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

• Monday, 10 May – Vide e Caffè experiences 500% increase in delivery during pandemic. South Africa’s largest coffee chain saw a significant increase in demand for digital payment and service options in their coffee shops, using third-party providers such as Uber.

• Monday, 10 May – Slickdeals commissions YoY survey on impulse spending on coffee. The shopping social media platform commissioned a survey of 2,000 US consumers, which found that impulse buying for coffee increased by 33% during the pandemic.

• Monday, 10 May – JDE Peet’s becomes first company to use SourceUp sustainable supply chain solution. SourceUp helps to connect sustainably-minded buyers with rural communities. JDE Peet’s sourced coffee from the Krong Nang and Dak Lak provinces in Vietnam, and used 20% less water, 14% fewer chemical fertilisers, and no banned pesticides. Farmers received 20% more income.

• Monday, 10 May – Hawaii Coffee Association to host online conference June 24 & 25. A key feature of the event will be a webinar entitled Living with Coffee Leaf Rust, as the fungus was discovered in Maui last October for the first time ever. The cupping competition deadline is May 21.

• Monday, 10 May – HostMilano 2021 to return in-person, October 22 to 26. The HoReCa equipment expo is set to host more than 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries – including Simonelli Group, Marco Beverage Systems, WMF Group, and Probat.

• Monday, 10 May – KOPI Deva single dose home grinder to launch Kickstarter on 31 May. The KOPI Deva includes 64mm burrs with an adjustable RPM between 200 and 1,000. Its shortened grind path also reduces grind retention on the burrs.

• Monday, 10 May – Higher Grounds provides updates on Volunteer Time Off programme. Since becoming a certified B Corp in 2016, the coffee company launched the programme to pay full-time staff up to 20 volunteer hours per year for helping local non-profits. During the winter of 2016, for instance, Higher Grounds staff collectively volunteered 73 hours to Safe Harbour – a local homeless advocacy organisation.

• Monday, 10 May – Will & Co releases new line of aluminium coffee capsules. The Nespresso-compatible capsules from the Australian roaster are available in four blend flavours: Natural and Sweet Ride (Central and South American), Goofy (light roast), and Organic (medium-dark roast).

• Monday, 10 May – French Press Coffee Roasters, Canadian Barista Institute, and Keffa Coffee raise funds and awareness for Vancouver BC’s Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. Funds are being raised in memory of the passing of Canadian coffee professional R. Michael Ratcliffe. Proceeds from sales of the “From Harrar to Eternity” and “The Jackie Gleason Drip” coffees will be donated to the centre, which supports local homeless and vulnerable women.

• Monday, 10 May – Sucafina partners with Girls Gotta Run Foundation and Grounds for Health to improve Ethiopia women and girls’ access to health and education. For every bag of Kenyan or Ethiopian micro lots sold, Sucafina will donate a percentage of the sales price to the partner organisations.

• Monday, 10 May – Probat wins Axia Best Managed Companies Award 2021 for corporate excellence. After evaluating the company’s performance via surveys and face-to-face interviews, Probat received the award – highlighting their efforts in strategy, productivity and innovation, culture and commitment, and governance and finance.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Brazil to carry out study on coffee nutrition. Over 1,200 interviews will take place in Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Rondônia, and Bahia, to gain producer insights into fertiliser use and soil nutrition products.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Sucafina announces successful closure of two-year Senior Secured Borrowing Base Facility. Initial launch sizes for the facility were estimated at US $400 million, but were later upscaled to US $500 million. The facility’s KPIs were remeasured and will now focus on increasing the number of certified farmers and reducing the carbon footprint of coffee production.

• Tuesday, 11 May – GoodSam Foods launches its first two coffee products. “Orlando’s Single Farm Origin” is sourced from the Central Andes in Colombia, and is a blend of the Castillo, Caturra, and Typica varieties. “GoodSam Everyday Coffee” is sourced from an indigenous tribe in northern Colombia, and will help fund local education projects.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Julius Meinl announces “Say Hello” campaign across Europe, to launch June 1. The Viennese roaster conducted several surveys in London, Vienna, Milan, and Bucharest on how the pandemic has affected social interactions. Between March 2020 and March 2021, the cities’ populations reported missing out on a quarter of conversations with strangers. From June 1, the roaster will encourage its customers to interact more with fellow coffee drinkers.

• Tuesday, 11 May – HWC face mask launches on Kickstarter. The Taiwan HWC Roasters created the masks using natural coffee fibres, meaning that they are fully biodegradable.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Co-oabriel co-op and Federal Institute of Espírito Santo develop project to improve conilon coffee quality. Conilon prices remain high in Brazil despite increased levels of production. This three-year programme aims to support all 6,200 members of the Co-oabriel co-op to improve their incomes.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Tchibo study finds that more than a third of US consumers increased their coffee consumption during pandemic. The Coffee Consumption Survey also found 73% of coffee consumers reported to be making more coffee at home since Covid-19 restrictions were set in place. Around 53% of people claimed they spend the most money on coffee at supermarkets, compared to 33% at cafés.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Pret A Manger to trial partnership with Tesco supermarkets. The coffee and food-to-go chain announces it will open concession stores in Tesco outlets throughout the UK to expand its consumer base. The first is set to open in a Tesco Superstore in Kensington, London.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Nespresso launches “Made With Care” advertising campaign. The face of the campaign is US actor George Clooney, who has been a long-time brand ambassador for the company. In the launch video, Clooney and Nespresso partners discuss the sustainability of the coffee supply chain.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Dutch Bros holds 15th annual “Drink One for Dane” ALS fundraiser. After co-founder Dane Boersma passed away in 2009 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the US drive-thru chain launched their annual giveback campaign. On May 14, portions of the proceeds from over 400 stores will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

• Tuesday, 11 May – TC Transcontinental Packaging receives FTA Sustainability Excellence Award. The company’s Integritite post-consumer recycled collation shrink film includes 33% of post-consumer recycled plastic – using fewer fossil fuels, less water, and emitting fewer GHGs. The plastic film performs similarly to virgin plastic, and is compatible with the “How2Recycle” system.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Café da Margem becomes the first coffee shop in the world to offer carbon credits. The café in São Paulo allows customers to purchase MCO2, developed in partnership with start-up MOSS. Buyers will help fund four sustainability projects in the Amazon, helping to minimise GHG emissions.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Oatly’s US IPO values the company at US $10 billion. The company began its initial public offering with around 84 million American depositary shares, each estimated to be worth between US $15 and 17. Oatly is seeking to raise US $1.43 billion through the IPO, which it will use to clear debts and fund expansion projects.

• Tuesday, 11 May – Bellwether Coffee, Heifer International, and Sustainable Harvest develop Verified Living Income model to improve equity in coffee supply chain. The model was developed in a pilot study with 38 farmers in Tolima, Colombia. The model calls for equalised power dynamics between buyers and producers, directly addressing the economic sustainability of farmers, and improved co-operation across the supply chain to ensure farmer self-sufficiency.

• Wednesday, 12 May – Perrier releases range of Energise caffeinated beverages in the US. Made with caffeine extracts from green coffee and yerba mate, the new range has been launched with three flavours: Pomegranate, Grapefruit, and Tangerine. Each 330ml can (12oz) contains 99mg of caffeine.

• Wednesday, 12 May – Global coffee shop market predicted to be worth US $201.4 billion by 2027. Despite setbacks from the global pandemic, the CAGR is projected to be 3.6% during 2020-2027. Coffee products alone are predicted to reach US $123 billion.

• Wednesday, 12 May – Xbar launches Kickstarter for home 9 bar Espresso Maker. The professional-grade manual espresso machine allows users to control pressure up to 12 bars. The machine is available for preorder, and includes pressure profiling features for increased control over brewing variables.

• Wednesday, 12 May – Dutch Master Roasters releases 15kg drum roaster, DMR 15-A. The DMR 15-A is engineered to recycle heat from the roasting process for better energy efficiency and sustainability. An optional scale can be built into the cooling tray to record the final weight of roasted coffee. Models with alternative capacities are expected to be released throughout 2021 and 2022.

• Wednesday, 12 May – SCA US chapter announces 12 new 2021-2023 committee members. The organisation claimed it received 90 nominations this year. New members were selected using a “partially random” lottery system to improve diversity.

• Thursday, 13 May – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf announces Sanjiv Razdan as President of American and Indian Markets. Razdan is the former COO of Sweetgreen, Applebee’s, and Yum! Brands. His focus will be on growing the company’s omni-channel presence beyond California.

• Thursday, 13 May – Higher Grounds releases Riff Roast in partnership with Jail Guitar Doors. The Michigan roaster hosted a Facebook Live event to announce the campaign with the rehabilitative music programme. US $5 from every bag of the Honduran dark roast will be donated to the cause.

• Thursday, 13 May – Starbucks partners with Generate on community solar power projects. The sustainable infrastructure manufacturers have already delivered six of their proposed 23 projects. Once complete, the projects will provide solar power to local Starbucks stores and up to 24,000 households, small businesses, non-profits, and religious and educational organisations – including communities that have been identified as underserved.

• Thursday, 13 May – Singapore Coffee Auction announces sponsors and partners. Bank Indonesia will be the main sponsor of the hybrid auction, while Olam and the Colombian embassy in Singapore are the strategic partners. ProfilePrint was announced as the technology partner for the event.

• Friday, 14 May – New dates announced for virtual 2021 Le Paris Café Festival. The event will take place online from October 29 to 31. Features this year will include the Cup Tasters France Championship, Latte Art Live, Coffee Mixologists, and The Roaster Village.

• Friday, 14 May – Hugh Inc. launches 3-in-1 Pebble Bottle flask and brewer. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2019, the reusable brewer is now available worldwide. The stainless steel double micro filter can brew coffee, loose leaf tea, or fruit-infused water.

• Friday, 14 May – Cropster to host three days of US & Brazil Roaster Exchange webinars. From May 14 to 16, each webinar will include 3 prominent US and Brazilian roasters speaking on their respective markets. The sessions will be conducted in English, with Portuguese translation available.

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

• Friday, 7 May – Cheap Coffee: A Look Behind the Curtain of the Global Coffee Trade released. Author Karl Wienhold provides a wider explanation of the economics, mechanics, and power structures that define the modern coffee industry. The book calls for a restructuring of the coffee supply chain to maintain a sustainable industry into the future. The book is priced at US $14.95.

• Friday, 7 May – Coffee Island opens first café in Yverdon, Switzerland. The Greek coffee shop chain uses automated and AI technology in its newest store to help consumers customise their orders. Over the past year, the coffee chain has opened 24 new stores across the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

• Friday, 7 May – Costa Coffee launches Starship automated delivery services in Milton Keynes, UK. Consumers can order via the Starship app; delivery can take up to an hour, and the robots used travel at 4mph.

• Friday, 7 May – FNC calls for peace-building solutions in response to protests about social and economic issues in Colombia. The FNC represents more than 500,000 coffee-producing families in the country, where coffee exports have been blocked for the past week.

• Saturday, 8 May – Sovda releases new model of the Destoner Lift. The customisable mounting plate means the new destoner can be integrated into almost any roaster. The Destoner Lift can remove stones from beans at a rate of 4 to 5kg per minute.