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

• Monday, 22 Feb – Specialty Coffee Association launches Coffee Directory. In response to the lack of in-person trade shows, the new digital platform will serve as a B2B network for coffee companies and professionals. Buyers can search company listings and sellers are able to advertise products and services.

• Monday, 22 Feb – UK government announces roadmap for reopening hospitality sector. The earliest date set for hospitality venues (including coffee shops) to open is May 17, 2021. The “rule of six” will apply again, but by June 21, all social contact limitations are set to be lifted.

• Monday, 22 Feb – TradeLab Report finds 2020 Italian out-of-home consumption totalled €53.7 billion. Previous forecasts estimated a total of €88 billion for 2020. Predictions for out-of-home consumption – including in coffee shops – in 2021 range from €65.4 to €74 billion.

• Monday, 22 Feb – University of British Columbia creates compostable coffee capsule. The university has partnered with NEXE Innovations to manufacture capsules made from bamboo and plant-based bioplastics. The pods fully compost in at least 35 days, and are compatible with Keurig K-Cup systems.

• Monday, 22 Feb – World Coffee Research sets out origin diversification and agricultural innovation as priorities in 2021-2025 strategy. The strategy, entitled Enhancing Country Competitiveness to Bolster Origin Diversity will seek to increase productivity, profitability, and resilience to climate change. This strategy will focus on 11 coffee producing countries in Central America, Asia and East Africa.

• Monday, 22 Feb – Ikawa releases Pro100 with doubled roasting capacity. The UK roaster manufacturer’s new model has similar dimensions to the previous ProV3, but with an increased batch capacity of 120g. The Pro100 has the same carbon footprint as earlier models.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Costa Coffee opens its first “fully digital” drive-thru in the UK. Digital menu boards are located both behind the bar and at drive-thru entrances, meaning menu items can be updated automatically. To coincide with the drive-thru’s opening in Nottingham, Costa have also launched their “Intensely Rich Half-Caffeine” blend, a first for the UK coffee market.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Chef Gary Mehigan announced as ambassador for Rancilio’s Silvia Pro range. Mehigan is a restaurant owner and former MasterChef judge who has owned a Rancilio Lucy for 17 years. His expertise in the food and beverage industry will support Rancilio’s presence in the at-home coffee sector.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Quality Espresso showcases digital Smartia platform. To meet an increase in demand for digital connectivity, the espresso machine manufacturer is rolling out the platform on their machines this year.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Steeped Coffee wins at 2021 KeHE Summer Show. The Certified B Corp, which offers a “single-serve coffee solution”, was awarded the “On Trend Best of Show” at the annual trade show. Steeped Coffee’s products are fully compostable and made using renewable materials.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – La Marzocco Home announces monthly “Coffee Encounters” YouTube series. Starting on February 27, the monthly online events will be available on YouTube for 48 hours each. Each episode will discuss the company’s history and products, as well as featuring live coffee demonstrations.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Cimbali Group selected for Sodalitas Call for Future 2021 project. The project recognises companies’ corporate social responsibility efforts that are in line with UN 2030 goals. Cimbali Group has been nominated in the “Business and culture for a sustainable future” category, because of its involvement with the Mumac Museum, Mumac Library, Mumac Academy, and Hangar 100 projects.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Ethiopia Cup of Excellence receives a record-breaking 1,848 coffee samples. This record has been broken for the second time, this time by more than 300 samples. This year will be the second Ethiopia COE competition. Last year’s record price at the auction was US $185/lb.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Mercon Coffee Group launches Hurricane Emergency Relief Fund in Nicaragua and Honduras. Through the Seeds for Progress Foundation, more than US $178,000 will be used to rebuild roads destroyed by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. In total, 11 communities will be assisted through the programme.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Intelligentsia launches three RTD coffee beverages. The Chicago-based roasters have launched their Cold Coffee, Oat Latte and Spiced Oat Latte RTD products. All three are made with a blend of Ethiopian, Guatemalan, and Peruvian coffees. The two oat milk beverages have been made in partnership with Oatly.

• Tuesday, 23 Feb – Halo Coffee receive over £300,000 in funding. The UK coffee capsule company launched its crowdfunding campaign in December 2020. Funds will be used to drive growth in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

• Wednesday, 24 Feb – Precise Brew reusable coffee filters launched. Cypriot company Coffee Lovers Editors & Trainers launched the range, which are made from recyclable polymer fibres that can be cleaned and reused more than 1,000 times. They can be adapted to a number of brewing methods and provide a range of filtration levels based on preferred sensory profiles.

• Wednesday, 24 Feb – Root Capital Inc. named 2021 National Coffee Association Origin Charity of the Year. The agricultural enterprise investment company provides loans of up to US $2 million to smallholder farmers and co-operatives. The award will be presented at the virtual NCA 2021 Annual Convention.

• Wednesday, 24 Feb – FNC projects excess of 6 million bags in first half of 2021. This is a small decrease compared to the first half of 2020, but the FNC says it is an accurate representation of recent Colombian coffee production.

• Wednesday, 24 Feb – AeroPress inventor, Alan Adler, announced for live Q&A event at CoffeeCon Online. Alan will be speaking at the virtual event on March 6. Registration is free, and attendees will be able to ask set questions for the inventor and President of AeroPress to answer.

• Wednesday, 24 Feb – Krakow uses coffee grounds to grit roads during heavy snow. More than 50 local coffee shops donated coffee waste, which will be spread on walkways in two parks in the Polish capital. Krakow’s city council states that coffee grounds will be more financially and environmentally viable than sand.

• Wednesday, 24 Feb – UK football team to wear shirts partly made from used coffee grounds. Forest Green Rovers’ new kit will be worn for the first time tomorrow, February 27, in a match against Colchester United. The strip is made from coffee waste and recycled plastic bottles. The football club was certified carbon neutral in 2018.

• Thursday, 25 Feb – Insent launches robot that can mimic human sensory perception of coffee flavours. The robot, designed by Japanese firm Intelligent Sensor Technology (Insent), uses sensors pretreated with potassium chloride which mimic human saliva. Each sensor is constructed to assess sourness, saltiness, umami, bitterness, astringency, and sweetness, before converting the results to numerical data. Roaster manufacturer Probat are assessing the accuracy and consistency of the machine, and say results are promising.

• Thursday, 25 Feb – AeroPress to donate US $100,000 to the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Innovative Translational Research Award. The winning project is headed by Dr. Nicholas Vitanza from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, who specialises in studying paediatric brain tumours. AeroPress’ donation will go to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a US paediatric cancer non-profit.

• Friday, 26 Feb – Specialty Coffee Association collaborates with Zurich University of Applied Sciences on new coffee education programme. The Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Coffee Excellence is an online course that focuses on applied sciences throughout the coffee supply chain. Applications are open for April 2021, with 50 slots on the course available.

• Friday, 26 Feb – UCC Coffee UK & Ireland announced that it generated over £1 million in Fairtrade funds during 2020. The funds will be used to support over 600 global farming communities to become more resilient to climate change and improve their socioeconomic wellbeing.

• Friday, 26 Feb – The Specialty Coffee Association announces the cancellation of the 2021 World of Coffee trade show in Athens. The event was set to take place in June. Upon reviewing the current global status of the Covid-19 pandemic, the SCA have decided to postpone until next year’s WOC event in Warsaw.

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

• Tuesday, 16 Feb – Woodpecker creates building material from coffee chaff. The Bogota-based company combined recycled plastics with coffee chaff to produce lightweight, durable, and easily transportable building boards. Using this composite, houses can be constructed within a week with material costs estimated to be around US $4,500.

• Tuesday, 16 Feb – Dunkin’ donates US $380,000 to sustainable efforts as part of 2021 commitment plan. Dunkin’ donated to One Tree Planted, Sustainable Coffee Challenge, the Partnership for Gender Equity, and various disaster relief efforts in Central America. These donations comprise part of the company’s coffee sourcing, transparency, and environmental conservation efforts for this calendar year.

• Tuesday, 16 Feb – Dentists claim brushing teeth after drinking coffee is detrimental to dental health. Thanks to the acids in coffee, brushing your teeth after your morning cup can weaken tooth enamel and increase sensitivity. It is advised to wait at least 30 minutes after drinking coffee to brush..

• Wednesday, 17 Feb – The Independent Business Network releases a report about the effects of Covid-19 on the UK hospitality sector. Lockdown restrictions have lost hospitality businesses (including cafés and roasteries) some £53.3 billion. The IBN is asking the UK government for a £35 billion relief package to support job retention in the sector.

• Thursday, 18 Feb – US research finds coffee consumption to be the strongest variable in minimising the long-term risk of heart failure. Studies from the University of Colorado find that two cups a day decreases long-term risk by 31%. Three or more has been linked to a decrease of 29%.

• Friday, 19 Feb – Nespresso posts highest sales growth in five-year period. Nespresso sales rose by 7% in 2020 as out-of-home coffee consumption decreased. However, Nestlé’s overall reported sales reduced by 8.9% in 2020.

• Friday, 19 Feb – Nestlé US launches seasonal spring Starbucks at-home range. The Starbucks Honey & Madagascar Vanilla Flavoured Coffee and Starbucks Spring Day Blend include 100% arabica coffee from Africa and Latin America. Both products are available as pre-ground coffee and Keurig K-Cup pods.

• Sunday, 21 Feb – BATHTUB COFFEE launches first original product, SIMPLIFY the brewer. The Japanese company’s brewing method reduces extraction time and cuts out the bloom phase. The brewer pours for 30 seconds and brews within 60 seconds.

• Sunday, 21 Feb – Dutch Bros Coffee app reaches 1 million members. The US drive-thru coffee chain launched their mobile app in late January. By February 1, the app was #1 on the Apple app store’s food and drink category in the US.