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

• Monday, 22 Mar – Rancilio Group launches Digital Training Centre. The virtual platform lets the company assist partners and technicians in using their equipment. The Digital Library provides Rancilio users with video tutorials on best practices for installation and maintenance.

• Monday, 22 Mar – De’Longhi purchases Eversys for CHF 110 million. De’Longhi agreed to take full control of the coffee machine manufacturer, purchasing the remaining 60% stake. Eversys has been valued at around CHF 150 million (over US $160 million).

• Monday, 22 Mar – Starbucks developing soil health assessment app for coffee farmers. The technology would allow producers to test soil samples and determine which fertilisers would improve soil health. The app can also track carbon levels in the soil.

• Monday, 22 Mar – Higher Grounds Trading partners with Northern Michigan For Veterans to create coffee blend. “Bold Glory” is Peruvian blend from Higher Grounds’ Coffees for Change collection. US $5 from each bag sold will be donated to the non-profit, which supports armed forces veterans in northern Michigan.

• Monday, 22 Mar – The Barista League announces its “After Hours” monthly events. On the last Wednesday of every month, the event organiser will host online interactive coffee “parties” with different themes for every session.

• Monday, 22 Mar – Kona Coffee lawsuit settlements close to US $13 million. Gold Coffee Roasters agreed to pay US $6.1 million and other defendants agreed to a total of US $7 million after accusations that they had falsely used the Kona coffee label.

• Monday, 22 Mar – De’Longhi UK launches online Coffee Lounge. The virtual platform allows specialty coffee roasters to connect with other retailers and consumers, as well as selling their coffees and a limited range of De’Longhi machines online.

• Monday, 22 Mar – New roasting subscription company Coffee Shift uses blockchain technology to improve farmers’ incomes. The startup is running a WeFunder campaign to build a roasting facility in the US. Co-founder Mauricio Walker owns La Razón Coffee Roasters in Colombia, who are currently roasting coffee for the start-up.

• Monday, 22 Mar – Aldi US set to expand its sustainable coffee sourcing programme. More than 40 of Aldi’s coffee products are currently certified as sustainably sourced; the brand’s Barissimo and Simply Nature ranges are set to join existing sustainably sourced products by 2022.

• Tuesday, 23 Mar – EU General Court overturns refusal to register “it’s like milk but made for humans” Oatly slogan. In March 2019, Oatly applied to register the slogan, but the application was refused by the EU Intellectual Property Office as it was deemed “misleading” to consumers.

• Tuesday, 23 Mar – Campos Coffee showcases newly designed packaging. The Australian roaster has updated the packaging of their Superior Blend to match the colour of their takeaway cups. The packaging design for their range of blends and single origins now includes descriptions highlighting the sweetness of each coffee.

• Tuesday, 23 Mar – US coffee stockpiles hit six-year low. Droughts and other unpredictable weather patterns have negatively affected coffee production in South America, with Bloomberg predicting that the “world balance” is expecting a deficit.

• Tuesday, 23 Mar – SCA updates grinder list for 2021 World of Coffee Championships. The new qualified grinders are the Mahlkönig E80 Supreme (World Barista Championship and World Coffee in Good Spirits), the Ditting 807 Lab Sweet (World Brewers Cup), and the Anfim SPII+ (World Latte Art Championships).

• Tuesday, 23 Mar – Nestlé becomes first UK advertiser to use 100% recycled paper for out-of-home advertising. All of the brand’s six-sheet paper poster advertisements will also use green printing techniques. The paper advertisements will be a key part of Nescafé’s marketing scheme.

• Wednesday, 24 Mar – Statistics show 368,000 UK hospitality job losses over the past 12 months. Owners of small businesses – including coffee shops and roasteries – used an average of £9,750 of their own savings in attempts to keep their staff on payroll during the pandemic.

• Wednesday, 24 Mar – Simonelli Group launches The Coffee Knowledge Hub. In collaboration with global coffee experts, Simonelli Group is rolling out the online platform with over 30 courses. By the end of 2021, they hope to expand to 60 courses, with a specific focus on sustainability.

• Wednesday, 24 Mar – illy launches its first instant coffee in the US. The 100% arabica instant range is available as Classico and Intenso, and is priced at US $9 for a 95g can.

• Wednesday, 24 Mar – Condesa to publish “Window to Origin” video series. Beginning March 31, the series will explore coffee production in a number of ways. The first episode will focus on Brazilian producer and fermentation expert Luiz Saldanha.

• Wednesday, 24 Mar – Taiwanese Rubasse Roasters set to start selling to international markets. The company manufactures small-batch roasters that use near-infrared radiation as a heat source. According to Rubasse, this allows for faster heat adjustments. The company is working on making their machines more compact and café-friendly.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Neuhaus Neotec and Devex set to enter the US market. After establishing themselves in European and Asian markets, the roaster manufacturers have secured deals to supply machines to the US market over the next two years.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Caravela Coffee joins the UN’s Business Call to Action. The initiative is part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Caravela has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2025; by 2023, the company will pay minimum living wages to all employees, and has committed to launching an education programme for 3,000 coffee farmers.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Barista & Co highlights “One Brew” 4-in-1 beverage brewer. The brewer can be used to make hot and cold coffee or tea. The world-first press-free cafetière allows users to easily dispose of grounds.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Kaffelogic launches Kickstarter for Nano 7e benchtop coffee roaster. The New Zealand company is developing a compact roaster for international markets. The money it raises will be used to develop new heating elements, redesign the machine’s chaff collector, and apply for CE certification.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Caffè Culture Show 2021 set to take place on September 2 & 3. The event is set to be held in London; admission will be free for trade professionals. This year’s programme includes two SCA barista competitions: the Roaster’s Forum and the Victoria Arduino Experience.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Schaerer includes two new contactless features on its automated coffee machines. The “2nd Screen” allows customers to order by scanning a QR code, while the “Touchless Outlet” automatically adjusts the drink dispenser according to beverage size. The Schaerer Digital Payment Solution also supports contactless payment.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – DaVinci Gourmet releases new range of fruit syrups and mixers. The summer mixers include Golden Pear and Lemongrass flavours. The launch of the new range coincides with the brand’s entry into Middle Eastern markets.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Cropster launches Harvest Report dashboard. The new software allows Cropster Origin users to track coffee production volumes and quality levels for cherry, parchment, and green coffee. Users can also set production targets and use the platform to highlight areas of improvement for future harvests.

• Thursday, 25 Mar – Suez Canal blockage may affect robusta coffee imports. The container ship Ever Given is stuck in one of the world’s busiest trading routes. Some 12% of global traded goods pass through the Suez canal, including coffee.

• Friday, 26 Mar – Mystery Bean challenge launched in Australia. Registrants are sent coffee samples and must submit their response guessing the coffee’s origin and other attributes. Prizes for correct answers include a monthly prize valued at A$300, and the title of 2021 Mystery Bean Master.

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

• Thursday, 18 Mar – Dunkin’ opens drive-thru bike lane in Philippines stores. The first bike-thru lane was opened in Quezon City in January 2021, and has been popular among customers.

• Thursday, 18 Mar – Nestlé’s “Incoa” chocolate bar uses cacao pulp as natural sweetener. The use of the cacao pulp helps to reduce food waste and improve farmers’ incomes. The chocolate bar is sold under Nestlé’s Les Recettes de L’Atelier brand, and is being rolled out across European markets.

• Friday, 19 Mar – Flair Espresso launches new model entitled “Flair 58”. The name is inspired by the 58-millilmetre portafilter included with the machine. The Flair 58 is the only model in Flair’s range to include a heated grouphead that maintains a consistent brewing temperature.

• Friday, 19 Mar – Continued reports of cargo shipping congestion and delays. Shipping carriers have been described as “being more selective this year about who they sign with and at what terms”, potentially negatively affecting green importers and roasters. The UK has been one of the worst affected, with many issues attributed to Brexit.

• Saturday, 20 Mar – Cup of Excellence and RD2 Vision partner on coffee DNA fingerprinting programme. Coffee research organisation RD2 Vision will produce reports on the genetic identities of sample coffees, which will help to increase the industry understanding of certain varieties.

• Saturday, 20 Mar – Woman accidentally charged US $5,705.70 for latte. Lisa Angello of Colorado paid for her US $5.70 coffee at the the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Centre, but the price was mistakenly entered twice. Angello received credit from her bank after months of requesting a refund.