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

• Monday, 1 Feb – DMCC Coffee Centre announces partnership with Cajary Majlis, chaired by NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. The DMCC welcomed the international food distributor, who will utilise the facilities at their Coffee Centre, which include green bean storage and roasting. Cajary Majlis launched #55 Champion’s Edition Barrel Aged Coffee in 2020, sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Monday, 1 Feb – Beyond the Bean launches spring and summer virtual bootcamps. The Bristol-based drinks company announced four dates for their online interactive bootcamps. Attendees will have access to industry insights and learn about newly developed drink recipes. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Blood Bikes, a UK motorcycle response charity.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – Swedish roaster Löfbergs collaborates with Sculptur to create serving stations made from coffee waste. The first 3D printed coffee stand is produced “using silverskin, which is a [byproduct of] the coffee roasting process”. Further research into using polypropene from recycled coffee bags will aid Löfbergs’ Circular Coffee Community initiative, which for net zero coffee waste by 2030.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – Coffee Barometer report indicates that the largest coffee companies in the industry didn’t achieve their 2020 sustainable goals. The report claims that 15 major international coffee companies are not hitting UN Sustainable Development Goals for environmental and socioeconomic sustainability.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – The International Coffee Organisation releases its 2020 Coffee Development Report. The ICO report focuses on the value of the global coffee chain, with an emphasis on how the Covid-19 pandemic affected coffee prices. Findings show that actors in coffee-consuming countries continue to receive higher market value in the supply chain, leaving coffee farmers vulnerable.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – Good Liquorworks produces vodka made from coffee fruit. The New York-based company has launched its “Good Vodka”, derived from sugars in the coffee cherry. Co-founder Mark Bryne describes it as a “vodka of rounder mouthfeel and more full-bodied flavour than those made from… from potatoes or grain”.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – The UK becomes part of the International Coffee Organisation. After Brexit became official on January 1, 2021, the UK is no longer grouped along with the 27 EU countries in the ICO. The UK is the tenth largest coffee importing country in the world with a coffee industry estimated to have £11 billion turnover.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – The American Cancer Society updates dietary guidelines regarding coffee. Since 2012, the ACS has published research showing that coffee consumption may be linked to decreased risk of some cancers. Acrylamide, a naturally-formed carcinogenic compound in roasted foods, is “found only in trace levels, [or] non-detectable” in coffee beans.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – Caparaó is awarded a geographical indication as a coffee origin. The certification confirms that the coffee’s quality and flavours are exclusive to that region. This will be Brazil’s third recognised GI for coffee, after Mantiqueira de Minas and Cerrado Mineiro.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – Voila Labs launches specialty coffee capsules. The company has partnered with packaging business, Mo Coffee, who roast and grind coffee for Voila-branded compostable and biodegradable capsules. The Nespresso-compatible capsules will be available as an “Espresso Discovery” pack, with three single origin options.

• Tuesday, 2 Feb – Around a quarter of US coffee shop market value lost due to COVID-19. Research from the World Coffee Portal found there was a US $11.5 billion decline in coffee shops sales over the past 12 months. Cafés reporting losses due to the pandemic were estimated to have lost an average of US $32,500 per store per month.

• Wednesday, 3 Feb – CBI announces webinar on Eastern European coffee consumption. The event aims to challenge perceptions about low-quality coffee consumption and improve consumer awareness in the region. Registration is free. The webinar will take place on February 22 at 16:00 CET.

• Wednesday, 3 Feb – Keurig launches Remote Brew app for workplaces. Users can connect using their mobile phones to access these single-serve machines’ brewing functions. The release of this app follows the launch of Keurig’s Safe Brewing Toolkit, which is also targeted at workplaces.

• Wednesday, 3 Feb – Monin US reveals “Strawberry Rose” as the “flavour of 2021“. The gourmet syrup and sauce company has announced their new product for this year. According to Monin research, more than 50% of consumers surveyed were interested in tasting a fruit and floral beverage.

• Wednesday, 3 Feb – Susie Spindler joins the Board of Directors at the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. Spindler is the co-founder of the Cup of Excellence and former Executive Director of The Alliance for Coffee Excellence. She aims to provide further technical training opportunities, and to grant wider market access to women-led coffee farms.

• Thursday, 4 Feb – Melbourne International Coffee Expo announced for September 9 to 11. After a Covid-19 postponement in 2020, an in-person event will be held this year to coincide with Melbourne Coffee Week. The expo will showcase roasters and “Origin Alleys”, as well as the expo’s Product Innovation Awards.

• Thursday, 4 Feb – Virtual Producer Roaster Forum 2021 announces three new speakers. Now totalling 25 speakers, the virtual PRF lineup includes Maria Pavani of Três Marias, Dakota Graff of Onyx Coffee Lab, and Jessenia Arguello of Mercon Coffee Group, all on the panel.

• Thursday, 4 Feb – Planetary Designs launches BruTek 32 and 48 French presses for outdoor use. The Montana-based coffee and tea equipment manufacturer has launched double-walled brewers in 32 and 48oz sizes. Vacuum insulation will keep the coffee hot in outdoor weather, while its Bru-Stop plunger and plate minimise the risk of overextraction.

• Friday, 5 Feb – Lincoln & York invest in £2 million retail coffee packing line. The UK-based coffee roaster’s high-speed packing system will lead to coffee being “retail-ready” in less than an hour. The 10-metre line required a total 400 hours of construction, and has been constructed to support Lincoln & York’s long-term business growth.

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

• Thursday, 28 Jan – Ally Coffee and Cropster announce free webinar, entitled “Roasting Origins: Colombia Edition”. The webinar will feature a panel of Australian, Colombian and North American roasters, talking about the Finca Las Nubes Pink Bourbon Natural coffee from Colombia. The event takes place on February 11 at 12:00 PST. Registration is free.

• Thursday, 28 Jan – Nike showcases coffee-themed trainers. The new version of the Nike Air Force 1 shoe has a coffee-themed colour scheme and design, including the words “Roasted by Nike Inc” and a lot number stitched on the inner label. No official release date has been confirmed.

• Thursday, 28 Jan – Starbucks US reports 2020 revenue growth despite pandemic concerns. Although net revenues are down 5% on 2019, the US branch posted quarter-on-quarter revenue growth of US $500 million to US $6.2 billion. The coffee company opened 278 stores globally in the first quarter of 2020, showing promising growth despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Thursday, 28 Jan – UCC Coffee launches its first home compostable capsule. The Nespresso-compatible EkoPod is certified OK compost HOME by TÜV Austria. UCC’s new capsule ensures coffee freshness for up to nine months, and can be added to home composts and food waste bins.

• Friday, 29 Jan – International Women’s Coffee Alliance updates its Chapter List. The newly designed chapter summaries, accomplishments, and contact details cover 27 countries. The IWCA hopes this will increase visibility and connectivity among organisations empowering women in the coffee industry.

• Saturday, 30 Jan – First specialty-grade coffee released from Madagascar. Six UK-based roasters shared a 30kg lot from Zebu Estate, which was the country’s first ever specialty coffee. The washed Typica and Bourbon mix has flavours of “candy apple, toasted marshmallows, and buttered crumpets”.

• Sunday, 31 Jan – UK hospitality businesses lost the equivalent of £200 million per day in sales in 2020 due to pandemic. Trade turnover in 2020 dropped by 54% on the previous year. Between October to December 2020, net sales amounted to £14.3 billion.

• Sunday, 31 Jan – Specialty Coffee Association finds rainfall patterns and labour migration have most impact on Guatemalan coffee farmers. The University of California, Davis partnered with Guatemalan producers to research how less predictable rainfall and more intense rainstorms create challenges for agronomic management. Low coffee prices are driving pickers to migrate to the US for higher incomes, as farmers state difficulties in paying higher wages for farm labour.