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

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.