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

• Mon, 6 Dec – CEPEA Index reaches highest levels since 1999. On 25 November, the index closed at R 1,466.92 cents (US 263.69 cents) – the highest level since 20 December 1999. Price increases are still attributed to shipping delays and logistical issues.

• Mon, 6 Dec – ofi forms strategic partnership with Nespresso in Peru and Colombia. ofi contributes to Nespresso’s AAA Sustainable Quality sourcing programmes in both countries.

• Mon, 6 Dec – London Coffee Festival to launch new online cupping course. The four-week “Home Coffee Training: Advanced Sensory” course will be led by three-time UK Cup Tasters champion Freda Yuan. The course will focus on theoretical and practical aspects of coffee cuppings. The 2022 London Coffee Festival will take place from 31 March to 2 April.

• Mon, 6 Dec – JAB Holdings acquires majority stake in Krispy Kreme. JAB now holds a 45% stake in the coffee and doughnut chain. Krispy Kreme’s recent IPO values the company at US $2.7 billion.

• Mon, 6 Dec – Voting closes for Coffee Roasters Guild leadership council. Co-founder of Bean & Bean Coffee Jiyoon Han, founder of Modern Standard Coffee Lynsey Harley, and Head of Roasting at the Gentlemen Baristas Roosa Jalonen are the nominees in the election.

• Mon, 6 Dec – Robusta futures reach record 10-year high. After the International Coffee Organisation’s (ICO) report stated world coffee exports decreased year-on-year by 4.4.% in October, robusta futures reached a record high of US $2,386/tonne. This level is the highest in over 10 years.

• Mon, 6 Dec – Turkey’s coffee exports increase by over 100% in five-year period. Throughout 2021, roasted coffee exports amounted to US $18.7 million. The main destinations are Saudi Arabia, Northern Cyprus, the Netherlands, Russia, and Iraq.

• Mon, 6 Dec – SCA and World Coffee Research release joint coffee sustainability and research survey. Through independent research company DIG Insights, information will be collected on incentives and barriers to sustainability and research investments in coffee. The survey will be open until 17 December.

• Mon, 6 Dec – SavingSpot releases report on US coffee shop prices. The savings and budgeting company found Seattle has the most expensive cup of coffee at US $3.92, while Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has the cheapest cup at US $1.18. The report also concluded that California has the most coffee shops, while South Dakota has the least.

• Tue, 7 Dec – Coffee brewer company Wilbur Curtis celebrates 80th anniversary. The Californian company launched in 1941, and was acquired by Groupe SEB in early 2019.

• Tue, 7 Dec – First-ever Digital Malaysia Coffee Week launches on ecommerce platform Shopee. From 1 to 12 December, over 40 brands will showcase a range of coffee products on the virtual platform, including Lavazza and De’Longhi. The Malaysian Specialty Coffee Association will also host the “Gift-with-Purchase” programme, where the first 1,000 customers to spend a minimum of MYR 12 (US $3) are eligible to receive a prize.

• Tue, 7 Dec – Pret A Manger to expand presence in Middle East. Through a partnership with Kuwait franchise group One PM Franchising, the coffee and food-to-go chain plans to double its number of Middle Eastern locations over the next five years.

• Tue, 7 Dec – Quality Espresso announced as new Mahlkönig distributor. Quality Espresso will distribute Mahlkönig grinders throughout Spain and Portugal. The company already distributes for several other coffee brands, including Gaggia.

• Tue, 7 Dec – Stumptown Coffee Roasters releases first sustainability report. The B Corp released its 2020 report, which includes updates on its programmes in coffee-growing communities. The majority of Stumptown’s 2020 direct trade relationships have been in place for between 5 and 10 years.

• Tue, 7 Dec – Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association presents candidate for ICO Executive Director role. Executive Director of the BSCA Vanusia Nogueira was put forth as a candidate for the ICO role. Nogueira is also a board member of both the Rainforest Alliance and Alliance for Coffee Excellence.

• Tue, 7 Dec – Danish company Joe & The Juice expands presence in US market. The juice and coffee bar opened a new location in Chicago’s Willis Tower. This is the brand’s fifth store in Chicago and the 62nd location in the US.

• Tue, 7 Dec – The Centre launches new microbial fermentation course. Sucafina’s online learning platform will host a new class discussing how microbial fermentation affects coffee flavour. The course includes five live sessions with Coffee Quality Institute instructor Tim Heinze.

• Wed, 8 Dec – The 4th International Geographical Indications and Collective Brands event will be held virtually. The Brazilian event will be held online from 8 to 9 December, and will feature the official launch of the Brazilian Seals of Geographical Indications – including for coffee.

• Wed, 8 Dec – Lavazza becomes official coffee partner for Arsenal women’s football team. Lavazza will be the exclusive coffee provider at the London Emirates Stadium in a new multi-year partnership.

• Wed, 8 Dec – Fairtrade Fortnight 2022 to run from 21 February to 6 March. Fairtrade UK will host the annual initiative to showcase insights from global food producers, including coffee farmers. The online “Choose the World you Want” Festival will also coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight, co-ordinating a series of national fundraising events.

• Wed, 8 Dec – The Barista League announces 2022 locations. Competitions will be held in nine cities over three continents, including Hamburg, Toronto, Budapest, and Mexico City. Competitions will be held from February to November.

• Wed, 8 Dec – Global Coffee Platform to promote occupational health and safety (OHS) in Vietnamese coffee supply chain. Through a partnership with the International Labour Organisation Country Office in Vietnam, GCP will disseminate best OHS practices for Vietnamese coffee farmers.

• Wed, 8 Dec – Canadian food and beverage retailer Aegis Brands secures CA $28 million (US $22 million) credit line. The company will use the funds to finance acquisitions of more Canadian food and beverage brands. Aegis Brands acquired Canadian coffee chain Second Cup in April 2021 for CAD $14 million (US $11 million).

• Thu, 9 Dec – United Nations Development Programme opens new coffee processing facility in Timor-Leste. The Lakufoan Coffee Cooperative now includes a coffee nursery and drying facility. Some 82 local coffee farmers attended the opening of the renovated facility.

• Thu, 9 Dec – First ever Starbucks union forms in Buffalo, New York. The National Labour Board reported that workers voted 19-8 in favour of the union, with votes from two other Buffalo locations still waiting to be counted. Three other Buffalo stores and a location in Arizona have also filed petitions for union elections.

• Thu, 9 Dec – Deadstock Coffee collaborates with Adidas on coffee trainers. The Portland roaster’s online Deadstock Coffee x Adidas ZX stock sold out within minutes of launch. The shoe includes burlap bag stitching and design elements resembling coffee origin labels.

• Thu, 9 Dec – Hemro Group reports 50% 2021 sales growth. The Mahlkönig, Ditting, Anfim, and Hey Café grinder manufacturers claim demand has increased across all four brands. Hemro Group is expanding capacity in Germany, Italy, and China to cope with rising demand.

• Thu, 9 Dec – Registration opens for 2022 SCA Sensory Summit. The event will be held from 4 to 6 February at UC Davis in California. Discounts apply for SCA members.

• Fri, 10 Dec – Online bidding closes for 7th annual Bolivian Taza Presidencial auction. Twenty-one coffees are included in the auction, each scoring over 86 points. The highest scoring coffee was a washed Red Catuai, which received 91.45 points.

• Fri, 10 Dec – Sanremo rolls out dual-hopper X-One grinder. The commercial grinder debuted at HostMilano in October, and includes vertically-aligned 98mm burrs. Sanremo claims shipping will begin in mid-to-late 2022.

• Fri, 10 Dec – World Coffee Portal survey finds oat is UK’s most purchased plant-based milk. Over 50,000 UK consumers were surveyed on their dairy alternative selections in coffee shops. Some 16% of people claimed to have tried oat milk in the past 12 months – compared to 12% of those who tried coconut or almond.

• Fri, 10 Dec – World Coffee Events updates rules and regulations for 2022. Minor formatting and clarification updates have been provided for the 2022 World Latte Art, World Coffee in Good Spirits, World Cup Tasters, and World Coffee Roasting Championships.

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

• Wed, 1 Dec – Nescafé manufactures table from used coffee grounds. The table was created using 37lbs (17kg) of Nescafé coffee grounds and sustainably-sourced soy resin.

• Wed, 1 Dec – Ember receives US $23.45 million in Series E funding round. Funds will be used to establish a research and development centre and headquarters in Singapore, as well as further international expansion. Ember aims to double the size of its workforce in 2022.

• Wed, 1 Dec – Specialty coffee ecommerce platform Social Brew to partner with two non-profits. The company will donate half of its profits to Beautiful Feet Wellness and Ho’olanapua – both of which provide support and rehabilitation services to victims of human trafficking.

• Thu, 2 Dec – Singapore chain Flash Coffee enters South Korean market. Two new locations opened in the capital of Seoul, including a flagship two-storey café. Flash Coffee aims to open 300 locations by the end of 2021.

• Thu, 2 Dec – India’s Jumboor Estate wins 6th Annual Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award. The coffee farm was voted “Best of the Best” by a panel of international culinary and coffee experts. This is the first time that India has won the award, which was presented virtually. Proyecto Lift Olopita in Guatemala won the “Coffee Lovers’ Choice” award.

• Thu, 2 Dec – FNC raises concerns over Covid-19 lockdowns and coffee exports. The organisation stated the Omicron variant could delay exports from Colombia. The country already experienced shipping difficulties following protests and civil unrest earlier in the year.

• Fri, 3 Dec – Starbucks Brazil opens eight new stores in Minas Gerais. Through its licensed operator in Brazil, SouthRock, eight new locations opened in the state, including at Belo Horizonte International Airport. The stores will sell the Starbucks Brasil Blend – which comprises coffees from Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Bahia.

• Fri, 3 Dec – Bad Ass Coffee announces franchise locations in 4 US states. New locations are set to open in Arizona, Nevada, Florida, and Alabama. An additional six stores will also open in Hawaii.

• Fri, 3 Dec – SCA launches content development survey. Feedback will be used to improve the SCA’s 2022 content programming. The survey closed on 17 December and is available in English and Korean.

• Sat, 4 Dec – Higher Grounds launches 3D virtual tour of its coffee shop and roastery. The immersive digital tour allows users to explore the Michigan roaster’s facilities and brewing techniques. The tour includes a scavenger hunt for a hidden prize.

• Sat, 4 Dec – Heavy rainfall causes decline in India’s 2021/22 coffee production. The Karnataka Planters’ Association estimates monsoons have damaged as many as 30% of arabica and 20% of robusta plants. The association claims rainfall has caused cherries to split open or prematurely fall from trees.

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Photo credits: @paulo.hert