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

• Monday, 17 May – Buzzlite Coffee creates “Microdose Roast” for US low-caf market. The Los Angeles coffee start-up uses Colombian beans treated with sugar cane ethanol compounds to remove caffeine. Each serving of Microdose Roast contains 20mg of caffeine.

• Monday, 17 May – Galeano Café hosts Instagram Live session on cryptocurrency in coffee. The Honduran roasters spoke on non-fungible tokens and cryptocurrency in the coffee sector.

• Monday, 17 May – Bellwether Coffee appoints Michelle Stacy to its board of executives. Stacy is a former President of Keurig, and will assist Bellwether in its digital expansion and sales & marketing growth.

• Monday, 17 May – Ethiopia Coffee & Tea Authority announces record-breaking monthly earnings of US $114 million in April. The authority estimated 29,000 tons of coffee was exported to reach this amount. The previous month’s earnings were US $107 million.

• Monday, 17 May – Dalla Corte to release Zero espresso machine in US and Australian markets. The Italian manufacturers will showcase the Zero in San Antonio, Atlanta, Anaheim, and Portland, before a final exhibition at the New Orleans SCA Expo in November 2021. Dalla Corte will begin showcasing the Zero in Brisbane, Australia later this month.

• Monday, 17 May – Subscription start-up Bean Box secures US $2.4 million in Series A funding round. The Seattle company uses AI to tailor subscription services to customer’s preferences. The funding will be used for strategic growth – focusing on hiring in marketing, engineering, and operations.

• Monday, 17 May – Sproud announces Bill Lange as General Manager for North America. The Swedish plant-based beverage company uses yellow split peas to produce its non-dairy alternative. Lange will help to maintain sales growth throughout the US as the company partners with Whole Foods in southern California.

• Monday, 17 May – Sucafina Kenya launches sustainable soil sampling programme. Sucafina’s sister companies, Kenyacof and Kahawa Bora, have collaborated with smallholder coffee farmers to improve knowledge of soil composition and fertiliser use. The initiative has led to higher yields and reduced spending on farming practices.

• Monday, 17 May – Häagen-Dazs partners with Chameleon Organic Coffee to launch “Cold-Brew Float” in US stores. The drink includes Chameleon’s Cold-Brew Tripleshot Black Coffee, two scoops of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream, and whipped cold foam. The Cold-Brew Float will be available from May to September.

• Monday, 17 May – Costa Coffee reopens London store with dedicated space for remote workers. The West Hampstead location will offer divided working spaces, each with a power socket and free wifi. The redesigned store opens as the UK eases its Covid-19 restrictions.

• Tuesday, 18 May – MILKLAB introduces lactose-free milk to its dairy range. The Australian company adds lactase to produce a 100% naturally lactose-free milk. The milk is sourced from farmers in Victoria and New South Wales, and has a longer shelf-life than most competitor brands.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Rainforest Alliance announces Santiago Gowland as new CEO. Gowland has previously served as Executive Vice President for Latin America at the Nature Conservancy, and has spearheaded a number of sustainability projects for Unilever and Nike. His focus will be bridging supply chain innovation and environmental protection.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Swiss Water study finds US decaf consumption increased during pandemic. During 2020, consumption of decaffeinated coffee rose by 1.7% compared to 2019. An increase of 9.1% compared to 2016 indicates growth in the longer term.

• Tuesday, 18 May – WAVE Investments announces co-founder and President of Baratza Kyle Anderson as new partner. Anderson’s experience in coffee equipment design, development, and engineering will help WAVE to expand its portfolio in the US.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Entries for 2021 Nicaragua CoE winners announced. There were 23 CoE winning lots, with 4 farms scoring over 90 points. The highest-scoring lot was a washed Pacamara from Jesus Mountain Coffee in Nueva Segovia, which scored 90.96 points. The CoE Nicaragua auction will take place on June 29th.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Founder of Kahawa 1893 becomes first ever black entrepreneur to sell coffee in Trader Joe’s stores. Margaret Nyamumbo founded the company to support African women in coffee-producing communities. Kahawa 1893 coffee will be available in all California Trader Joe’s grocery stores, with outlets in Chicago and New York to follow soon.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Singapore Specialty Coffee (Micro-Lot) Auction 2021 to include 15 participating countries. Entries from 15 different countries have been accepted – including China, Guatemala, Laos, Mexico, Panama, and Papua New Guinea.

• Tuesday, 18 May – WMF Professional Coffee Machines expands its international service strategy. The three main areas for expansion include customer satisfaction, economic success, and operations. The company will first focus on improving machine availability to increase consistency in coffee quality.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Mercon Coffee Group closes US $500 million sustainable revolving credit facility. Led by Rabobank, the new credit line will help finance green coffee sourcing programmes in countries such as Nicaragua, Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Honduras.

• Tuesday, 18 May – Think Coffee announces Coffee-Break-At-Home campaign. The New York roaster is aiming the new programme at remote workers. It will offer two bags of whole bean, ground coffee, or shelf-stable cold brew to customers, with prices set at US $35.

• Wednesday, 19 May – illycaffè launches exclusively-designed coffee cups with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Inspired by Weiwei’s 2006 Coloured Vases exhibition, the cups are available in sets of 2 and 4. Prices range from US $65 to $135.

• Wednesday, 19 May – Cropster launches Between Batch Protocol feature. The new setting allows roasters to reset thermal energy in roasters between batches to maintain consistency. The feature also records data to improve validity and reliability.

• Wednesday, 19 May – Peet’s Coffee launches Carbon Neutral Series subscription service. For every 2lbs (0.9kg) of coffee delivered, the company will sponsor the planting of three mangrove trees through a partnership with Enveritas. Consumers will then receive the exact coordinates of the trees, which they will be able to view via Google Maps.

• Wednesday, 19 May – New rules and regulations for 2021 World Latte Art, World Coffee in Good Spirits, and World Coffee Roasting Championships announced. The changes are mostly related to Covid-19 safety measures, including beverage evaluation and social distancing. Competition procedures have also been clarified – namely the language used to explain overtime penalties.

• Wednesday, 19 May – Planetary Design adds Trestle adapter for AeroPress to BruTrek range. Compatible with both the AeroPress and AeroPress Go, the new product allows consumers to brew K-Cup coffee capsules while on the go.

• Wednesday, 19 May – Stone Street Coffee releases Cold Brew Caffeine Boost range. The dark roast Mexican and Colombian beans are especially selected to be steeped for cold brew. Flavours from the New York roasters new range include Caffeine Boost and Caffeine Boost Mocha.

• Wednesday, 19 May – Solidaridad releases annual 2020 report. The company assisted more than 7,500 East African coffee farmers by establishing some 300 “Village Savings and Loan Associations”. It also supported South American cocoa producers to adopt a number of low-carbon farming technique, which subsequently saw them increase yields by 35% and income by 51%.

• Wednesday, 19 May – Emirati Coffee to expand into Saudi Arabia. The first outlet will open in Al Khobar in July 2021, under the brand Knowhere. Another outlet in Riyadh is set to open in 2022.

• Wednesday, 19 May – NCA and SCA’s 2021 NCDT Specialty Coffee Breakout Report released. The first joint study by the two organisations explores how specialty coffee consumption has changed in the US during the pandemic. The report also found specialty consumers will play a key role in recovering the OOH coffee sector once Covid-19 restrictions loosen – 40% of them are less satisfied with the coffee they prepare at home.

• Wednesday, 19 May – AirXcoffee creates “world-first” coffee biocomposite with aim of reducing single-use plastic production. The Vietnamese company uses coffee grounds to manufacture items commonly made from plastics, such as tableware and cups. The products have been awarded a three-star OK Bio-based certification from TÜV AUSTRIA.

• Wednesday, 19 May – FNC continues to call for “peace-building solutions” to prevent further coffee export blockades. The association has reported that at least 1,200 containers have been unable to reach a port due to the ongoing protests – preventing the export of approximately half a million bags of coffee.

• Thursday, 20 May – Partnership for Gender Equity to host Connecting the Value Chain to Advance Gender Equity webinar. Following the webinar on gender equity in the DRC coffee sector, the non-profit will speak with global farmer organiser representatives who are working towards gender equity. The online event will take place on May 26 at 08:00 PT.

• Thursday, 20 May – Caravela Coffee hosts educational workshops for coffee farmers in Peru. Topics included crop quality, cupping, and post-harvest techniques. Over 200 farmers attended the classes from 13 different communities.

• Thursday, 20 May – International Café and Beverage Show 2021 to take place November 25 to 27. Taking place in Kuala Lumpur, the event will include an extensive exhibition and trade show programme. The Malaysia Barista Championship, Malaysia Brewers Cup, and Malaysia Latte Art Championship will also be held at the event.

• Thursday, 20 May – Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee finds coffee consumption improved mental health and wellbeing during pandemic. Around 44% of people surveyed claimed taking time out to enjoy a cup of coffee improved their mood, with 28% stating that drinking coffee motivated them to exercise more.

• Thursday, 20 May – New EU VAT regulations may cost non-EU businesses as much as £180 million. VAT exemptions for SME non-EU businesses for shipments not exceeding €22 have been revoked – potentially affecting small to medium roasters around the world.

• Thursday, 20 May – Nestlé begins construction of US $220 million factory in Indonesia. The facility will increase production capacity for Milo and Nescafé RTD beverages. Construction is expected to be complete by 2023.

• Friday, 21 May – teapigs launches new kombucha range. The UK tea company uses Mao Feng green tea and Rwandan black tea for its new fermented beverages. Flavours available are “original”, “ginger + lemongrass”, and “peach + mango”.

• Friday, 21 May – British Coffee Association appoints Catriona Balfour as new Communications and Public Affairs Manager. Balfour previously worked for BBC Scotland across both radio and television. Communications and Public Affairs is a newly created role for the BCA, who are looking to be more proactive in speaking on sustainability issues.

• Friday, 21 May – Probat will increase net sales prices from July 1 by 4.5%. The rise in prices is driven by increases in the costs of steel, sheet metal, and other components.

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

• Thursday, 22 Apr – Nespresso USA sued by K-fee System over alleged patent infringement. K-fee System is owned by German instant beverage company Kruger GmbH. They claimed the inclusion of barcodes on Nespresso’s Vertuo capsules is a misuse of three of their patents. Nespresso responded with a statement describing the claims as “completely unfounded.”

• Monday, 10 May – Café Virtuoso partners with Clear Blue Sea for reusable cup initiative. The San Diego roaster and non-profit collaborated on the project, creating a glass container with a metal lid and recycled insulating sleeve. The sleeve is produced from 100% recycled plastic bottles found on coastlines. Customers pay a one-time fee of US $1.25 to take part in the scheme.

• Thursday, 13 May – Second Latin American Latte Art Battle to take place May 29 & 30. Sixteen baristas will represent Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile – hoping to win a top prize of US $1,000. The competition will be broadcast live on YouTube from 18:00 CLT each day.

• Friday, 14 May – Royal Coffee releases Practical Guide to Coffee Blending ebook. The ebook can be downloaded from the company’s website. The book’s author, Chris Kornman, will also host a webinar entitled Grading Green Coffee for Visual Appearance & Physical Defects on June 17.

• Friday, 14 May – Rand Capital Coffee seeks to expand Starbucks across Africa. The company purchased the license to operate Starbucks stores in South Africa in 2019, and also has rights to open outlets in eight other African countries.

• Saturday, 15 May – ST. ALi to sell “Iced Coffee” products across Australia. The leading Melbourne specialty coffee roaster will begin stocking its Iced Coffee from May 25, including in 410 Woolworths stores. The RTD beverage will use ST. ALi’s Orthodox blend of Brazilian and Colombian coffees.

• Saturday, 15 May – Vinci Express Cold Brew makes cold brew in at least 5 minutes. The Circle Flow Brewing Technology uses room temperature water to extract cold brew in minutes. The user can select a range of brewing strengths, which alters the brew time from 5 to 25 minutes.