Coffee News Recap, 14 Oct: Early bird tickets now on sale for PRF El Salvador, 13-year-old wins 2022 Colombian AeroPress Championship & other stories

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

Mon, 10 Oct

• Alliance for Coffee Excellence Best of Thailand pilot programme accepts 30 coffees for international assessment round. The 30 highest-scoring coffees represent 19 of the country’s growing regions, and include Gesha and Pacamara varieties. The Best of Thailand auction will be held on 17 November 2022.

• Costa Coffee continues with US expansion plans. The coffee chain will launch ready-to-drink (RTD) products in the country later this year, with plans for nationwide distribution in 2023. Costa will also roll out its automated Smart Café kiosks in the US, as well as opening new retail locations.

• International Coffee Organisation (ICO) elects Massimiliano Fabian as new president of International Coffee Council (ICC). Fabian currently serves as CEO of Italian decaf coffee supplier Demus, and is the first person from the private sector to hold the ICC president position. Fabian says he will work closely with ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira to facilitate closer co-operation between the public and private sectors in the coffee industry.

• Blank Street Coffee expands presence in UK. The New York coffee chain acquired the west London coffee shop brand Over Under – adding seven new locations to its UK roster.

• European Coffee Awards 2022 announces finalists. From more than 800 entries, three finalists were selected for each of the 12 categories, which include Best Coffee Chain, Best Specialty Coffee Roaster, and Best Coffee Equipment Supplier. The 2022 European Coffee Awards will take place on 18 October 2022 as part of this year’s European Coffee Symposium.

• KFC launches first takeaway coffee shop in Shanghai, China. The new To-Go location includes prices as low as 9 RMB (US $1.26) for one cup of specialty-grade coffee.

Tue, 11 Oct

• Early bird tickets now on sale for PRF El Salvador. PRF will return to El Salvador from 16 to 17 March 2023, connecting local producers with roasters and other coffee professionals from around the world. The event aims to champion Latin America as a coffee industry knowledge centre. Tickets are available at reduced prices until 15 December 2022.

• Youngest-ever AeroPress Championship competitor Manuela Torres wins Colombian competition. The 13-year-old will represent Colombia at this year’s World AeroPress Championship in Vancouver BC, Canada from 1 to 3 December 2022.

• Farm Africa to host webinar on the specialty coffee sector in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The webinar, which will take place at 16:00 GMT on 2 November 2022, will explore the recent resurgence in the country’s coffee sector, as well as Farm Africa’s ongoing work with the Virunga Foundation and local coffee co-operatives.

• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe opens applications for 2023/24 racial equity training programme PACE. The Partnership to Advance Coffee Equity (PACE) initiative is a one-year training programme which covers sensory skills and green coffee education. Three applications are open to people of colour in the US, and will close on 1 December 2022.

• Pret A Manger invests US $11 million in third 2022 pay increase to ease staff shortages. The UK coffee and food-to-go chain is increasing the pay rate by 5% for most of its workers – meaning Pret A Manger staff have received an average pay increase of 13% over the past year.

• UK coffee shop chain Gail’s launches new recruitment campaign to promote a healthy work-life balance. The “Early Bird Never Works Late” campaign will allow Gail’s employees to start their shifts earlier, granting them more free time in the evenings.

Wed, 12 Oct

• SCAJ World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition 2022 takes place in Tokyo. Organised by the Specialty Coffee Association of Japan, the event attracted some 35,000 people from 40 countries.

• World Coffee Alliance hosts final digital traceability webinar. The online event is part of the WCA’s TechnoCoffee Innovation Series, and featured CEO and founder of AgUnity, David Davies, and COO and co-founder of FarmersDirectCoffee, Ward de Groote.

• Specialty Coffee Association opens nominations for Czech Republic and French chapter elections. Nominations for both elections will be accepted until 19 October 2022, with voting taking place between 2 and 16 November 2022. Open positions at both elections include National Coordinator, Events Coordinator, and Community Coordinator.

• Major Costa Coffee franchisee Scoffs Group reports 50% revenue growth in 2021. The company says it has now surpassed pre-pandemic revenue, crediting delivery app sales for continued growth across its 124 UK Costa Coffee locations. Pre-tax profits in 2021 were also 200% higher than the previous year, and 419% higher than in 2019.

• Tech startup Almacena raises US $3.4 million to fund traceable green coffee sourcing platform. The B2B African agricultural product marketplace Almacena says it will use funding “to create sustainable and transparent agriculture supply chains” and to expand into the US market.

• Beyers Koffie switches to PLA filter paper in its single-serve coffee pads. The Belgian roaster opened a new production line, which produces 1.4 billion coffee pads per year. The PLA filter paper is made from plant-based materials, such as corn and sugarcane.

• Italian manufacturer Macap launches LEO 55 coffee grinder at Triestespresso 2022. The company’s new commercial grinder features a 55mm flat burr set with a screwless removal system.

Thu, 13 Oct

• Elektra and Carimali to showcase latest espresso machines at FHA HoReCa Singapore. Elektra will exhibit its Verve, Verve Mini, and Indie espresso machine lines, and Carimali will introduce prospective buyers to its fully automatic espresso machine range. FHA HoReCa Singapore will take place from 25 to 28 October 2022.

• Café Saint Henri hosts regional 2022 Canadian AeroPress Championship. The Montréal coffee shop hosted one of Canada’s regional competitions, with the winner going on to compete with other Canadian finalists for a spot in the 2022 World AeroPress Championship held later this year.

• Nestlé partners with Philippines’ Department of Agriculture to boost local coffee sales. The Philippine branch of the company currently sources 15% of its coffee from local producers, but intends to increase this number by up to 20% by 2025. Nestlé will also support long-term programmes which aim to increase robusta yields and farmers’ income.

• National Coffee Association to host annual convention from 9 to 11 March 2023 in Tampa, Florida. Next year’s event will focus on resilience and will discuss the coffee industry’s “endless capacity” to reinvent itself in the face of challenges. Registration details will be announced soon.

• Delta Air Lines partners with Starbucks on new rewards scheme. For every US $1 spent on eligible Starbucks drinks, Delta customers can earn one SkyMile (frequent flier mile).

• WMF Professional Coffee Machines enters partnership with plant milk brand vly. WMF says the collaboration is a result of growing plant milk sales. The two companies will work together to develop new automated coffee machines which are better suited to non-dairy milks.

Fri, 14 Oct

• This year’s Irish AeroPress Championship set for 16 October 2022 in Galway. The national final will be hosted by Galway Coffee Connect and will take place at Loam Restaurant. Calendar Coffee will supply this year’s official competition coffee.

• Café Cortado to debut patented Mokatiera at 2022 Frankfurt Coffee Festival. The company says its patented brewer can be used with a bicycle pump or electric air-pump.

• Eighteen competitors to take part in this year’s Norwegian AeroPress Championship on 15 October 2022. The event will be hosted by Solberg & Hansen in Oslo, and the winner will represent Norway in the 2022 World AeroPress Championship later this year.

• The Alternative Barista Smackdown National Tour starts in Sydney, Australia. The nationwide competition includes five heats, with the first event hosted by Paradox Coffee Roasters. In the final round, five winners will compete for a chance to win AU $10,000 (US $6,286) and the title of “Australia’s Alternative Barista”.

• MONIN’s Winter Trends Report outlines sustainability as key driver of coffee consumer purchasing decisions. The report also suggests that in addition to more sustainability purchases, classic dessert flavours and hot cocktails will become more popular in coffee shops this winter.

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

• Tue, 4 Oct – World Coffee Research seeks suitable partners for F1 hybrid pre-commercial trials. The call for Expressions of Interest will be open until 31 October 2022. Candidates will be selected to take part in the six-year pre-commercial trial in February and March 2023.

• Tue, 4 Oct – Mars to launch new coffee-flavoured M&M’s candy. M&M’s Caramel Cold Brew contains coffee-flavoured caramel, and will be available in the US in early 2023.

• Wed, 5 Oct – Number of consumers who prefer oat milk in coffee has grown by 7% since 2020. Research from Project Café USA 2023 found that while almond milk is the most popular plant milk in the US, more consumers are opting for oat milk.

• Wed, 5 Oct – NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission takes First Ascent instant coffee into space. The Colorado instant coffee company supplied the mission with nearly 59kg (130lb) of its award-winning specialty instant coffee. The coffee was specially repackaged by NASA’s Food System Lab, making it easier to consume in a zero-gravity environment.

• Thu, 6 Oct – Uganda to create credit fund to boost exports, including coffee. Bloomberg reported that the credit fund could increase the country’s export revenue by up to US $6 billion in the next five to seven years. Uganda’s coffee industry, as well as its other major export commodities, will be one of the first sectors to have access to the credit fund.

• Thu, 6 Oct – Kona coffee farmers reach US $6.15 million settlement with L&K Coffee. Farmers from the Kona region of Hawaii accused L&K of misleadingly labelling their coffee as Kona. L&K will now have to change its labelling and pay the farmers a total of US $6.15 million for “injunctive relief” to “prevent future economic harm”.

• Fri, 7 Oct – Oatly fails to trademark the word “barista” in New Zealand. The oat milk company submitted a trademark application to the country’s Intellectual Property Office, but the request was rejected after a successful objection from Bidfood. The food distributor argued that the term barista is “purely descriptive” and cannot be used to distinguish Oatly’s products from its competitors’.

• Fri, 7 Oct – Bloomberg reports Vietnam’s coffee exports at four-year high. The country’s Customs Department reported that 1.73 million tonnes of coffee were exported in the 2021/22 season. However, the Vietnam Coffee & Cocoa Association forecasts a 10% drop in production for the 2022/23 harvest.

• Fri, 7 Oct – National Labor Relations Board judge rules that Starbucks illegally fired employee over union activism. The judge stated that Starbucks “acted with animus” against a Michigan employee after she engaged in union activism and took part in a US labour board proceeding. Starbucks denies any wrongdoing in the case.

• Fri, 7 Oct – Espressolab opens Europe’s largest coffee experience centre in Turkey. The Turkish coffee brand launched its Espressolab Roastery, which includes a coffee shop, cocktail bar, bakery, greenhouse, and a space for workshops and conferences. The new facility is also Espressolab’s 100th location in Turkey.

• Fri, 7 Oct – National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) signs International Coffee Agreement. General Manager of the FNC, Roberto Vélez Vallejo, signed the agreement, which seeks to strengthen unity among ICO members. Colombia’s finance minister also called on the US to rejoin the organisation.

• Fri, 7 Oct – Founders of Hinba Coffee Roasters launch Eighty Six cocktail bar in Glasgow, Scotland. The bar’s menu features coffee-inspired cocktails which come with coffee-themed tasting notes.

• Fri, 7 Oct – Longest-serving Starbucks board member resigns. Former Vice Chairman of Colgate Palmolive Co., Javier Teruel, stepped down from his position after overseeing the appointment of new CEO Laxman Narasimhan. Teruel first joined Starbucks in 2005.

Sign up to our weekly coffee news recap to get a summary of all the biggest stories in the sector, delivered straight to your inbox every Monday.

Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s stories.

The post Coffee News Recap, 14 Oct: Early bird tickets now on sale for PRF El Salvador, 13-year-old wins 2022 Colombian AeroPress Championship & other stories appeared first on Perfect Daily Grind.