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

Mon, 10 Apr

• Registration opens for first-ever Specialty Coffee Association Educator Summit. The conference aims to provide coffee educators with the latest research and training techniques. The first Educator Summit will take place in Busan, South Korea on 31 May and 1 June 2023.

• International Coffee Organisation announces working group to enforce the 2022 International Coffee Agreement. Applications to join the working group is open to all ICO members. Participants will help to draft and review documents that will enforce the recently passed agreement.

• AeroPress launches Flow Control Filter Cap. The new brewing accessory includes a pressure-actuated valve which allows users to have more control over extraction. The Flow Control Filter Cap is compatible with any AeroPress model and can be used with both paper and metal filters.

• This year’s Re:co Symposium to take place in Portland, Oregon on 19 and 20 April. The event will feature expert speakers and panellists, as well as sensory experiences and networking opportunities. Registration is still open.

• Equator Coffees launches new Super Bloom seasonal blend for Earth Month. The blend includes coffees from Nicaragua, Thailand, and Java, with flavour notes of “confetti cake, cherry blossom, and starfruit”. The packaging was designed by queer illustrator RYMIE, and 5% of total sales will help fund new coffee quality control equipment for Equator’s partner company Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples Sacaclí in Nicaragua.

• US roasting professional Bob Goldman launches fundraiser for pancreatic cancer research. Goldman, who works at Allegro Coffee Company, says his wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. All funds raised will be donated to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s Purple Stride Colorado 2023 sponsored walk.

Tue, 11 Apr

• Close to 300 people attend The Barista League Hamburg event. Ordna Event Agency, which organises the competition, says this represents a 60% increase on the previous year’s event. Attendees represented 46 different companies in the coffee industry, with 70 baristas taking part in the competition.

• Kitchenware brand Dash launches Rapid Cold Brew coffee maker before National Cold Brew Day. The company’s coffee maker uses patented VacuPress™ technology to prepare cold brew within nine minutes. National Cold Brew Day is celebrated on 20 April.

• Specialty Coffee Association publishes new The Value of Specialty Coffee Cuppers: Perspectives, Roles, and Professional Competencies white paper. The latest SCA white paper explores and defines the various roles and skills of cuppers within the coffee industry, as well as the value these roles add to the sector. The paper was developed by a SCA task force comprised of cuppers, organisation partners, and leaders in the coffee community “to help build a robust system for specialty coffee cuppers and graders”.

• Nescafé Origens do Brasil becomes first soluble coffee brand to receive carbon neutral certification. Nescafé’s Origens do Brasil instant coffee range recently received the certification from the Carbon Neutral Protocol, a major global framework for measuring and certifying carbon neutrality.

• Brazil’s coffee exports dropped by 23% in the first quarter of 2023. The Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé) says green coffee exports dropped by 19% in March, reaching the lowest levels for this month since 2018. Cecafé adds that stockpiles of the record 2020 harvest have nearly been depleted, so 2021 and 2022 crop losses are now being reflected in lower supply levels.

• KRUVE launches Kickstarter campaign for three-spouted CREATE milk pitcher. The brand’s new milk jug features three different-sized spouts: wide, classic, and narrow. The CREATE milk pitcher also includes volume markings on the inside of the jug, and can hold up to 300ml (10.6 oz) of milk.

• Algrano launches first impact report. In its first report, Algrano found that in 2022, 77% of all green coffee traded via its direct trade platform was through ongoing roaster-producer relationships – a 50% increase on 2019.

Wed, 12 Apr

• Keurig launches new K-Iced coffee maker and ICED pods. The company’s new single-serve coffee maker is designed to brew over ice, but can also be used to prepare hot coffee. The ICED pods are available in a range of flavours, including McCafé Mocha Frappe.

• Coffee now has the highest number of geographical indications in Brazil. According to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, there are now 14 Geographical Indicators and Denominations of Origin for coffee in the country – including in the regions of Cerrado Mineiro, Campo das Vertentes, Caparaó, Montanhas do Espírito Santo, and Matas de Rondônia.

• Latte Art Factory to make US debut at 2023 Specialty Coffee Expo in Portland, Oregon. Frank Buna will showcase the award-winning automated milk foaming system at this year’s event at the Oregon Convention Centre.

• Reborn Coffee reports 42.1% increase in 2022 revenue. The Californian specialty coffee chain recorded US $3.2 million in revenue last year, largely driven by increased sales at new locations and a continued focus on marketing campaigns. The company seeks to raise additional capital to support its future growth plans.

• This year’s London Coffee Festival to return to Truman Brewery from 20 to 23 April. The event is set to include more than 250 exhibitors, and will host the 2023 Coffee Masters competition and Smirnoff Cocktail Masterclass.

• Speaker applications open for PRF Colombia. On 14 & 15 September 2023, PRF will return to the Plaza Mayor venue in Medellín, Colombia. English and Spanish-speaking coffee professionals are eligible to apply, and applicants must have at least five years of experience in their respective fields, as well as some degree of experience in public speaking. To apply, please fill out the speaker application form in English here and in Spanish here. Applications close on 31 July 2023.

Thu, 13 Apr

• Café Show Vietnam 2023 takes place in Ho Chi Minh City. The 8th annual expo features a range of exhibitors, and will host the 2023 Vietnamese National Latte Art and Barista Championships.

• Colombian coffee production fell by 13% year-on-year in March. The National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers says green coffee exports have dropped by 10% over the past 12 months. Despite low figures in March, however, exports in the 2023 first quarter fell by just 1% year-on-year.

• Heylo Coffee to showcase induction heating technology at London Coffee Festival. The brand’s Espresso Module’s induction heating system uses less energy than conventional boilers and can bring brew water up to required temperature within five seconds.

• Etkin launches Kickstarter campaign for new 2-Cup Dripper. The company says its new double-walled porcelain flat bottom brewer is designed to enhance sweetness and create a faster flow rate.

• Starbucks appoints Brad Lerman as Executive Vice President and general counsel. Lerman was previously the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of medical company Medtronic in Minneapolis. Lerman will lead Starbucks’ legal and regulatory affairs.

Fri, 14 Apr

• MONIN publishes 2022/23 UK Summer Drinks Trends report. The syrup manufacturer’s latest report found that one in ten of under-35s drink iced coffee every day, even during winter months. Caramel is also the UK’s preferred syrup flavour, followed by vanilla, salted caramel, and hazelnut.

• Octane Coffee debuts with fully automated drive-thru in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The drive-thru coffee concept aims to prepare and serve beverages within 15 to 30 seconds of arrival at the pick-up window.

• SCA Denmark hosts several 2023 national Coffee Championships at this year’s Danish Coffee Festival. The festival, which is taking place in Copenhagen, is hosting the 2023 Danish Cup Tasters, Barista, and Brewers Cup Championships.

• Lost Sock Coffee Roasters open pop-up coffee shop in Washington D.C. The new pop-up concept will open at Brightwood Pizza & Bottle at 711 Kennedy St. NW, and will serve espresso-based drinks, single origin coffees, and seasonal lattes.

• Sensible Coffee to co-host this year’s Gems of Araku private coffee auction on 24 May. The auction, which highlights the impact of soil and terroir on coffee grown in this valley region in India, will feature several different processing methods. The online auction starts at 9:00 EST.

• Expo Café Uruguay 2023 to take place on 12 and 13 August in Montevideo. After a successful first edition in 2022, the annual coffee expo will once again feature more than 30 exhibitors and over 40 different kinds of coffee.

What not to miss at the 2023 Specialty Coffee Expo

Next week, this year’s Specialty Coffee Expo will take place at the Oregon Convention Centre in Portland, Oregon from 21 to 23 April.

The event will host six US Coffee Championships: Barista, Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, Roaster, and Latte Art Championships. Alongside these competitions, this year’s Specialty Coffee Expo will also include the Best New Product Competition, Coffee Design Awards, Green Coffee Buyers & Sellers Programme, Roaster Village, Coffee Science Foundation Scientific Poster Session, and Cupping Exchange, as well as lectures and workshops.

More than 400 exhibitors are expected to attend the event, including:

• Torr Industries – liquid product filling machine manufacturer, including the HIVE Cold Brew Coffee System
• SanCoffee – specialty green coffee trader in Brazil
• Ecotact – green coffee packaging solutions company
• MTPak Coffee – coffee packaging and takeaway cup manufacturer
• Ally Coffee – specialty green coffee importer
• JNP Coffee – specialty green coffee importer focusing on Burundian coffees produced by women farmer
• Marco Beverage Systems – beverage dispensing solutions manufacturer
• AeroPress – coffee brewer manufacturer
• Algrano – green coffee direct trade platform
• Fiorenzato – premium coffee equipment manufacturer
• Baratza – home and prosumer coffee grinder manufacturer
• Cimbali USA – commercial espresso machine and grinder manufacturer
• Covoya Coffee – specialty green coffee trader (formerly Olam Specialty Coffee)
• Dalla Corte – professional espresso machine and grinder manufacturer
• Guatemalan Coffees – official specialty green coffee trader for Anacafé
• Mercon Specialty Coffee – specialty green coffee trader
• Rancilio Group North America – commercial and prosumer coffee machine and grinder manufacturer
• Royal Coffee and The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room – specialty green coffee importer and education facility
• Toddy – cold brew equipment manufacturer
• Frank Buna – commercial coffee equipment manufacturer
• Stronghold – professional coffee roaster manufacturer
• Sucafina – international specialty green coffee trader
• Yara – crop nutrition manufacturer and supplier
• Cropster – coffee software company
• IMF – commercial coffee roaster manufacturer
• Aillio – compact coffee roaster manufacturer
• BWT water+more – water technology and solutions
• Metropolis Coffee Company – specialty coffee roaster

These companies will be joined by many other prominent brands in the industry, including roasters, green coffee traders, and coffee equipment manufacturers. For more information and to register, visit the Specialty Coffee Expo website.

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

• Mon, 3 Apr – Study finds that “moderate” coffee consumption could lower blood pressure levels. Researchers at the Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital in Bologna, Italy concluded that moderate (two or more cups) and heavy coffee drinkers had lower systolic BP (SBP) than people who didn’t drink coffee.

• Thu, 6 Apr – Tims China reports 57.2% revenue increase in 2022. The exclusive operator of Tim Hortons stores in China says it opened 227 new stores last year, which helped to bring in US $146.6 million in revenue.

• Thu, 6 Apr – Direct trade coffee platform Algrano launches in the US. The Swiss company allows roasters to purchase coffee from several producing countries, including Colombia, Brazil, and Rwanda. Minimum orders start at one 60kg bag.

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association, Producer Roaster Forum

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