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

• Monday, 5 Apr – Costa Coffee enters the Japanese market. The first two Costa Coffee stores opened in Tokyo and Fukuoka, with the latter offering a limited edition drinks range. Both the Strawberry Iced Latte and Chocolate Cookie Iced Latte are priced at JPY 680 (US $6.18).

• Monday, 5 Apr – Peet’s Coffee partners with See’s Candies to create chocolate-covered coffee beans as April’s “Sweet of the Month”. To celebrate their 100th anniversary, the Californian confectioner is creating a range of limited edition products. The chocolate coffee beans are made with medium roast Brazilian coffee from Peet’s, combined with See’s dark chocolate sourced by Guittard.

• Monday, 5 Apr – Dabin Coffee releases limited edition Bourbon Pointu micro lots. The Belgian roaster is currently only selling the coffee locally, pricing it at €50 for 50g. The beans are sourced from small farms in the Indian Ocean.

• Monday, 5 Apr – Mahlkönig releases pastel green EK43 for April during “Colourful Months” campaign. The limited edition colour is available on the classic EK43 and EK43 S models. Orders can be placed until the end of the month.

• Monday, 5 Apr – Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company adds Mickey Mouse Classic Blend to Disney Specialty Coffee Collection. The blend is a medium roast, made with 100% arabica beans sourced from Central and South America. The coffee is the 27th coffee in the Disney Specialty Coffee Collection; it will be served at Disney World and Disneyland locations around the world.

• Monday, 5 Apr – Research from University of Illinois studies impacts of climate change on Colombia coffee production. By analysing climate data from between 2007 to 2013 in 512 municipalities, researchers came up with predicted weather patterns for the period spanning from 2042 to 2061. There are a broad range of projections; some areas are expected to see increased productivity by as much as 16%, while in others it could fall by up to 8%.

• Monday, 5 Apr – Go Fund Bean launches “Bean to Bean” mentorship programme. The programme is set to pair 10 coffee professionals with 10 mentees who are new to the coffee industry; they will provide one-on-one training. The programme is set to start in May and will last for three months.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – NCA and SCA announce collaboration to publish reports on US specialty coffee consumption. Following the NCA’s Spring 2021 National Coffee Data Trends report, the two organisations will work together on future specialty coffee research. These reports will be free for coffee professionals and businesses to access.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Straus Family Creamery creates “Organic Barista Milk” range. The newly-released line includes milks with four varying levels of fat, designed specifically for coffee and culinary professionals. The milks are lightly homogenised to evenly disperse fats, producing smooth and longer-lasting microfoam.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Intelligent Blends to produce Maud’s Coffee & Tea using 100% solar power. The San Diego single-serve and bagged beverage manufacturer installed solar energy systems to power all of its in-house operations. As a result, the company is set to be carbon neutral by 2024.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – AirX’s coffee-based face mask updated to include customisation options. The world’s first “coffee mask” launched last year; it contains “coffee yarn” in both the mask material and the biodegradable filter insert. Updates to the range include new colours and a malleable nose bridge for increased usability.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Wageningen University chemist creates home Covid-19 test using Nespresso capsules. Vittorio Saggiomo created an affordable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test using the casing of a coffee capsule in a pan of boiling water. The research is yet to be verified by other scientists, but has supposedly identified three cases of the virus.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Partnership for Gender Equity develops the Gender Equity Index alongside panel of global economists and gender experts. The advisory board consists of researchers and practitioners who will provide insight to establish and work using the GEI. The index will be used to improve women’s access to resources around the world.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Starbucks South Korea to stop using single-use takeaway cups by 2025. The coffee chain intends to introduce a “cup circularity programme” in South Korea over the summer, and is trialling the “Borrow a Cup” programme in five stores in Seattle, Washington.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Keurig Dr Pepper commits to supporting regenerative agriculture and conservation efforts for over 250,000 acres of land by 2030. The company will partner with suppliers and farmers to achieve the goal, which will also cover the land used to grow coffee. As part of the company’s “Drink Well Do Good” commitments, they are also looking to improve water preservation across their supply chains.

• Tuesday, 6 Apr – Algrano female-led virtual El Salvador trip highlights the importance of coffee quality and sustainability. The online green coffee marketplace hosted the event, which included Karla Boza of Finca San Antonio Amatepec and Casey LaLonde of Girls Who Grind Coffee. Topics discussed included the sustainability of experimental processing and the relationship between direct trade and cup quality.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – vida e caffè partners with Discover Vitality to create plant-based smoothie. The Cape Town coffee chain uses carrot, apple, banana, pineapple, lemon juice, and ginger as the ingredients. The smoothie is priced at ZAR 49 (US $3.37).

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Chobani launches direct-to-consumer delivery for its “Oat Barista Edition” oat milk. The New York company began shipping their shelf-stable oat milk beverage to consumers across the US. A six-pack is priced at US $29.50.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Colombian President agrees not to impose 19% VAT on coffee. The Colombian government had previously mentioned removing coffee as a basic product for the country’s population, which would increase tax on it. However, President Iván Duque has promised to support increasing domestic coffee consumption.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – ACE Private Collection Auction series to hold Los Favoritos auction on May 18. The Los Favoritos auction is returning after a five-year hiatus. ACE will partner with Fincas Mierisch in Nicaragua to showcase their best coffees from this year’s harvest.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Singaporean Flash Coffee secures US $15 million in Series A funding round. Total funding is around US $20 million for the tech-driven coffee chain. Flash Coffee will use the funding to open 300 additional stores by the end of the year across the Asia-Pacific.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – More than 1,500 people attend Virtual Producer & Roaster Forum. Over 1,000 coffee producers attended across both days of the event, and more than 800 companies and organisations were represented by attendees. Alongside attending panels and lectures, guests also used the Speed Networking, Virtual Tables, and Booths. The event has already led to green coffee sales.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Whole Foods Market announces use of “Sourced For Good” seal on its products. The third-party certification will allow consumers to identify responsibly-sourced products which improve farmers’ socioeconomic wellbeing. If successful, the certification could be used on the chain’s coffee products.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Origin Coffee to open new roastery and café on April 19. The upcoming location will be in Porthleven, West Cornwall. The building will also act as a workspace and training centre, alongside an external area for events and pop-ups.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Lavazza and Amazon create “Voicy”, a smart coffee pod machine. The capsule machine is the world’s first coffee machine to be powered by Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant. The technology can inform the user on current events and keep track of their capsule stock.

• Wednesday, 7 Apr – Starbucks US facing Oatly shortage. After announcing a nationwide partnership with the oat milk brand last month, some of the coffee chain’s stores are running out of stock. Starbucks claims the shortage is temporary.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – Olam International releases 2020 annual report, entitled Unlocking long-term value and driving sustainable growth. The company’s goal of “Re-imagining Global Agriculture and Food Systems” reduced intensity of GHG emissions from operations by around 33%. Around 773,000 smallholder farmers received greater access to sustainability programmes through Olam’s partnerships with NGOs.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – London Coffee Festival to host virtual masterclass with Jägermeister and Caravan Coffee. The online event will explore coffee and alcohol pairings and host a live cocktail making session. Registration is free; the session will take place on April 18 at 16:30 BST.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – Lincoln & York showcases new web-based augmented reality roastery experience. Users scan a QR code to direct them towards the WebAR experience of Lincoln & York’s Kahawa House roastery.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – Melitta launches new “LatteSelect” and “epour” home coffee machines. The fully automated “LatteSelect” allows users to choose from 12 set recipes via the “My Coffee” function, alongside a two-chamber bean hopper. The “epour” uses a touchscreen to customise pour over brewing techniques, using a 360° rotational water dispenser.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – Portland Coffee Roasters celebrates 25th anniversary with new limited edition coffee. The medium roast is a blend of washed and natural processed coffees from La Hilda in Costa Rica. Portland Coffee Roasters have been partnered with the farm since 1996.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – Global disposable paper cup market set to be worth US $20.76 billion by 2028. Despite sustainability concerns across the coffee sector, the market is expected to expand by a CAGR of 7.2% from 2021 to 2028. The Asia-Pacific is predicted to see the biggest increase in demand.

• Thursday, 8 Apr – Azkoyen Group launches Vitro X1 automatic coffee machine with “micro-injected air” technology. The MIA system allows the user to programme the density and consistency of microfoam for a range of milk-based beverages, including those made with plant milks. The new model also lets users choose between hot or cold milk.

• Friday, 9 Apr – Swiss Water opens 82,000-square-foot production facility in Vancouver, BC. Based in the suburb of Delta, the processing and research centre will help to expand production capacity. The company’s existing site in Burnaby, Vancouver BC will continue to operate.

• Friday, 9 Apr – Nestlé launches plant-based Milo and Nescafé products in Asian markets. The chocolate malt beverage Milo first launched in Malaysia in 1950; the almond-based version will be available later this month in the country. Both oat-based and almond-based Nescafé lattes will launch in Malaysia too, and other Asian countries are set to follow.

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

• Weds, 24 Mar – UK government called to create single-use cup recycling scheme by 2023. The proposed “Deposit Return Scheme” will first target plastic bottles. However, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs will announce new initiatives in 2026 to include laminated card, which would include single-use coffee cups.

• Thursday, 1 Apr – Virtual “Leaderboard: The Coffee Game” set to launch second season. The online competition will host several seasons where participants receive 10 coffees to blind taste. The top 5 highest scorers then receive prizes, with coffee experts including Tim Wendelboe and Lem Butler acting as “coaches”.

• Friday, 2 Apr – Equator Coffees launches giveback programme with Emma’s Torch. For every pour over sold at Equator cafés in April, the roaster will donate US $1 to the New York non-profit. Emma’s Torch provides training and job opportunities to refugees and trafficking survivors through their catering and dining businesses.

• Friday, 2 Apr – Neumann Gruppe and BECAMO support communities affected by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. The storms affected communities in Central America last November. BECAMO, a Honduran exporting company, raised more than US $272,000 to repair infrastructure for 76 families and 375 individuals.

• Friday, 2 Apr – Higher Grounds Coffee partners with Michigan musician, May Erlewine, for “Shine On” coffee blend. Proceeds from the Peruvian and Ethiopian blend will be donated to the Michigan-based nonprofit Title Track who advocate for racial equity, access to clean water, and youth empowerment.

• Saturday, 3 Apr – Starbucks customers now able to pay using cryptocurrency via Bakkt. Bitcoin payments can be added to Starbucks Cards using the Bakkt app, which converts cryptocurrency into US dollars. Bitcoin payments themselves are currently not accepted in-store at Starbucks.