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

• Mon, 23 Aug – Ember debuts on annual Inc. 5000 list. The list comprises the fastest-growing private companies in the US. Ember has made over US $80 million from its temperature-controlled thermal mugs.

• Mon, 23 Aug – Coffee alternative Dandy Blend reveals new branding. The dandelion root instant coffee alternative first launched in 1994. The rebranding includes a new logo and newly designed packaging and website.

• Mon, 23 Aug – Vortx Kleanair Systems launches the Ecofilter for gas roasters. The Ecofilter reduces smoke and odour after roasting by using water and electricity, as well as operating at lower temperatures. Vortx claims the new filter can reduce emissions by up to 90%.

• Mon, 23 Aug – Starbucks states 74% of all beverage sales in Q3 were cold drinks. Sales of the brand’s Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew, and Refresher beverages contributed significantly to increased revenue. Iced Shaken Espresso drinks contributed to over one-third of total iced espresso drink sales.

• Mon, 23 Aug – Oatly releases first half 2021 financial results. Half-year revenue increased by 59.4% to US $286.2 million. The oat milk company expects its 2021 revenue to exceed US $690 million.

• Mon, 23 Aug – Stellar Lifestyle and startup Crown Digital to introduce “ELLA” robot baristas in Singapore metro stations. ELLA barista robots can serve up to 200 cups of coffee per hour. The two companies are aiming to launch ELLA at 30 metro stations in Singapore by the end of 2022.

• Mon, 23 Aug – CBD-infused coffee creamer brand Identity attends 2021 Coffee Fest Anaheim. Chef Sebastian Carosi joined the company at the event. Carosi trained at Portland Oregon’s Western Culinary Institute and has been including cannabis products in food and beverages since the 1990s.

• Mon, 23 Aug – COE Honduras 2021 auction results announced. The highest-scoring coffee (a washed Gesha from Finca Santa Lucia, 90.67 points) received a highest bid of US $58.50/lb. The highest bid per lb was for a natural Typica from Platanares at US $75.20. Total earnings from the auction reached over US $468,000.

• Mon, 23 Aug – Breville surpasses AU $1 billion (US $714 million) in Australian sales. Annual sales increased 24.7% to AU $1.19 billion (US $858 million). Sales growth is largely attributed to increased consumer spending on home brewing equipment.

• Tue, 24 Aug – The “initiative for coffee&climate” (c&c) appoints Walter Matter as new member. c&c was launched in 2010 by Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung to support smallholder coffee farmers in implementing sustainable farming practices. Matter’s role at the organisation will be to develop further sustainability initiatives.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Lamastus Family Estates 2021 auction results announced. The highest bid received was US $4,100/lb for a natural processed coffee from Boquete, Panama. A total of 5.5 lbs were purchased by east Asian buyers – totaling US $22,550. Total earnings from the auction amounted to over US $335,000.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Smile Beverage Werks joins US Plastic Pact. The initiative aims to create a circular economy for plastics in the US by 2025. Smile Beverage Werks has committed to several plastic circular economy goals, including recycling or composting 50% of its plastics by 2025.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Strauss Group releases 2021 second quarter financial results. Coffee sales contributed significantly towards the group’s increased revenue, with Strauss Coffee’s revenue increasing by 13% on the same period in 2020. The reopening of Elite Coffee Café locations in Israel was a significant driver of growth.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Louis Dreyfus Company signs joint venture with Instanta to open private label coffee plant. The two companies will collaborate on an instant coffee factory in Vietnam. Construction of the plant is set for mid-2022.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Six new coffee species found in Madagascar. Researchers from Kew Gardens discovered Coffea callmanderi, C. darainensis, C. kalobinonensis, C. microdubardii, C. pustulata, and C. rupicola in the northern region of the island. Madagascar is home to 65 different coffee species.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Fiorenzato and Puqpress collaborate on Puqpress M4. The new automatic tamper is designed for the Fiorenzato F64 and F83 XGI Pro Grind By Weight grinder models.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Global sparkling coffee market expected to be worth US $1.4 billion by 2028. High consumption rates in Europe and the US are driving growth, as are RTD product launches. Online sales are anticipated to have the fastest CAGR of 13.7% from 2021 to 2028.

• Tue, 24 Aug – Ohio State University researchers successfully isolate the coffee compounds that contribute to mouthfeel. Two compounds (3- and 4-caffeoylquinic acids) were found to contribute to a sense of “mouthcoating”. Isolated melanoidin compounds have also been associated to astringency for the first time.

• Wed, 25 Aug – AgroBee offers 5% discount to Brazilian farmers affected by frost. The agritech company provides assisted pollination for a variety of crops, including coffee. The discount is offered to any farmers who have had 10% or more of their drops damaged by the frost in July.

• Wed, 25 Aug – ACE opens applications for new board members. Each member of the Board of Directors serves a 3-year term. Applications are open until 31 August.

• Wed, 25 Aug – London coffee business Grind raises £22 million (US $30 million) for at-home expansion. Grind focused mainly on direct-to-consumer coffee products (including capsules) during the pandemic. The coffee shop, bar, and restaurant brand will also expand into the US in 2022.

• Wed, 25 Aug – Australian roaster Pablo & Rusty joins 1% for the Planet initiative. The company has already been certified carbon neutral and is an official B Corp. The roaster will now donate 1% of its annual sales to non-profit environmental causes.

• Wed, 25 Aug – Papua New Guinea’s national coffee authority implements new green coffee grading standards. The purpose of the regrading is to ensure fairer prices for smallholder farmers. The new A grade will replace several grades of similar quality. The Coffee Industry Corporation partnered with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access programme to host a four-day workshop on implementing the new standards.

• Wed, 25 Aug – Ethiopia earns over US $115 million in July 2021 coffee exports. The country exported 31,145 tonnes of coffee throughout July – exceeding the Ethiopia Coffee and Tea Authority’s estimates by 46%. Germany was the destination for approximately 20% of all Ethiopian coffee exports.

• Wed, 25 Aug – Pumpkin Spice and new flavours added to Starbucks autumn menu. The Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew return to the seasonal menu. There is also a new Apple Crisp Macchiato, which can be served hot or cold.

• Thu, 26 Aug – IWCA, International Trade Centre, and SheTrades Rwanda Project to host Connecting Businesses to the International Women’s Coffee Alliance webinar. The online event will focus on how coffee businesses and organisations can work with IWCA. Taking place on 30 August at 17:00 EAT, IWCA Executive Director Dr. Sarada Krishnan will be speaking at the webinar.

• Thu, 26 Aug – The Gentlemen Baristas launch “The Art of Coffee” as fundraiser for social enterprise Well Grounded. The London roaster partnered with the Bleur art gallery to create the coffee exhibition, which will run from 23 to 26 September. All profits from art sales will fund Well Grounded’s training programmes.

• Thu, 26 Aug – SCA to host New Brewing Research: Facts & Findings after Four Years of Cutting-Edge Coffee Science webinar. Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation, Peter Giuliano, will be speaking to Dr. William Ristenpart and Phil McKnight, General Manger of Global Specialty Coffee at Breville. The webinar will take place on 30 August at 16:00 PST.

• Thu, 26 Aug – Backyard Beans Coffee Co. launches in Whole Foods. To celebrate the launch of the company’s cold brew products in Whole Foods stores, Backyard Beans announced the “Cold Brew Party” campaign.

• Thu, 26 Aug – Dutch Bros Coffee IPO estimated to be worth US $3 billion. The drive-thru coffee chain is hoping to raise US $100 million through the IPO, which will be used for “new expansion strategies”.

• Fri, 27 Aug – COE Brazil 2021 to take place on 18 November. Despite extreme weather damaging coffee crops this year, the BSCA is confident Brazilian farmers will submit high-quality lots. Producers can apply to the competition until 8 September.

• Fri, 27 Aug – Mintel research suggests that 48% of 2020 product launches claimed at least one sustainable achievement. Claims of environmental or social responsibility have increased by 25% since 2012. The capsule category was found to have the lowest percentage of sustainable claims.

• Fri, 27 Aug – Our Gorongosa roaster donates 100% of profits back to Mozambique communities. The company is releasing its first-ever single origin from Mozambique. Proceeds from sales will be reinvested in social and environmental initiatives in Gorongosa National Park.

• Fri, 27 Aug – Dunkin’ partners with Harpoon Brewery on new beer range. The Harpoon Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale, Blueberry Matcha IPA, Maple Crème Blonde Ale, and Midnight American Porter will be available in US stores from September. Harpoon Brewery’s Boston location will host the first-ever Dunkin’ Walk-Thru on 30 August, selling the new beers as well as the Dunkin’ Harpoon IPA Donut.

• Fri, 27 Aug – Cropster to host Going Digital: The Value of Digital Tools on Profitability webinar on 7 September. In partnership with the International Trade Centre, the Spanish language event will be held at 10:00 PST. Vera Espíndola Rafael of Azahar Coffee, Manuel Antonio Camacho of Vinculum AI, and Elena Lokteva of Ally Coffee will be speaking on how digitalisation can benefit coffee businesses.

• Fri, 27 Aug – Nespresso trials drone delivery services in Israel. Capsules will be delivered to customers in Tel Aviv-Jaffa in partnership with several technology companies. The trial will assess the viability and safety of using drones to deliver Nespresso products.

• Fri, 27 Aug – LHC Coffee to expand throughout southeast Asia. The Hong Kong specialty coffee roaster will partner with Riverside Holdings under a franchise agreement. LHC Coffee locations will open in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.

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

• Thu, 12 Aug – Brazilian Coffee Industry Association claims frost in July will increase retail coffee prices. Executive Director Celírio Inácio says prices may increase by up to 40% in September. Price increases are secondarily attributed to prolonged droughts and Covid-19 affecting shipments.

• Fri, 13 Aug – Roastelier hosts Instagram Live for launch in Brazilian market. The first countertop Roastelier machine from Nestlé Professional is available at A Ventana Café in Pinheiros, São Paulo. More machines will be in use at Kofi&Co and Perseu Coffee House soon. Through the Roastelier solution, roasters can access Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopian “Prime Roast” beans.

• Mon, 16 Aug – Reuters article suggests Brazilian farmers move away from arabica to more robusta. In the wake of climate change and extreme weather, robusta production in Brazil has risen by 20% over the last three harvests. In contrast, arabica production has only increased by 6% over the past four years.

• Mon, 16 Aug – Tim Hortons China public merger valued at US $1.7 billion. The company will go public on the Nasdaq through its merger with Silver Crest Acquisition Corp. Tim Hortons China will aim to open 2,500 stores over the next five years – 1,000 more outlets than previously planned.

• Mon, 16 Aug – SCA announces Covid-19 health and safety protocols for 2021 Specialty Expo. Negative test results and masks will be required for entry. Social distancing rules will remain in place for the event, which is taking place in New Orleans on 30 September to 3 October 2021.

• Wed, 18 Aug – Keurig Dr Pepper to source 100% of its coffee through sustainable certification system 4C. The new partnership is through the “Drink Well. Do Good” corporate responsibility platform. KDP will now require upstream suppliers to undergo a third party-certified audit.

• Thu, 19 Aug – Fire Department Coffee recognised as certified veteran-owned business. Founder, CEO, and co-owner Luke Schneider is a US Navy veteran. Fire Department Coffee received the certification from the National Veteran-Owned Business Association, which requires a business to be majority-owned and operated by US military veterans.

• Fri, 20 Aug – How a New Approach to Pricing Can Improve Livelihoods in Coffee Farming Communities webinar available on YouTube. The one-hour virtual panel featured speakers from Heifer International, Bellwether Coffee, and Sustainable Harvest. The main focus of the webinar was determining a minimum fair price for coffee farmers.

• Fri, 20 Aug – Manchester City Football Club to use edible coffee cups at Etihad Stadium. The cups are produced by Scottish company BioBite using wheat flour, oat bran, and water. The wafer-like material can withstand temperatures up to 85°C (185°F) and are leak-proof up to 12 hours.

• Fri, 20 Aug – New York Coffee Festival postponed until October 2022. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 event will now take place from 7 to 9 October 2022. All purchased tickets will automatically transfer to next year’s festival.

• Fri, 20 Aug – Grubhub partners with Yandex Self-Driving Group for coffee and food delivery services. Yandex robot delivery services will be used on Ohio State University’s campus. The robots travel between 3 and 5mph, with space for several coffee cups inside each machine.

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Photo credits: Nicole Motteux