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

Mon, 24 Oct

• Blue Bottle Coffee launches new Craft Instant Espresso. The new soluble coffee product is made with the same beans used in the specialty coffee chain’s house espresso blend. Blue Bottle’s Craft Instant Espresso will be available in jars and single-serve sachets from 7 November 2022 in the US.

• Nespresso partners with International Finance Corporation to support coffee-growing communities in Uganda and Zimbabwe. The partnership, which aims to “promote more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive livelihoods for coffee-growing communities” in the two countries will focus primarily on supporting women coffee producers.

• Pret A Manger opens first location in Kuwait. The coffee and food-to-go chain partnered with One PM Franchising to open the first Kuwaiti store. Pret A Manger plans to double its global store footprint over the next five years.

• Keurig Dr Pepper appoints new Chief Financial Officer. Sudhanshu Priyadarshi will serve as the company’s new CFO, which manufactures K Cups. Priyadarshi previously held executive roles at PepsiCo and Cipla.

• The Roses Co. launches Specialty Coffee Advent Calendar. The Czech specialty coffee company’s holiday advent calendar includes 24 tins, each containing 20g of coffee from different European roasters. The Specialty Coffee Advent Calendar is available to purchase until 5 November 2022.

• Research from UK roaster finds 76% of young consumers believe sustainably-sourced coffee is important. Lincoln & York’s recent survey shows that sustainability certifications such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and Carbon Trust are more important to people younger than 34 years of age.

• Former Luckin Coffee CEO launches new Cotti Coffee chain in China. Along with former Luckin chairman Charles Lu, Jenny Qian recently opened the first Cotti Coffee location in the city of Fuzhou. The chain’s menu includes more than 40 beverage and food options.

Tue, 25 Oct

• Coca-Cola credits Costa Coffee for 16% increase in 2022 Q3 revenue growth. The company’s sales in the “hydration, sports, coffee, and tea” category grew by 5% during the analysis period – partly driven by the expansion of Costa Coffee in several markets.

• Peruvian Chamber of Coffee to announce winners of national Café Contest at 2022 Expocafé Peru. This year’s competition saw a 30% increase in entries, which includes more than 30 specialty coffee shops, restaurants, and other businesses across the country. The award recognises “excellence in service and the promotion of Peruvian coffee”, and the winner will be announced at Expocafé Peru on 25 November 2022.

• UK’s Cup Neutral launches new 100% recyclable single-wall paper cups. The collaborative venture between local businesses in Brighton and Hove says its new cup is cheaper to produce than conventional takeaway cups as it doesn’t contain plastic lining. In partnership with Paper Round, each Cup Neutral single-use cup can be fully recycled using the CupCycling scheme.

• Nguyen Coffee Supply launches ready-to-drink robusta cold brew in the US. The “Classic Black” cold brew is made with 100% robusta coffee.

• Cup of Excellence Brazil approves samples for international stage of 2023 competition. International judges will assess 42 coffees, which include varieties such as Arara and Gesha, and will select the top 30 highest-scoring coffees for the competition. Next year’s CoE Brazil auction is scheduled for 12 January 2023.

• First-ever African Youth Barista Championship to take place on 17 November 2022 in Lomé, Togo. The competition is open to all African nationals, and will include renowned African coffee professionals such as Kenya’s Martin Shabaya and South Africa’s Winston Douglas. Registration closes on 28 October 2022.

• Daterra’s Masterpieces auction to take place on 29 November 2022. Twelves coffees will be available at the auction, including a “refrigerated natural anaerobic fermented” Laurina and the Datopia hybrid variety. Sample sets are now available to purchase.

• Hawaii’s Bad Ass Coffee signs its largest-ever development agreement to open 20 locations along Florida Gulf Coast by 2030. In partnership with Marquee Coffee LLC, the Hawaiian coffee chain will open another 20 locations in Florida, US by 2030, and has plans to grow to 180 stores within the next five years.

Wed, 26 Oct

• Hawaii Agricultural Research Centre receives US $1.37 million grant to fight coffee leaf rust. The grant forms part of the US Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative and aims to help researchers develop more CLR-resistant varieties to cultivate in Hawaii. CLR was recently discovered in Hawaii, with researchers saying the state’s coffee industry “has the potential to collapse” if the issue is not addressed quickly enough.

• London’s Dark Arts Coffee releases limited-edition Pumpkin Spice Coffee Liqueur. Made in collaboration with Conker Distillery, the liqueur includes natural Brazilian coffee.

• Chairman of Brazilian Instant Coffee Industry Association (ABICS) addresses growing need for sensory analysis of soluble coffee products. At the recent Swiss Coffee Trade Association event, Fabio Sato spoke on how the evolution of instant coffee technology and quality requires more standardised sensory analysis methodology. ABICS will present its white paper on the topic on 16 November 2022 during Brazil’s International Coffee Week.

• Scottish roaster says UK consumers could soon pay up to £4 (US $4.63) for a flat white. Cairngorm Coffee says it is “very concerned about the impact of inflation”, including record-high milk prices, as well as higher coffee prices. The roaster added that if price increases continue, consumers may start to change their purchasing behaviour and see takeaway coffee as more of a “luxury lifestyle decision”, rather than a more regular purchase.

• Four-time Russian Barista Champion opens WAGMI Coffee in Limassol, Cyprus. Olga Melik-Karakozova, who is one of the pioneers of the Russian specialty coffee sector, left the country after the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. WAGMI Coffee includes a La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine, two Mahlkönig E65 and one EK43 grinders, and a Hard Beans Hard Tank machine.

• Germany’s largest fuel station operator to serve Oatly at more than 1,250 locations. Aral currently sells more than 85,000 coffees everyday in Germany. Its petrol station stores will serve Oatly Barista Edition.

• Tim Scharrer resigns as Starbucks’ Coffee Trading Manager. Bloomberg reports that Scharrer is the third executive to have left the coffee chain in the last month.

• Três Marias Coffee Company launches plant milk range in the Middle East. In partnership with Bidfood Middle East, the roaster has developed its own brand of plant milks, including oat and soy options. The dairy alternatives are available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.

Thu, 27 Oct

• National Malaysian AeroPress Championship 2022 held in Kuala Lumpur. The competition was hosted by Common Man Coffee Roasters at REX KL cultural centre. The winner will represent Malaysia at the 2022 World AeroPress Championship from 1 to 3 December in Vancouver BC, Canada.

• South African competitor wins Starbucks’ 2022 EMEA Barista Championship. Phuti Mmotla placed first out of 42 competitors, and received a Starbucks Origin Experience trip to Rwanda.

• Triestespresso Expo 2022 takes place in Trieste, Italy. The tenth edition of the event includes a tradeshow, workshops, coffee cuppings, and more – with thousands of people expected to attend across the three days.

• Scottish whisky distiller The Macallan launches coffee-inspired Harmony Collection. The Intense Arabica and Smooth Arabica whiskies were developed with the support of five coffee industry experts, Macallan says. Tasting notes include espresso, dark chocolate, and Brazil nut.

• Cup of Excellence to host 2022 Cup The World tasting event on 3 December. Attendees will have the chance to taste first-place winning coffees from 11 CoE competitions. Tickets cost US $85, and the event will be held in Portland OR, US.

• Milan and Seoul to host major coffee festivals this November. The Milan Coffee Festival will take place from 12 to 14 November 2022, while Café Show Seoul will return to the South Korean capital from 23 to 26 November 2022.

• This year’s San Francisco Coffee Festival to take place from 12 to 13 November 2022. The annual event will include exhibitions, educational talks and workshops, and coffee competitions. Ticket prices start at US $25.

• Starbucks to open three-storey Reserve location in the Empire State Building. The new location will make New York City the only city in the world with more than one Reserve location. The Empire State Building store will open on 16 November 2022.

• Keurig Dr Pepper attributes strong 2022 Q3 results to coffee sales. The coffee company says total sales during the analysis period increased by 11.8%, with its coffee systems category growing by 4.7% alone.

Fri, 28 Oct

• The Barista League announces 2022 Mystery Vacation prize. All 20 winning teams from the Barista League’s 2022 competitions will spend five days in Colombia, including visiting local coffee farms, attending a coffee festival, and networking with local coffee professionals.

• Slow Coffee Festival scheduled to take place on 29 and 30 October 2022 in Bucharest, Romania. The sixth edition of the event will include lectures and presentations, networking opportunities, and coffee tastings.

• Three national 2022 AeroPress Championships take place on 28 October, including Venezuela, Hong Kong, and Oman. This will be the first time that the competition has taken place in Oman. All three winners will represent their respective countries in the 2022 World AeroPress Championship later this year.

• Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti AeroPress Championships to take place on 29 October. The sixth edition of the Saudi national competition will be hosted by Sulalat Coffee in the country’s capital, Riyadh, while the Kuwaiti competition will be held at Brewever Academy in Kuwait City.

• First-ever Puerto Rican AeroPress Championship to be held on 30 October. The competition will be hosted by Academia de Café and Gustos Coffee Co. at Vivo Beach Club in northern Puerto Rico.

• Korean 2022 AeroPress Championship to be held on 30 October. This year’s national final will be hosted by 180 Coffee Roasters in Seoul.

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

• Thu, 13 Oct – Luxury clothing brand Ralph Lauren opens coffee shop in Malaysia. The new Ralph’s coffee location opened at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, and uses coffee roasted by La Colombe.

• Fri, 14 Oct – German Barista Championship competitor uses oat milk in routine. In his routine, Mikolaj Pociecha said “not only is the [mandatory] cow’s milk rule forcing unethical practices [on competitors], it’s also against the [German] General Equal treatment law”, calling on WBC judges to allow the use of plant milks. Pociecha was ultimately disqualified from the competition.

• Fri, 14 Oct – National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia says Colombia’s coffee production captures five times the carbon it emits. FNC’s General Manager Roberto Vélez said more effort needs to be made to involve producers in decision-making roles, as well as to bridge the gap in the supply chain to achieve sustainability goals.

• Thu, 20 Oct – Caffè Nero reports 2022 Q1 sales up by 107% on pre-pandemic levels. The coffee chain plans to open another 18 outlets in the UK by the end of the year, adding to more than 1,000 locations across 10 countries.

• Thu, 20 Oct – South African coffee shop concept Coco Safar to open first international location. The luxury coffee shop concept will open its flagship international store in New York City next year.

• Thu, 20 Oct – Starbucks significantly contributes to 36% increase in Tata Consumer Products’ 2022 Q2 net profits. The Indian company reported that Tata Starbucks sales alone increased by 57% during the analysis period.

• Fri, 21 Oct – Kamal Bengougam to leave role as Eversys’ Chief Commercial Officer. Bengougam, who first joined the coffee machine manufacturer in 2011, will be succeeded by current Commercial Director Christian Haueter at the end of 2022.

• Fri, 21 Oct – DMCC Coffee Centre hosts “A Shot in the Dark” roasting competition. Eighteen national roasters were required to create an espresso blend using coffees from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Tanzania. Emmanuel Velora of Dubai’s Golden Box Coffee Roasters placed first in the competition.

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.

Image credits: World AeroPress Championship