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

Mon, 25 Apr

• Dalla Corte debuts in US market. The US division of the Italian coffee equipment manufacturer debuted at the Specialty Expo in Boston. The Dalla Corte USA range includes the Mina, Evo2, and Zero Barista espresso machines, as well as grinders and other coffee equipment.

• Fairtrade International appoints new CEO. Sandra Uwera most recently served as CEO of COMESA Business Council, which supports businesses in eastern and southern Africa. Uwera has also led projects on sustainable solutions, advocacy, technical capacity-building, and improving market access and digital financial solutions for small and medium enterprises – including coffee businesses.

• Coffee publication New Ground launched. The publication is dedicated to bringing the coffee sector forward, and publishes four articles a week on coffee consumption trends, emerging technologies, barista culture, and more. New Ground articles feature insight from a range of industry leaders, including champion baristas, sensory scientists, and CEOs.

• National Labour Relations Board files for injunction over firing unionised Starbucks employees. The petition to the US federal court requests that Starbucks rehires three workers who claim they were fired because of involvement in unionisation efforts. Starbucks said it “wholly disagrees” with the allegations from the NLRB.

• UK roaster 200 Degrees gives away 200 free coffees for opening of new coffee shop. As part of its celebrations for the opening of the new Barnsley location, the first 200 customers to visit the store received a free coffee.

• Coca-Cola reports 27% increase in coffee category sales in 2022 first quarter. Sales growth is attributed to the expansion of Costa Coffee outlets across several markets. Coca-Cola acquired Costa Coffee in 2019.

Tue, 26 Apr

• PRF Colombia launches scholarship programme with Mayorga Coffee. PRF Diamond Sponsor Mayorga Coffee will provide scholarships for 500 smallholder farmers to travel to and attend the event in Medellín from 30 June to 1 July. Applications are open until 15 May.

• New specialty instant coffee company Coracle Coffee launches in US. Each serving of Coracle is packaged in a cellulose gum-based paper pouch, which dissolves in water. Each tin of Coracle Coffee contains six servings and is priced at US $20.

• El Salvador 2021 Cup of Excellence winner Ever Leonel Díaz Pérez passes away. Pérez also placed third in 2020, 13th in 2019, 4th in 2018, and 23rd in 2017. Pérez was a well respected figure in the Salvadorian coffee industry.

• Rancilio expands Specialty Line with Invicta espresso machine. The Invicta debuted at the Specialty Expo in early April and joins the RS1 in Rancilio’s Specialty Line. The new model includes the single-boiler Steady Brew heat exchange system which helps to maintain thermal stability.

• Nestlé and Starbucks launch plant-based Coffee Enhancers. The two new flavours – Caramel Macchiato and Hazelnut Latte – are the first plant-based options available in the range, which was launched in Canada.

• illycaffè launches new cold brewing system. The one-touch Cold Brew Blade dispenser system can prepare cold brew and nitro coffee. The new system is available in North America.

• Nespresso receives B Corp certification. To certify as a B Corp, businesses must score over 80 points in five categories, including Governance and Environment. Nespresso claims it achieved an average of 84 points across all 38 of its international markets.

Wed, 27 Apr

• Over 117 samples received for 2022 One of a Kind Guatemala Private Collection Auction. Over ten coffee varieties will be showcased at the auction, including Anacafé 14, Marsellesa, and Catisit, along with several experimental processing methods. Buyers can pre-order Sample Kits at a discounted price of US $190 until 1 June. The auction will take place on 28 July.

• Probat releases new electric P05 E roaster in the US. The new model debuted at the Specialty Expo in early April and has been available in Asia and Europe since 2021. The P05 E can accommodate batches between 1kg and 6kg and performs at a similar capacity as the gas-heated P05 III model.

• Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association generated over US $18.6 million in business deals at the Specialty Expo. The BSCA’s Brazil: The Coffee Nation project was present at the expo from 8 to 10 April. The project aims to promote Brazilian coffee in international markets.

• Yara announces 2022 first quarter net revenue up 88% on same period in 2021 amid market volatility. The company reported its 2022 first quarter revenue at US $5.9 billion, which it states reflects the higher natural gas prices as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

• ofi acquires Canadian roaster Club Coffee. The food and beverage ingredients company acquired the roaster for CA $150 million (around US $117 million). ofi states the acquisition will enable it to expand in the North American coffee market.

Thu, 28 Apr

• Keurig reports net sales increased over 6% in 2022 first quarter. The company stated retail dollar consumption of single-serve pods increased 3.6% on the same period in 2021, however, net sales of coffee systems declined by 4.3% following supply chain disruptions.

• Global coffee capsule market to reach over US $9.8 billion by 2032. According to Future Market Insights, across the South Asia coffee capsule markets, India is expected to grow the most.

• Full schedule and speaker lineup announced for 2022 Sensory Summit. Speakers will include Professor Christopher Hendon and Toddy Coffee Scientist Sara Yeager. The event will be held from 20 to 22 May.

• JDE Peet’s announces restructuring of Board of Directors. Following the decision of Gerhard Pleuhs to step down from the Board, Jeroen Katgert will stand in as a non-executive member of the Board. JDE Peet’s 2022 Annual General Meeting will be held on 11 May.

• Italian coffee school Espresso Academy opens location in Wenzhou, China. Founded in 2008, the Espresso Academy also operates schools in Italy, Thailand, Nepal, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Belgium, Mexico, and Bulgaria. The school teaches a number of barista skills courses.

• International Trade Centre hosts Market Review: a glimpse into the specialised coffee segment webinar. The virtual event explored topics touched on in the fourth edition of the ITC Coffee Guide and included several speakers from Algrano, the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide, Molpaco Trading, and The Chain Collaborative.

Fri, 29 Apr

• Knock launches new plastic-free hand grinder. The new customisable Aergrind includes 38mm titanium burrs and a magnetic-mounted handle. Knock is currently taking pre-orders for the new Aergrind grinder.

• Hamburg Coffee Festival 2022 to host German Cup Tasters Championship. The festival will take place from 30 April to 1 May.

• Results from BREEDCAFS project finds new hybrid arabica varieties up to 20% more productive. For 20 years, the project has developed resilient arabica varieties which are better suited to be grown in shade. Results show that the new hybrids can yield up to 20% more than other varieties and require up to 20% less pesticide use.

• Gruppo Cimbali becomes official partner of cycling competition Giro d’Italia. The three-year partnership will showcase several of Cimbali’s espresso machines at the cycling event, including the E61 and the new prosumer Faemina.

• Annual Grounds for Health auction to be held from 15 to 16 June 2022. The auction raises money for cervical cancer screening services in coffee-producing communities. Last year’s auction raised over US $22,500.

• Danish Coffee Festival 2022 takes place until 1 May. As well as trade exhibition, the 2022 Danish Cup Tasters, Barista Championships, and Brewers Cup will be held at the event.

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

• Wed, 20 Apr – COFE App one of the ten most downloaded delivery apps in Saudi Arabia. The app was first launched in the country in 2020 and was one of the country’s top ten most downloaded food and beverage delivery apps in 2021.

• Wed, 20 Apr – Project Café Europe 2022 publishes top coffee shop consumer trends. The report indicates that no added sugar, gluten free, and dairy free products were the top health-based coffee shop trends in 2021. Project Café Europe also found that 65% of European coffee industry leaders believe consumer interest in specialty coffee increased over the past 12 months.

• Wed, 20 Apr – Grand Havana reports 152% increase in 2021 revenue. The parent company of the Grand Havana Café, Grand Havana Coffee, and Grand Havana Food Service and Coffee Equipment Sales brands stated the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions in the US helped to boost revenue.

• Thu, 21 Apr – Researchers develop Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technology to verify coffee origins. Researchers from Universidad del Valle and Universidad del Atlantico in Colombia, along with Almacafé, analysed over 700 coffee samples from 27 countries. The researchers shared their database to provide a baseline for further applications of the NMR technology.

• Thu, 21 Apr – Tim Hortons to open first London location. The Canadian coffee chain is also aiming to double the number of UK locations by the end of 2023. Tim Hortons currently operates 51 outlets in the UK.

• Fri, 22 Apr – Costa Coffee to trial recyclable plant-based cup lids. The 100% fibre lids will be trialled across 150 stores by mid-2022. By 2023, Costa aims to roll out the lids across all UK stores.

• Fri, 22 Apr – Starbucks’ flagship Seattle roastery votes to unionise. The Seattle location is the 26th company-owned store to vote in favour of unionising, as well as being one of three roasteries in the country to unionise.

• Fri, 22 Apr – Oatly expands executive leadership team. As of 1 June 2022, senior consumer packaged goods industry executives Jean-Christophe Flatin and Daniel Ordonez will join the company. Flatin has over 30 years’ experience at Mars and will serve as Oatly’s Global President. Ordonez has some 30 years’ experience at Danone and Unilever and will join as COO.

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Photo credits: Medellin.Travel