate of Advanced Studies. The online course covers all levels of the supply chain, and will begin in early October.

Tue, 9 May

• AeroPress launches new Clear brewer. The AeroPress Clear is a fully transparent plastic brewer, which the company says allows users to more accurately observe and adjust extraction. The new brewer is currently available in the US for US $49.95, and will be available from international distributors soon.

• WMF Professional Coffee Machines partners with Diebold Nixdorf on self-service checkout technology. The new partnership will allow retailers to connect WMF coffee machines with Diebold Nixdorf’s cloud-based Vynamic self-checkout platform.

• Dutch Bros reports 30% revenue increase in 2023 first quarter. The US drive-thru coffee chain recorded US $197.3 million in revenue between 1 January and 31 March 2023. Dutch Bros also opened record 45 stores during the analysis period.

• Researchers develop model to explain why finer grind size results in “weaker” espresso. Researchers at the University of Huddersfield designed a mathematical model to assess the impact of uneven extraction. The study found that excessively fine grind size creates a “positive feedback loop” that results in higher variations in flow rate, and can thereby decrease extraction – resulting in weaker-tasting espresso.

• Voting opens for SCA Greece Chapter committee elections. Voting will remain open until 24 May. The roles up for selection are Community Coordinator and Marketing & Communications Coordinator.

• Starbucks launches limited-edition Green Apron Blend. The company says the new blend was co-created by its “store partners” (or employees). For a limited time, US 10 cents from each cup sold in stores will go to the Starbucks Caring Unites Partners Fund, which supports employees with emergency funding.

Wed, 10 May

• Oatly appoints new CEO following significant financial losses. Christophe Flatin will replace Toni Petersson as new CEO, following an earlier announcement that the company has secured new funding in an effort to achieve “financial self-sufficiency”. Flatin has 30 years’ experience working at Mars, including CEO and president of the Royal Canin cat and dog food brand and president of the company’s chocolate division.

• This year’s Toronto Coffee Festival takes place at Evergreen Brick Works. Canada’s flagship three-day coffee event includes the Lab and Sensory Experience workshops, as well as Latte Art Live.

• Union Hand Roasted Coffee releases 2022 annual impact report. Last year, the UK B Corp says it paid US $3 million above C market price for all coffees sourced, and reduced its carbon emissions throughout the year by 23 tonnes.

• Tim Hortons to launch in South Korea in 2023. The Canadian coffee chain will sign a master franchise and development agreement with quick service restaurant operator BKR Co., Ltd.

• More than 440 producers took part in 4C and Melitta Improving working and living conditions for coffee smallholders in Colombia project. The three-year project, held in partnership with National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, included nearly 600 on-farm training sessions and online workshops. The project supported producers with implementing climate-smart farming practices, receiving higher prices for 4C-certified coffee, and encouraging more youth to be involved in coffee production.

Thu, 11 May

• Glasgow Coffee Festival 2023 to be held on 13 & 14 May at the Briggait. The event will include a series of talks from UK-based coffee professionals, as well as cuppings and tasting sessions. This year’s Glasgow Coffee Festival will also launch Scotland’s first coffee scholarship, which will provide barista training and work experience opportunities to disadvantaged youth.

• Six US beverage equipment manufacturers merge to form Lotus Beverage Alliance. Alpha Brewing Operations, GW Kent, Twin Monkeys, Stout Tanks and Kettles, Brewmation, and Automated Extractions now fall under one group.

• Brazilian coffee exports declined by 10.3% in April 2023. The Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé) says exports throughout the first four months of this year are also down by almost 20% to just under 11.1 million 60kg bags.

• Flash Coffee raises US $50 million in Series B financing round. The tech-driven coffee chain secured funding from several investors. Funding will be used to expand its footprint across the Asia Pacific region and to accelerate product innovation.

• LEON and World Land Trust’s “rainforest-saving coffee” reforests 2,000 acres of land. This equates to around 1m2 of forest saved for every seven cups of coffee – which the health-focused fast food chain sources from Peru and Honduras.

• International Trade Centre launches fourth edition of the Coffee Guide in Amharic. This marks the first time that the Coffee Guide has been published in Amharic, the most widely-spoken language in Ethiopia.

Fri, 12 May

• Cxffeeblack launches crowdfunding page for its Barista Exchange programme. As part of a collaboration with SoGiv Shoes, Cxffeeblack is selling its Pan-African Cxffeeblack Runner shoes. Proceeds of sales will go towards its Barista Exchange initiative, which allows young coffee professionals from Africa to train in the US, as well as funding origin trips for black American baristas.

• Nestlé to host Nescafé Plan 2030 Progress Highlights webinar on 6 June. The webinar will provide a number of updates on the Nescafé Plan 2030 project, including an impact assessment report from Rainforest Alliance.

• Breville to launch new Barista Touch Impress on 16 May. The new home espresso machine includes a number of features, such as the intelligent dosing Impress Puck System, hands-free Auto MilQ technology for steaming a range of milks (including plant-based options), and the ThermoJet heating system.

• Le Paris Café Festival 2023 to take place at Le Carreau du Temple from 13 to 15 May. This year’s competition will include the Roasters Village and The Lab, as well as Latte Art Live, Roast Masters, and a revamped Best Espresso Blend of France competition hosted by Collectif Café.

• Next Barista League event to take place in Brno, Czech Republic on 26 May. This will be the first Barista League competition to be held in the city, and will include the Mystery Mocktail Challenge.

• Natural Gesha receives top score of 91 points at 2023 Cup of Excellence Mexico competition. The coffee, grown by Gustavo Boltjes Rising of Finca Las Nieves, will be up for auction along with 25 other lots on 20 June.

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

• Mon, 1 May – Tim Hortons India appoints Tarun Jain as new CEO. Jain, who replaces previous CEO Navin Gurnaney, previously served as CEO of Costa Coffee in India.

• Tue, 2 May – Black Sheep Coffee to open first Middle Eastern location in Dubai. The coffee chain (which exclusively sources and uses fine robusta) signed a 30-year agreement to open 250 stores in the Middle East over a 15-year period.

• Wed, 3 May – Qatari barista Ranij Basnet wins Costa Coffee’s Global Barista of the Year competition. The 24-year-old has been working as a Barista Maestro for two years at a Costa Coffee location in Doha.

• Thu, 4 May – Brazilian and UK researchers recycle plastic in used coffee pods to manufacture filaments for 3D printers. Research teams at the Federal University of São Carlos, State University of Campinas, and Manchester Metropolitan University were able to use waste polylactic acid (PLA) from coffee capsules to produce the filaments, thereby reducing environmental impact.

• Fri, 5 May – Australian researchers find coffee consumption could improve brain health. The Centre for Eye Research Australia in Melbourne found that drinking two to three cups of coffee per day could increase the thickness of the macular retinal nerve fibre layer – a sign of good brain health.

• Fri, 5 May – Mayorga Coffee’s Eduardo Choza places fourth at 2023 US Roasting Championship. The company’s Head of Coffee competed against 24 US coffee roasters. Choza was the only East coast roaster to reach the top five highest-scoring competitors.

Photo credits: Ádám Csordás

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Mon, 1 May

• Westrock Coffee publishes 2022 Sustainability Progress Report. The report highlights the company’s key environmental and social sustainability activities from last year, including increasing global purchases of certified and verified responsibly-sourced coffee by 9% – amounting to an increase of over 19.5 million lbs.

• Nomad Coffee Group achieves B Corp certification. The group – which includes Veneziano Coffee Roasters, Black Bag Roasters, Coffee Hit, and Flight Coffee – implemented several new initiatives to receive the certification, including its Volunteer Time Off Policy and Parental Leave Policy, as well as improving waste management and coffee sourcing programmes.

• World AeroPress Championship announces more confirmed national competition hosts. New confirmed hosts include Five Elephant for the Germany competition, I.A.C. and Benki Brewing Tools for the Indian championship, and The Barista League for the Swedish event. WAC also confirmed that competitors will not be able to use the new AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap as part of the competition.

• Luckin Coffee reports 84% year-on-year increase in 2023 Q1 revenue. The Chinese coffee chain also stated it opened 1,100 net new stores during the analysis period – totalling more than 9,300 stores in China so far.

Tue, 2 May

• Starbucks surpasses expectations and reports 14% net revenue increase in 2023 Q2 financial results. The results were largely driven by strong performance in North America and a sharp recovery in China following store closures during the pandemic. Same-store sales in China grew by 30% in March alone.

• World Coffee Research creates new membership category for B2B roasters. The new category applies only to B2B roasters who focus solely on roasting and manufacturing products for third parties. WCR says the revised category will help to make its operations more transparent and equitable.

• Vietnam’s robusta production likely to drop in 2023 as more farmers grow durian fruit. According to Bloomberg, the country’s 2023/24 coffee harvest is likely to be the lowest in four years, largely because growing crops like durian is more profitable for farmers.

• Restaurant Brands International reports 17.9% sales growth for Tim Hortons during 2023 Q1. The Canadian coffee chain opened 300 new stores during the analysis period, totalling 5,620 global outlets – including the first location in Pakistan.

• FairWave Holdings acquires two more US coffee brands. The company, which describes itself as a specialty coffee collective, has made undisclosed investments in Folly Coffee and Philtera Cold Brewed Coffees.

Wed, 3 May

• Registration opens for World of Coffee Athens. Visitors can now apply to attend the event, which will take place from 22 to 24 June at the Athens Metropolitan Expo centre. Submissions for this year’s Coffee Design and Best New Product Awards have also been extended to 23:59 on 5 May.

• Blue Bottle Coffee partners with musician The Weeknd on new Ethiopia-focused Samra Origins range. The new line will launch on 9 May with a limited release of the Exceedingly Rare Ethiopia Cup of Excellence Wolde Faye Koricha for US $65 per 100g. Blue Bottle will also launch several Samra Origins blends later in the year.

• NKG Stockler forms regenerative agriculture-certified coffee farm collective. The first seven Regenagri-certified farms are in Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil, with plans to expand farming practices in other coffee-growing regions.

• Next year’s National Coffee Association convention to take place in Nashville, Tennessee. The annual event will be held from 7 to 9 March 2024, with more details to be announced soon.

Thu, 4 May

• Starbucks appeals US judge’s ruling over unlawful firing in Memphis union case. The company’s lawyer claimed employees in Memphis were fired for violating a company safety policy after opening the store without consent and allowing members of the press inside. Starbucks has said it reinstated the workers despite disagreeing with the judge’s ruling.

• World Coffee Research publishes new Robusta Variety Catalogue. The new guide profiles 47 robusta varieties from countries including Brazil, India, Indonesia, Uganda, Mexico, and Vietnam. The catalogue also outlines several different variables, such as yield potential, stature, bean size, nutrition requirements, lineage, and susceptibility to pests & diseases.

• illycaffè reports 13.2% year-on-year global revenue increase for 2023 Q1. In Italy and the US, revenue respectively grew by 10.7% and 27.7% compared to the same period in 2022.

• Colombian coffee production fell by 9% during last 12 months. Total production so far in 2023 has also fallen by 6% to 3.26 million 60kg bags – largely attributed to higher rainfall levels and lower fertiliser application because of higher prices.

Fri, 5 May

• Melbourne International Coffee Expo announces sponsors for first-ever Richest Barista competition. Sponsors of this year’s event are Dalla Corte, the Alternative Dairy Co., Naked Syrups, and Riverina Fresh. Competitor registration will open soon, and the competition will take place at MICE from 17 to 19 August 2023.

• Hawaii Coffee Association to host this year’s annual conference, trade show, and cupping competition on 15 to 17 June. The event will also include a new latte art competition, interactive workshops, and seminars about fermentation, and will be held in Lihue, Kauai.

• ICO Composite price reaches highest level since September 2022. Between March and April 2023, the ICO Composite Price Indicator increased by 5%, averaging around 179.51 US cents/lb during the period. Average prices for all group indicators increased in April 2023, while global green coffee exports decreased by 9.6% to 10.90 60kg million bags.

• FoodBev Awards to launch first edition of World Coffee Innovation Awards. Winners are shortlisted across a number of categories, including Best Milk Alternative and Best RTD Product. Entry opens 5 May and the winners will be announced at the 2023 Caffè Culture event in October.

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

• Wed, 19 Apr – McDonalds trials cold brew at Southern California locations. The fast food chain is testing out new black and Marble cold brew drinks.

• Wed, 26 Apr – Caffè Vergnano signs exclusive distribution partnership in United Arab Emirates. In partnership with hospitality solutions provider STREE, the Italian coffee company will supply its HoReCa products to restaurants and hotels in the country.

• Wed, 26 Apr – Oatly signs its first-ever global airline partnership with SWISS International Air Lines. The airline will serve RTD Oatly Caffè Lattes onboard all of its flights.

• Thu, 27 Apr – Nestlé uses Airbus satellites to monitor reforestation. Airbus’ Pléiades Neo satellites will monitor more than 150,000 shade trees on coffee farms in the Ranong and Chumphon provinces of southern Thailand.

• Thu, 27 Apr – Keurig Dr. Pepper reports 1.3% decline in coffee sales during 2023 Q1. K-Cup revenue, however, grew by 2.9% during the analysis period.

• Fri, 28 Apr – Lavazza appoints new Board of Directors. The Italian coffee company announced Giuseppe Lavazza as the new Chairman and Alberto Lavazza as Honorary Chairman. Marco Lavazza has also been reappointed as Vice Chairman.

• Fri, 28 Apr – Value of global coffee capsule market to be worth US $11.9 billion by 2032. Allied Market Research states the market will grow by 7.6% during the analysis period.

Photo credits: World AeroPress Championship

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Mon, 24 Apr

• Uganda reports 2% year-on-year increase in coffee exports in March. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority says the country shipped 487,797 60kg bags of coffee in March 2023. The increase in exports was largely attributed to exporters shipping reserve warehouse stocks to capitalise on higher robusta prices.

• SCA announces winners of 2023 Best New Product Awards and Coffee Design Awards. This year’s winners were announced at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Portland, Oregon, which attracted more than 12,000 visitors:
  • Best New Product Awards:
    • Coffee Accessories: Ion Beam by Acaia
    • Commercial Coffee Preparation and Serving Equipment: Latte Art Factory Bar Pro by Frank Buna, which has won three Best New Product Awards in less than a year – making it the first-ever product to do so
    • Consumer Coffee Preparation and Serving Equipment: The Barista Touch Impress by Breville
    • Open Class: Redefined by Rarebird, Inc.
    • Specialty Coffee Beverage Additive: Puremade Toasted Black Sesame Syrup by Torani
    • Specialty Non-Coffee Beverage Standalone: Ginger Spice Chai Concentrate by Art of Tea
  • Coffee Design Awards:
    • Branding: Dear Francis
    • Packaging: Stereoscope

• First-ever World of Coffee Asia event to take place in Busan, South Korea from 1 to 4 May. The event will run in addition to WoC Dubai from 21 to 23 January 2024, as well as the main European event in June 2024. WoC Busan will also host the 2024 World Barista Championship.

• Pret A Manger opens first store in India. The UK food and coffee to-go chain’s new store is in Mumbai, and is operated by local business partner Reliance Brands Limited.

• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe appoints Ruben Scholz as new Chief Operating Officer. Scholz, who has worked at the green coffee trader for 25 years, joins the company’s Board of Management. Scholz will take responsibility for NKG’s global business operations and trading strategy.

• Coca-Cola credits Costa Coffee for 9% increase in coffee business growth last year. The company says Costa Coffee performed strongly in the UK and China, resulting in significant growth for its coffee division.

Tue, 25 Apr

• SCA announces 2023 US Coffee Championship winners. This year’s winners, who will go on to represent the US at their respective competitions, include:
  • Isaiah Sheese – Barista Champion
  • Wenbo Yang – Brewers Cup Champion
  • Jake Donaghy – Cup Tasters Champion
  • Sam Schroeder – Coffee in Good Spirits Champion
  • Piyapat Lapteerawup – Latte Art Champion
  • Andrew Coe – Roasting Champion

• Janis Podins wins 2023 Coffee Masters at London Coffee Festival. The three-time Latvian Barista Champion used a Bolivian coffee roasted by Coffee Collective in his routine.

• Good Food Awards 2023 announces 16 Coffee Winners recipients. This year’s winners Good Citizen Coffee Co.’s Chocolate Oat Milk Nitro Iced Coffee, a Colombia washed Laboyano coffee from Pedestrian Coffee, and a Burundi Gahahe Cima natural coffee from Blossom Coffee Roasters.

• Nestlé reports high single digit growth for coffee products during 2023 first quarter. The company says there was robust demand for Nescafé and Starbucks-branded products during the analysis period, including the Nescafé Farmers Origins capsule range.

• This year’s Australian Barista and Brewers Cup Championships to be held from 8 to 12 May 2023. The competitions will take place at The Industrique in Coburg North, Melbourne, with the winners going on to represent Australia at the World Coffee Championships in Athens, Greece in June.

• Rave Coffee opens new roastery in Cirencester, UK. The company says following a 22% turnover increase in 2022, it was able to invest £1 million (US $1.25 million) in a new roasting facility. The new roastery includes two Loring roasters, as well as a cupping room and coffee laboratory.

• Caribou Coffee announces plans for over 300 new franchise locations. The coffee chain signed several multi-unit development agreements with franchise partners in the US, following rapid expansion of its franchise programme in 2021.

• JDE Peet’s to combine out-of-home and Consumer Packaged Goods European segments. The coffee and tea company says the merger will allow it to apply a “true” omnichannel approach to the European market, as well as leveraging its brands more effectively.

Wed, 26 Apr

• New documentary series The Road to Milan previews at Specialty Coffee Expo. The documentary series follows 2021 WBC runner-up Andrea Allen as she prepared for the competition, and is set for official release in the coming months.

• Robusta futures reach 12-year high following growing demand and dwindling supplies. The robusta contract for July 2023 closed at US $2,444 per tonne on Monday – 2.6% higher than the previous session. ICE arabica futures also reached a six-month high of US $1.9345/lb.

• Pret A Manger raises price of coffee subscription service. The food and coffee to-go chain raised the price of its monthly subscription to £30 (US $37.34) – an increase of 20%. However, the service has now been expanded to include a 10% discount on all products sold in its shops.

• Last remaining defendant in four-year-old Kona coffee lawsuit agrees to pay US $12 million settlement. A judge has approved the settlement proposed by MNS Ltd., one of the original 21 defendants accused of falsely marketing their products as Hawaiian Kona coffee. The settlement is almost twice the amount of the second largest settlement in the case to date.

• US National Labor Relations Board accuses Starbucks of illegally refusing to negotiate at 144 unionised coffee shops. The NLRB asserts Starbucks illegally “failed and refused” to negotiate in good faith at the 144 locations by “insisting upon proposals that are predictably unacceptable to the union” and “demeaning and otherwise undermining the union’s chosen representatives”. Starbucks denies the allegations.

Thu, 27 Apr

• This year’s London Coffee Festival attracts some 30,000 visitors. The four-day event was held at Truman Brewery in Spitalfields, London, and included prominent UK and European roasters, such as Five Elephant and Manhattan Coffee Roasters. The festival also showcased some of the latest coffee innovations, including Heylo’s modular espresso machine.

• Macap releases new MI20 Touch and MI40 Touch grinders. The MI20 Touch features 58mm flat burrs and can be programmed to dispense up to four different doses, while the MI40 Touch includes 65mm flat burrs and a stepless adjustment system.

• New app coffee knowledge app Coffeem launches on Apple store. The free app, created by Eyup Mert, provides users with brewing and roasting tips, as well as advice from industry experts.

• Precipice Coffee becomes first solar-powered all-electric roaster in Maine, US. The company, which uses a Bellwether roaster, says the machine has helped it to reduce carbon emissions by up to 87%.

• Rokit Health launches new line of RTD wellness coffees in the UK. The cold brew and oat milk canned drinks are available in Mind Boost, Immunity Boost, and Energy Uplift flavours.

• Australia’s Market Development Facility and Palladium Group International release Sri Lanka Coffee Investment Prospectus. The report outlines MDF’s work in the Sri Lankan agricultural industry, including in coffee. MDF has supported more than 29,150 farmers in the country, including coffee producers.

Fri, 28 Apr

• Tallinn Coffee Festival takes place in Estonia. The annual two-day event will host the 2023 Estonian Cup Tasters Championship, as well as a series of lectures, panels, and cupping sessions.

• National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia announces Germán Alberto Bahamón Jaramillo as new General Manager. The FNC says the decision was made unanimously. Bahamón Jaramillo has more than 20 years’ experience holding senior level positions at companies such as Apple and Sony Ericsson.

• Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association generated some US $20 million in business at this year’s Specialty Coffee Expo. The organisation adds that Brazilian producers connected with more than 720 industry professionals at the event, most of which were new clients. The BSCA estimates it will generate a further US $100.1 million over the next 12 months.

• Roastery management software start-up Bean Mind launches online. The platform’s cloud-based software Beanventory integrates all roastery systems onto one interface, which the company says helps to improve operational efficiency.

• Dutch Coffee Championships 2023 to take place on 29 and 30 April. The event, which will be hosted by Alleborgh Espresso in Almere, will include the Dutch Barista, Brewers Cup, and Latte Art Championships.

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

• Mon, 17 Apr – Brazilian brand Mais1.Café aims to operate 900 stores by end of 2023. The coffee chain already operates more than 600 stores across Brazil, and has expanded into neighbouring Paraguay.

• Mon, 17 Apr – Scooter’s Coffee opens 600th US store in Tennessee. The drive-thru coffee chain plans to operate 800 US stores by the end of the year, and 1,000 stores by the end of 2025.

• Tue, 18 Apr – Nespresso and Starbucks Reserve launch limited-edition Remix Blend capsules. The blend, which includes Starbucks Aged Sumatra and Nespresso Ethiopoa Mokaboji, has notes of wild berry and sweet spice, with hints of citrus.

• Wed, 19 Apr – Café Kitsune opens first store in Taiwan. The French coffee and lifestyle brand also operates outlets in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, and Indonesia.

• Wed, 19 Apr – Starbucks launches Oleato beverages in Japan. Following launches in Italy and the US, the olive oil-infused coffee beverages are now available at more than 60 Starbucks stores across the country, including the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo.

• Thu, 20 Apr – Chamberlain Coffee launches new line of RTD plant-based cold brew lattes. The coffee lifestyle brand’s new products include Mocha Latte, Cinnamon Bun Latte, and Vanilla Latte.

• Sun, 23 Apr – Ground Control soft launches new brewer at Specialty Coffee Expo. The new prototype machine uses the same technology as the Ground Control Cyclops, but is more compact and includes an interactive colour-changing LED interface.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association

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Mon, 17 Apr

• Colombian chain Juan Valdez to open flagship store in Madrid in May 2023. The company’s new location will open in the Torre Caleido skyscraper, with plans to open more outlets across Spain in the coming months.

• Pu’er set to become China’s main coffee trading hub. The region is now home to around 45,266ha of coffee-growing land. Moreover, the development of a coffee processing plant and the new China-Laos Railway aims to make Pu’er a major trade hub for coffee in Southeast Asia.

• Chronova Engineering to launch Kickstarter campaign for manual modular Epoch espresso machines. The Epoch Fulcrum is a lever-operated espresso machine, while the Epoch Helix uses a screw thread to build up to nine bars of pressure. The handles and bases of both models are also customisable.

• Caribou Coffee drops plant milk surcharges for loyalty members. From 4 May, Caribou Perks members will be able to order any plant milk for free.

• La Marzocco opens temporary store at 2023 Design Week Milan. The company will showcase its GS3, Linea Mini, and Linea Micra espresso machines from 17 to 23 April at the event. The new pop-up location will also host coffee and ice cream tastings, as well as workshops.

• Starbucks certifies more than 3,500 Greener Stores in the US and Canada. Greener Stores must meet 25 criteria across eight environmental categories, such as water stewardship and energy efficiency. In March 2023, the company certified another 88 Greener Stores in 18 additional markets, including in the UK.

• Container shipping spot rates begin to recover after nine months of decline. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index rose for the third week in a row in April, following nine months of continuous decline. However, experts remain unsure of the effect this may have on annual contract prices, including for coffee.

• Expo Café Uruguay 2023 to be held on 12 and 13 August. After a successful first edition in 2022, Expo Café Uruguay will once again take place in Montevideo. Last year, the inaugural event attracted more than 10,500 visitors and over 30 exhibitors.

Tue, 18 Apr

• Two Bonavita brewers receive SCA Certified Home Brewer mark. The Enthusiast with Stainless Steel Carafe and the 5-Cup Drip Coffee Brewer with Thermal Carafe have both received the certification, which ensures brewers meet the SCA’s quality standards for preparing specialty coffee at home.

• Arabica futures contract hits over US $2 and robusta futures reach 11-year high. Arabica futures have reached a six-month high, most likely because of lower export volumes from countries like Colombia. Dry weather conditions in Vietnam are also driving robusta futures higher, as well as excessive rainfall in Indonesia.

• International Coffee Organisation releases 2023 Coffee Report and Outlook. The new report outlines global production and consumption statistics for the upcoming year, and predicts that global production volumes will increase by 1.7% to 171.3 60kg million bags in 2022/23 – although this is still be a deficit of coffee. The ICO is set to release these reports twice every year.

• British Coffee Association appoints Dr. Krisztina Szalai as new Chair. Dr. Szalai, who is currently the Head of Sales at Caravela Coffee, says she will use her new role to support the UK coffee industry “at a critical time”, mentioning rising inflation and costs.

• Tata Coffee reports 10.2% increase in 2022 revenue. The Indian coffee company cited rising demand for hot coffee beverages at restaurants, cafés, and offices as the main reason for revenue growth.

• Nescafé launches Ice Roast soluble coffee. Ice Roast is the brand’s first-ever soluble coffee product designed specifically to be prepared with cold water or milk. The instant coffee product launches in China this month, as well as in Mexico in the coming weeks.

• Simonelli Group appoints Marco Feliziani as new CEO. Outgoing CEO Fabio Ceccarani leaves the company after 14 years. Feliziani has worked at Simonelli for eight years, having previously held the roles of Sales Director and Deputy Chairman of the company’s US branch.

Wed, 19 Apr

• Alliance for Coffee Excellence announces winning coffees up for Los Favoritos Vol VI Honduras & Nicaragua Private Collection Auction. A total of 15 coffees (six from Honduras and nine from Nicaragua) will be up for auction on 1 June 2023. There were six varieties represented in the competition, including Gesha, Yellow Pacamara, and Laurina, as well as six different processing methods.

• Re:co Specialty Coffee Symposium 2023 takes place in Portland, Oregon. The two-day event features sensory experiences, networking opportunities, and expert speakers including Professor Christopher Hendon of University of Oregon, founder of the Coffee Sensorium Dr. Fabiana Carvalho, and JNP Coffee founder Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian.

• Luckin Coffee opens more than 9,000 stores in China. The Chinese coffee chain says it experienced rapid expansion in the first quarter of 2023, averaging 13 stores a day – boosted by its recently-implemented franchising programme.

• SCA Greece opens nominations for volunteer committee elections. Nominations are open until 26 April, and voting will take place from 10 to 24 May. The roles open for election are Community Coordinator and Marketing & Communications Coordinator.

• Eversys appoints Andre Eiermann as new Global Marketing Director. Eiermann has extensive experience working in the coffee industry, including in green coffee trading, roasting, education, and competitions. Eiermann will seek to drive Eversys’ brand growth and expansion.

• Coffee shop software developer Odeko raises US $53 million in funding round. Odeko’s software allows coffee shops to manage supply chains and operations more effectively. The company will use the capital to continue expansion in new international markets.

• Reborn Coffee appoints new advisory board to provide strategic guidance for growth. The new board includes Bill Koschak, who currently serves as CFO at Calyxt, a plant-based synthetic biotechnology company. The company says the newly formed advisory board will help to grow and expand the brand in new markets.

Thu, 20 Apr

• SCA releases beta version of the Coffee Value Assessment at Re:co Symposium. As a result of a project first launched in 2020, the organisation’s revised cupping protocol and form will allow industry professionals to record data according to four different assessment categories – “physical”, “extrinsic”, “affective”, and “descriptive” – which the SCA says is more in line with its new definition of specialty coffee.

• This year’s London Coffee Festival takes place at the Truman Brewery. The event includes a trade show, the Roasters Village, a series of talks, and the 2023 Coffee Masters competition. Several prominent companies and brands will launch new products at the festival, including Cimbali’s new M200 espresso machine.

• IKAWA launches new Pro100x sample roaster. The new countertop roaster includes a Moisture Release Graph, which allows users to track roast profiles more effectively. The Pro100x can detect when first crack occurs based on the release of moisture. Pre-orders are expected to ship in June 2023.

• Green coffee processing equipment manufacturer Cimbria expands operations in South America. Cimbria says South America will be one of its most promising and important markets.

• Australian chain Coffee Hit rolls out new branding. The company’s new branding and marketing campaign includes the slogan “Coffee that goes places”, as well as new blend names and packaging.

• Cropster launches new BrewBeacon volumetric espresso machine connector. The IoT-powered BrewBeacon can be connected to up to four espresso machine groupheads to record and store real time brew data on Cropster Café software.

• Weber Workshops launches MOONRAKER WDT tool. The company’s new product uses geared and spirographic movement to evenly distribute ground coffee in portafilter baskets. The MOONRAKER is available to pre-order now.

• Coney Island Coffee invests more than US $621,345 in rebranding. The company – formerly known as Cinema Coffee Project – will now sell products online and through subscriptions, as well as in more stores in Ireland.

Fri, 21 Apr

• UK government signs 2022 International Coffee Agreement. The signing took place at the International Coffee Organisation headquarters in London in the presence of ICO Executive Director Vanúsia Nogueira. The ICA aims to strengthen partnerships and co-operation between the ICO and signatory governments, as well as with the private sector.

• Specialty Coffee Expo 2023 takes place in Portland, Oregon. This year’s event is being held at the Oregon Convention Centre until 23 April. The expo includes several show features, such as the Roasters Village, the Green Coffee Buyers & Sellers Programme, the Cupping Exchange, and this year’s US Coffee Championships.

• TONE Kaffeemaschinen launches new TONE TOUCH 04 batch brewer at Specialty Coffee Expo. TONE says its latest automated brewer uses ten times less energy than a traditional brewer, and allows the user to control agitation, flow rates, and pulse pouring.

• Acaia debuts new Ion Beam anti-static grinder tool at Specialty Coffee Expo. The Ion Beam includes an industrial-grade ion generator which helps to minimise static and clumping. Acaia also launched its Orion Nano coffee doser at the event.

• Alliance for Coffee Excellence open applications for new Executive Director. Following the departure of Darrin Daniel in March, the non-profit organisation is looking to hire a new executive director to lead both ACE and the Cup of Excellence prorgramme.

• SCA Market event to take place in Busan, South Korea on 23 April. The three-day event will include the Coffee Village, Cupping Room, and SCA Education Programme, as well as hosting the 2023 Korean Barista Championships.

• Bazzara’s Trieste Coffee Experts event to return in November 2023. The annual prelude event to the Triestespresso Expo will return for a sixth time this year, hosted by local family-operated roaster Bazzara. The theme of this year’s event is “Innovation & Sustainability”.

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

• Thu, 13 Apr – Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority reports coffee exporters have defaulted on at least 394 contracts since October 2022. Following a period of low international coffee prices, Ethiopian exporters have been withholding coffee to sell for higher prices on the local market. As such, the ECTA may struggle to meet its $2 billion income target.

• Thu, 13 Apr – Nespresso expands Australian logistics partnership with DHL. DHL Supply Chain will now provide storage, warehousing, and order packing services for Nespresso in Brisbane and Sydney, adding to existing partnerships in Italy, Brazil, and elsewhere.

• Fri, 14 Apr – Philippine start-up Pickup Coffee raises US $40 million in latest funding round. The quick service coffee brand’s funding round was led by Indonesian tech company GoTo. Pickup Coffee operates several locations in the country, and serves a number of signature drinks such as Nutellatte, Ube Latte, and Avo Latte.

• Fri, 14 Apr – US Department of Agriculture to fund new coffee productivity and resilience project. The Developing Field-Based High-Throughput Phenotyping for Coffee Yield, Physiological Performance, and Disease Resistance project, which will be run by Ohio State University, World Coffee Research, and two USDA research centres, will focus on making coffee breeding more efficient and cost-effective.

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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion piece on the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia’s new leader.

The post Coffee News Recap, 21 Apr: Specialty Coffee Expo begins in Portland, arabica prices reach six-month high & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.