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

• Mon, 22 Nov – Nestlé Professional hosts final episode of coffee webinar series. “Building your coffee menu” will focus on topics such as developing core espresso drinks, using plant-based milks, and coffee sustainability. The final webinar will be held on 7 December at 10:00 CET. Participants who attend all three Nestlé Professional webinars will receive a Certified Coffee Passionate digital badge and certificate.

• Mon, 22 Nov – Mazzer releases two new grinders and automatic tamper. The updated Mazzer ZM+ now includes a portafilter holder for grinding for espresso. The Super Jolly V Up has both a touchscreen and an in-built static and clump reducer. The new T-Tamper can apply between 10kg and 35kg of force for espresso tamping.

• Mon, 22 Nov – Coffee production down in Colombia, Indonesia, and India, according to USDA report. Colombia’s 2021/22 production is down to 13.8 million bags due to heavy rain; Indonesia’s production is down to 10.58 million bags, also as a result of bad weather. Lower arabica yields in India are predicted to be off-set by increases in robusta production, totalling 5.53 million bags. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s production is set to rise to 31.1 million bags, largely thanks to favourable weather conditions.

• Mon, 22 Nov – CoE Brazil 2021 results released. Vitor Marcelo De Queiroz Barbosa received 90.5 points for his natural Catuai Amarelo from Fazenda Cachoeira, Cerrado Mineiro. All coffees scored over 87 points, with two receiving more than 90 points. The CoE auction will be held on 20 December.

• Mon, 22 Nov – Brazil’s domestic coffee prices hit all-time high. Since 29 October, arabica prices have increased by 5.24%, reaching R$ 1,322.11 cents/lb (US 240.73 cents) on 16 November. This is the highest increase since the CEPEA Index was established in 1996.

• Mon, 22 Nov – Sir Chris Hoy set to become Artisan Coffee Co bran ambassador. The former Olympic track cyclist will support the company’s launch of an exclusive blend and limited edition advent calendar.

• Mon, 22 Nov – ofi appoints three new board members. The global food, spice, and coffee trader appointed Belinda Richards, Brian May, and Penny Hughes to serve as the chairs of several committees.

• Mon, 22 Nov – Cristina Scocchia appointed new illycaffè chief executive. Scocchia will take over the role from Massimiliano Pogliani in early 2022. illycaffè is preparing for a potential IPO early next year.

• Mon, 22 Nov – farmer connect and UCC Coffee partnership wins two awards at Supply Chain Excellence Awards. The two companies won both the “Kinaxia Logistics Award for Food and Drink Supply Chain Excellence” and the “Geek+ Team of the Year Award”. farmer connect and UCC received the awards for their Orang Utan Coffee project. The project uses QR codes and blockchain technology to improve supply chain transparency in Indonesia.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Sigep 2022 to be held in-person in January. The global food and beverage trade show, which includes coffee, will take place from 22 to 26 January in Rimini, Italy.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Pret A Manger to refurbish US locations. The coffee and food-to-go chain unveiled its new in-store branding at a location in New York. The company plans to roll-out further refurbishments across selected stores in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

• Tue, 23 Nov – DMCC Coffee Centre forms strategic partnership with coffee and equipment manufacturer Boncafé Middle East. The agreement will allow DMCC to scale its locally roasted coffee products. DMCC will also produce a range of products exclusively for Boncafé for distribution across the Middle East.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Arabica futures continue at ten-year high. Contracts for March deliveries increased 4% to US 242.05 cents/lb – the highest levels since November 2011.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Non-alcoholic spirit manufacturer Lyre’s releases coffee liqueur. The alcohol-free Coffee Originale includes cold brew concentrate, with notes of caramel, nuts, and vanilla. Lyre’s also offers non-alcoholic Espresso Martini and Salted Caramel Espresso Martini sets.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Ally Coffee releases latest online learning course. The self-paced Comprehensive Coffee Sample Roasting Course is led by roasting consultant and 2017 US Roaster Champion Mark Michaelson. The course also includes a companion workbook that covers the purpose and process of sample roasting.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Statista research estimates UAE coffee and tea shop industry to reach US $705 million by 2022. Total 2018 sales were reported at US $584.5 million. There are an estimated 850 coffee and tea shops in the UAE.

• Tue, 23 Nov – Global RTD coffee and tea market to grow 7.5% by 2026. In 2020, the market had an estimated worth of US $114 billion. Growth is mainly attributed to increasing consumer demand for convenience.

• Wed, 24 Nov – New study finds coffee consumption can decrease risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Australia’s Edith Cowan University studied more than 200 participants for over a decade. The results found drinking larger volumes of coffee improved cognitive function. This lowered the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, which often precedes Alzheimer’s disease.

• Wed, 24 Nov – Masterpieces by Daterra 2021 auction postponed to 7 December. The Brazilian farm pushed back the auction by a week to allow more time for evaluation, after shipping delays affected coffee samples. The auction will be held at 14:00 GMT.

• Wed, 24 Nov – Global Coffee Platform holds second “Sustainable Coffee Dialogue” webinar. “Low Carbon Coffee Production: Reducing Emissions and Enhancing Carbon Storage on Coffee Farms through Regenerative Practices” was hosted in partnership with USAID Green Invest Asia. The webinar focused on regenerative practices in the coffee industry, such as carbon sequestration, and included speakers from CIRAD, ofi, and Louis Dreyfus Company.

• Wed, 24 Nov – NYC restauranteur Tommy Tardie launches whiskey barrel-aged coffee. The Morning Dram brand is co-created by the owner of Fine & Rare + Flatiron Room. Products include Apera Sherry, Rye, and Bourbon barrel-aged coffees. The Morning Dram Starter Kit is also available, including three bags of coffee, a metal brewer, a camp mug, and a hand grinder.

• Wed, 24 Nov – SCA chapter elections results announced. New Chapter Committees have been formed for Portugal, Russia, UK, Germany, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.

• Wed, 24 Nov – Juan Valdez enters Dutch market. The Colombian coffee brand will now be available in over 400 locations of the Jumbo supermarket chain throughout the Netherlands.

• Thu, 25 Nov – Sri Lanka forms first national coffee association. The “Lanka Coffee Association” will work to develop and promote Sri Lankan coffee on the global market, focusing on specialty production and the “Ceylon Coffee” brand. The association will also work to strengthen supply chain connections within the country.

• Thu, 25 Nov – Mayorga Organics launches compostable coffee capsules. The Mayan Blend and Café Cubano Roast single-serve pods use plant-based materials for the packaging, including coffee chaff. Subscription services are available for the capsules.

• Thu, 25 Nov – Third Wave Coffee brand opens flagship store in Delhi. The company focuses exclusively on Indian arabica coffees. The brand operates 21 locations across the country.

• Thu, 25 Nov – Julius Meinl publishes second sustainability report. The Austrian roaster updated its guidelines for sourcing more sustainable coffee by 2022, and will produce 100% of its capsules with home compostable materials by 2022.

• Thu, 25 Nov – Dunkin’ drives sales growth for J.M. Smucker. The company revealed 2021 Q2 net sales of the Dunkin’ and Café Bustelo brands increased by US $50.4 million to US $645.1 million. Financial results were exclusive to sales of coffee products in supermarkets, as opposed to café locations.

• Thu, 25 Nov – Protests in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa amid ongoing civil war. There are no reports of disruptions to coffee exports, but concerns are rising over possible sanctions from the Ethiopian government – potentially leading to farmers defaulting on contracts.

• Fri, 26 Nov – Colectivo Coffee partners with US basketball team Milwaukee Bucks on exclusive coffee blend. The “Bucks in 6” blend includes limited edition packaging and will be available until 30 November. For every bag sold, Colectivo will donate US $1 to The Bucks Foundation to support marginalised communities in the state of Wisconsin.

• Fri, 26 Nov – Research company studies formation of coffee mug rings to increase display panel resolution. The POSTECH team from South Korea studied the liquid suspension of spilled coffee to develop new methods for arranging quantum dots (nano-sized crystals used in digital displays). When studying coffee ring formation patterns, researchers were able to increase the uniformity and brightness of quantum dots in panel displays by using a similar formation pattern.

• Fri, 26 Nov – Tata Starbucks reports 120% revenue growth in 2022 half-year performance. The company stated beverage delivery accounted for 18% of 2021 sales. The joint venture between Starbucks and India’s Tata Consumer Products will focus on drive-thru store expansion as part of its strategic development.

• Fri, 26 Nov – Peet’s Coffee partners with gift experience platform for customisable coffee products. Through GiftNow, customers can select blend components and grind type before their coffee is roasted.

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

• Thu, 11 Nov – Italian Supreme Court rules coffee breaks are not a workplace right. The ruling stems from a 2009 case where the defendant attempted to claim work-related sick pay related to an injury on a coffee break, but was refused by her insurance company. The court ruled that a coffee break “is not a necessity linked to work, but a free choice”, leading to the defendant paying €5,300 (US $5,960) in legal costs.

• Wed, 17 Nov – Nestlé aims to almost double ecommerce sales by 2025. Nestlé – parent company of Nespresso – will increase its digital marketing investment to boost ecommerce sales from 13% to 25%.

• Thu, 18 Nov – UK supermarket Marks & Spencer to become new Costa Coffee food supplier. M&S will provide more than 30 different sandwich and hot food items to over 2,500 Costa stores in the UK. The partnership will focus on high street, drive-thru, and neighbourhood locations.

• Thu, 18 Nov – Winner of 2021 Coffee of the Year Awards announced at Brazil International Coffee Week. The expo took place from 10 to 12 November.
  • Elmiro Alves do Nascimento from Fazenda Santiago, Minas Gerais scored 90.83 points in the Arabica category.
  • Sandra Lelis da Silva from Sítio Caminho da Serra, Matas de Minas scored 89.1 points in the Fermented Arabica category.
  • Three-time champion Luiz Cláudio de Souza from Sítio Grãos de Ouro, Espírito Santo scored 86.06 points in the Canephora category.
  • Poliana Perrut de Lima from Chácara Paraná, Matas de Rondônia scored 84.63 points in the Fermented Canephora category.

• Thu, 18 Nov – First Starbucks Pickup location opens with cashless Amazon Go technology. The Manhattan café includes Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology – which uses scales, cameras, and self-sensors to charge customers for their orders. Starbucks and Amazon plan to open at least two more locations over the next 12 months.

• Fri, 19 Nov – Yara launches self-propelling electric container ship. The agricultural product and fertiliser company claims the Yara Birkeland will reduce its annual carbon emissions by up to 1,000 tonnes. The ship will be in commercial operation by 2022.

• Fri, 19 Nov – Brazilian farm Ipanema Coffees partners with direct trader Agora Coffee Merchants. Agora will promote and distribute coffees produced by Ipanema, and will exclusively manage its sales and marketing in North America. Ipanema annually produces some 120,000 bags and exports to over 28 countries.

• Fri, 19 Nov – Rising Ethiopian coffee exports boost country’s revenue by 94%. The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority stated Germany imports the most Ethiopian coffee – resulting in US $90.85 million alone during the last four months. Coffee exports are still running as normal in the country, despite the continuing civil war.

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Photo credits: Nicole Motteux