Coffee News Recap, 1 Dec: World AeroPress Championship 2023 held in Melbourne, coffee industry celebrates the life of Gianni Cassatini & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week.

Here are this week’s coffee news stories.

Mon, 27 Nov

• Early bird tickets now on sale for PRF Guatemala 2024. Early bird tickets are available until 1 February 2024, giving both local and international attendees the opportunity to save ahead of the two-day forum. PRF Guatemala will take place at Anacafé in Guatemala City on 7 & 8 March 2024.

• Alexa Elizabeth Lee wins 2024 UK Cup Tasters Championship at Manchester Coffee Festival. Lee, who is the Operations Manager at Carbon Kopi Artisan Coffee Bars, placed first at the competition – with Julian Loayza placing second and Richard Hill winning third place. The 2023 Manchester Coffee Festival took place on 18 & 19 November.

• Trieste Coffee Experts 2023 hailed as exceptional success. More than 100 guests attended the event in Trieste, Italy, with many more joining via live stream to watch 26 speakers share their insights on the future of coffee. The conference was hosted by Bazzara Caffè at the Savoia Excelsior Palace.

• European Coffee Awards announced at 2023 European Coffee Symposium. This year’s symposium ran from 27 to 29 November at the W Barcelona Hotel. Notable award winners included Lavazza (Best Coffee Roaster – Europe), Origin Coffee Roasters (Best Specialty Coffee Roaster), La Marzocco (Best Coffee Equipment Supplier), and WatchHouse (Best Independent Coffee Shop – Europe).

• Probat thanks jubilarians and future retirees for decades of service. The coffee roaster manufacturer recognised 13 employees for their dedication to the company. It hosted a celebration at its headquarters in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany.

• Coffee and cocoa in EU warehouses at risk of destruction under new regulations. Financial Times reports that hundreds of thousands of tonnes of non-compliant coffee and cocoa stored in EU warehouses may end up being destroyed as a result of the EU’s new anti-deforestation laws. Alternatively, the commodities may have to be sold outside of the EU.

• IWCA launches Giving Tuesday to raise funds for women in the coffee industry worldwide. The Global Leadership Alliance will match all donations made from 28 November to 31 December 2023, up to US $25,000. The IWCA is calling on donors to contribute any amount, aiming to contribute to its mission of securing sustainable livelihoods for women in the coffee industry.

• Anfim launches new Alba commercial espresso grinder. The grinder features 80mm flat steel burrs, a 2kg hopper capacity, and a grinding time of 1.3s for a single espresso dose. Baristas can use the 3.5 inch touch screen display to programme various recipes and monitor different metrics.

Tue, 28 Nov

• Coffee industry celebrates the life of renowned coffee professional Gianni Cassatini. Cassatini, known for his trademark Borsalino hat, was an icon of Italian coffee culture, helping to spread coffee knowledge and passion throughout North America. Simonelli Group president Nando Ottavi says he was a “remarkable human” who “was always ready to help those in need”.

• Indonesian coffee farmers use geothermal heat for coffee processing. Producers in Kamojang, Indonesia are using the Geothermal Coffee Process (GCP) to significantly reduce the time it takes to ferment and dry coffee. The process has the potential to reduce both CO2 emissions and organic waste.

• Milano Coffee launches espresso blend featuring 20 different single origin coffees. The Californian roaster designed the Turks Crown blend, the first 20-bean blend in the world, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. It’s described as “a full spectrum of positive coffee flavours with a silky elegant mouthfeel and luscious texture”.

• UK coffee chain Knoops plans to double in size in 2024. The chain, which serves chocolate drinks alongside an espresso-based menu, recently secured US $10.4 million in funding. It now plans to open 20 new stores in 2024. It aims to reach 200 total stores in the UK over the next few years.

• Global Coffee Platform recognises seven more sustainability schemes as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code. The GCP says Exportadora de Café Guaxupé’s Guaxupé Planet, Nespresso’s AAA Sustainable Quality Program, NKG’s NKG Bloom, ofi’s AtSourceV and AtSource+, Racafé’s CRECER, and 3E® by RGC Coffee have all been recognised as equivalent to the Coffee SR Code (2^nd party assurance).

• Carhartt WIP and Rocket Espresso collaborate on new apparel and coffee machine line. The range includes a limited-edition, chrome-wrapped Porta Ticinese espresso machine and matching Porta Ticinese grinder. It also includes t-shirts, sweaters, and aprons.

Wed, 29 Nov

• Poll finds 19% of British coffee consumers don’t know how coffee is produced. The poll of 2,000 UK consumers was commissioned by Nestlé and conducted by OnePoll. It also found that 4% believe their coffee is farmed in the UK, while 48% don’t know how long it takes for coffee to pass through the value chain.

• Swiss startup Mikafi unveils small-batch electric coffee roaster. The company says its MikafiOne roaster comes integrated with an IoT platform that helps roasters ensure efficiency and quality. Users can completely automate roasts, suiting smaller hospitality businesses.

• Coffee & More secures US $150 million in funding for global expansion. The Indian coffee company says it received funds from investors in Singapore, the US, and Europe. It plans to open 170 new outlets across India, as well as several locations in England and Switzerland.

• Starbucks opens fourth store in Rome, Italy. The company says it will continue to invest in the Italian market, citing the country’s rich coffee culture and tourism activity.

• National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers says coffee production will reach 16 million 60kg bags in 2027. The FNC says it’s implementing various plans to increase coffee production in Colombia, after it reported a 12% drop in production during the current crop season. Growth will be driven by a 20% annual renewal of coffee farms.

• San Francisco coffee startup aims to become “the Dom Perignon of coffee”. Sāe Coffee Studio’s founders, Luis “Luchi” Pincay and Christina Minju, say they aim to import, roast, and sell the finest coffees from around the world, sourcing coffee through competitions like Cup of Excellence.

• La Colombe Coffee launches K-Cup pods. The American specialty coffee roaster now offers two blends in the K-Cup format, compatible with Keurig pod brewers: Nizza (medium roast) and Corsica (dark roast).

Thu, 30 Nov

• Early bird tickets go on sale for first-ever Nordic Coffee Fest. The festival will take place on 24 & 25 February 2024 at the Eriksberghallen in Gothenburg, Sweden, featuring a Roasters Village, cupping space, and The Barista League competition. Early bird tickets are available until 1 January 2024.

• CATIE and ECOM partner to train coffee farm technicians in Costa Rica. The partnership aims to train a total of 20 technicians responsible for coffee farms in the Western Valley, Orosi, and Turrialba. CATIE says it hopes to directly contribute to strengthening the local coffee industry, helping it to adapt to climate change and “bridging the gap between science, challenges, and opportunities”.

• Juan Valdez reports 16% year-on-year sales growth in Q3 2023. The Colombian coffee chain plans to accelerate international expansion, including its first UAE store and a re-entry into the Mexican market.

• Seco partners with unnamed client to develop digitised coffee machines. The coffee machine manufacturer says it expects to generate more than US $54 million in revenue from the new fully automatic coffee machines. It plans to incorporate both AI and cutting-edge electronics.

• Spinelli Coffee reportedly planning to close all outlets in Singapore. The coffee chain first entered the Singapore market in 1996, but has faced severe financial setbacks in recent years. Its sister brand, A Spinelli Joint, has also closed all locations in the country.

• Suntory makes multimillion US dollar investment in beanless coffee startup Atomo Coffee. The liquor and beverage producer says the investment will support its mission to limit deforestation and other environmental impacts of coffee production. Atomo will unveil its California, USA processing facility next week, where it will manufacture beanless coffee from dates and sunflower seeds.

• Coffee prices rise ahead of ICE inventory rule change. The arabica contract for March delivery closed up by 6.95% on Thursday, while the corresponding robusta contract increased by 3.49%. From 1 December 2023, ICE will ban the resubmission of old coffee inventories, preventing some sellers from using a loophole to avoid “age penalties”.

• HUMAN MADE and Blue Bottle Coffee launch seasonal gift sets. The third collaboration between the two companies features keychains, pin set, mugs, and gift bags adorned with the HUMAN MADE heart logo. It also includes three coffee blends: TIME ORIGINS, FUTURE BLEND, and PAST BLEND.

• Löfbergs announces plans to build new roastery in Karlstad, Sweden. The Swedish roaster says its latest sales figures reveal an upward trend, encouraging it to invest in new infrastructure to meet increasing demand. It currently operates in ten northern European markets.

Fri, 1 Dec

• World AeroPress Championship 2023 finals held in Melbourne, Australia. The event was hosted at 14 Duke Street in Abbotsford from 1 to 3 December, featuring the final competition to decide this year’s World AeroPress Champion. The event was preceded by the 2023 Australian AeroPress Championship, also held on 1 December.

• Last chance to apply to be a speaker at PRF Guatemala 2024. Coffee industry professionals have until 1 December 2023 to apply to speak at the two-day forum. It’s set to take place on 7 & 8 March 2024 and Guatemalan coffee professionals are especially encouraged to participate.

• The Barista League returns to Atlanta, USA. The multi-disciplinary barista competition took place at Eventide Brewing on 1 December. Guest judges included Anthony Ragler and Kat Melheim of Black & White Coffee, as well as Geetu Vailoor of Academy Coffee.

• Blue Bottle Coffee and The Weeknd unveil latest Samra Origins coffee blends. The Samra Origins Single Origin Vol. 1 and Samra Origins Single Origin Vol. 2 blends will be available from 4 December. Vol. 1 is a natural coffee with bold fruit flavors and softer floral notes, while Vol. 2 is a washed coffee with a lighter, delicate acidity and citrus notes.

• SCA to host Coffee Value Assessment Course for Cuppers in Dublin, Ireland on 2 & 3 December. The course aims to introduce experienced coffee cuppers to the evolved cupping protocol and the new Coffee Value Assessment system. Coffee Laboratory Ireland will host the event.

• Asia International Coffee Conference 2023 scheduled for 5 & 6 December in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The conference will take place at the Reverie Saigon Hotel, hosting numerous roasters, traders, producers, sustainability managers, and potential investors. The theme of this year’s event is “From Bean to Brew: The Economics of Coffee”.

• Pret A Manger launches Club Pret subscription service in France. French customers now have access to the subscription and loyalty programme, which entitles them to 20% off the entire menu and up to five barista-made beverages per day for €25 (US $27.34) per month.

• Redemption Roasters set to launch crowdfunding campaign to fund ten new stores. The UK social enterprise offers prisoners and prison leavers at three UK prisons rehabilitation through coffee training. It currently operates a roastery in Hertfordshire, England and ten cafés in London.

• Expat Coffee Roasters opens first location in Jakarta, Indonesia. The café is the chain’s second outside of Bali, bringing its total to four in Indonesia. In addition to coffee, the Jakarta store will feature an all-day dining menu showcasing international dishes “while celebrating local flavours and produce”.

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

• Fri, 17 Nov – USDA lowers Brazil coffee production outlook, increases Colombia outlook for MY 2023/24. Brazilian coffee is expected to fall short of estimates by 1.5 million 60kg bags, while Colombia’s coffee production is expected to recover to a total of 11.5 million 60kg bags as a result of drier conditions and improved sunlight.

• Wed, 22 Nov – USDA lowers Vietnam MY 2023/24 coffee production estimate by 3.8 million 60kg bags. The department says unfavourable weather conditions as a result of climate change and El Niño adversely affected coffee production in Vietnam. Total production is now predicted to reach just 27.5 million 60kg bags.

• Wed, 22 Nov – Brazil’s São Mateus Agropecuaria receives Best of the Best Award at 8th Ernesto Illy International Coffee Awards. Producer Josè Eduardo Dominicale received the award from Illy president Andrea Illy, beating eight other coffees sourced from Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, and Rwanda.

• Fri, 24 Nov – Tomoro Coffee opens first outlet in China. The Indonesian coffee chain has opened a store in Shanghai’s Qingpu E Link World Industrial Park. It added that it plans to open a further 400 new outlets in Indonesia over the next few years.

• Fri, 24 Nov – Café Kitsune announces first Saudi Arabian store. The French-Japanese café chain will open a store in Riyadh next year, aiming to expand operations in the Middle East. Earlier this year, it announced plans to open a store in Dubai by the end of 2023.

• Fri, 24 Nov – Sunergos baristas in Louisville, USA hold strike over wage negotiations. Workers told WLKY News that they have spent more than a year waiting for a new contract agreement, hoping to secure improved wages and working conditions.

• Fri, 24 Nov – Visual Capitalist releases infographic visualising the global coffee trade. The infographic depicts global coffee trade by country, demonstrating which countries import and export significant amounts of coffee. It asserts that nearly 84% of global supply comes from just ten countries.

• Fri, 24 Nov – Ugandan coffee exports grew by 3.4% year-on-year in October. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority says the continent’s largest exporter of coffee shipped 470,080 60kg bags in October 2023, generating US $79 million in sales.

Coffee news photo credits: Shane Gallagher, Simonelli Group

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