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

Mon, 18 Jul

• PRF Colombia publishes all speaker sessions and panels on YouTube. PRF Colombia took place in Medellín from 30 June to 1 July, and included 46 panel discussions and lectures. All presentations are available to watch on the platform.

• Sensory Summit announces speaker line up for European event. Speakers at the coffee sensory science event will include founder of the Coffee Excellence Centre, Professor Chahan Yeretzian, and three-time Swiss Barista Champion and co-founder of MAME Coffee, Mathieu Theis. The Sensory Summit will be held at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) from 5 to 6 September 2022.

• Starbucks reportedly exploring sale of UK business. The coffee chain says it is “not in a formal sale process for its UK business”, but the Times newspaper claims Starbucks is working with New York financial advisers Houlihan Lokeyheld to explore potential options for the UK branch of the company.

• National Coffee Association publishes Cold Brew Safety Guide for US coffee businesses. Contributors include NCA’s Director of Science & Policy Mark Corey and members of its Science Leadership Council. The guide is exclusively available to NCA members.

• International Women’s Coffee Alliance welcomes Kenyan chapter. The new East African chapter includes 40 members and will focus on improving market access, logistics, facilitating industry networking and knowledge sharing, and securing access to financing for smallholder farmers.

• Shakir Moin appointed as interim Costa Coffee CEO. Following on from Jill McDonald’s departure as CEO, the coffee chain’s current COO, Shakir Moin, will temporarily hold the position until a permanent replacement is found.

• Colombian coffee production falls 10% in June 2022. The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) says 951,000 60kg bags were produced in June this year, compared to 1.1 million bags in June 2021. However, overall coffee exports grew 6% in June 2022 compared to the same month in the previous year.

Tue, 19 Jul

• Volcafe joins the Cool Farm Alliance to reduce carbon emissions in its supply chain. The Swiss coffee trader joined the alliance as part of its new sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental impact in 15 origin countries. The CFA created the online Cool Farm Tool to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, waste water levels, and biodiversity management practices on coffee farms.

• Dutch football club extends sponsorship contract with Lavazza. The company has been the official coffee supplier for AFC Ajax Amsterdam since 2017. Lavazza will continue its sponsorship until the end of the 2026/27 season.

• Seoul’s Incheon International Airport trials coffee delivery robot service. Six Air Dilly robots, which were developed by LG Electronics, will be trialed at South Korea’s largest airport this summer. Companies involved in the trial run include Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, and Paris Baguette.

• Top-scoring coffee wins highest bid of US $138.20/lb at 2022 Cup of Excellence Guatemala. The Espresso Lab purchased 224.1lbs of the washed Gesha from El Morito – totalling more than US $30,970. The auction averaged US $31.59/lb and received a total of more than US $581,851.

• Brazil’s arabica prices highest since 1997/98 crop year. Arabica prices reached BRL 1,325.65 (around US $241.07) per 60kg bag for the 2021/22 season – representing more than a 65% price increase per bag compared to the previous crop season.

• Keurig Dr Pepper announces changes to executive team ahead of CEO transition. Current President, Cold Beverages Derek Hopkins will leave the company (which manufactures coffee K Cups) at the end of 2022. Keurig will separate Hopkins’ current role into two positions: President, Commercial and President, Cold Beverages.

• Barista Hustle publishes new research on agitation technique for zero-bypass brewing. The “Wet Weiss Distribution” method is similar to the Weiss Distribution Technique, but can be applied to wet coffee grounds instead of espresso pucks. Barista Hustle’s research found Wet Weiss Distribution can increase extraction yield and improve coffee flavour.

Wed, 20 Jul

• Coffee futures reach nine-month high. Future arabica contracts for September closed at 215.20 US cents/lb earlier this month, while robusta prices rose by 3.6% to US $1,992/tonne. Price increases are attributed to the US dollar appreciation against the Brazilian real.

• Starbucks At Home launches instant coffee product line in Vietnam. The new soluble coffee products include flavours such as Caramel Latte and Caffè Mocha, and are available from select retailers in the country.

• Portfolio company Smart Care acquires coffee equipment service firm Espresso Partners. Smart Care operates commercial equipment services across the US. Since 2017, the company has acquired 20 brands.

• Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Qima Coffee host webinar on peacebuilding in the Yemen coffee industry. Coffee as a catalyst for Peace and Prosperity in Yemen: A Case Study in Central Yemen explored how coffee production can prevent conflict in the country.

• Submissions open for 2022 World AeroPress Championship Official Roasting Partner. For the first time in the history of the competition, Canadian coffee roasters can apply to become the official supplier for the 2022 WAC, which will be held in Vancouver BC, Canada from 1 to 3 December. Applications close on 17 August and successful applicants will be announced the following Friday.

• New research shows most popular coffee chains across the world. BusinessFinancing analysed global monthly search volume data on Google to find the most popular coffee shop chains in the world. Starbucks is the most searched coffee chain in 142 countries, while Pret A Manger ranks second in five countries.

• International Trade Centre partners with European Union on trade and investment project in Nepalese coffee industry. The EU-funded project aims to support sustainable economic growth in the country, with a large focus on connecting Nepalese coffee farmers to international markets.

Thu, 21 Jul

• Café Show Vietnam 2022 takes place in Ho Chi Minh City. The three-day event includes the 2022 Vietnam Latte Art and Barista Championships, as well as an extensive trade show.

• Coffee Fest Los Angeles to take place from 28 to 30 August 2022. The event will include a tradeshow, and a number of workshops and seminars, including “How to Craft Seasonal Drinks” and “The Future of Responsibly Sourced Coffee”.

• Chinese operator of % Arabica Japanese coffee chain seeks valuation of around US $1.2 billion. The company is also looking to open a new funding round, with the hopes of raising some US $300 million for expansion.

• Verve Coffee unveils new line of RTD flash brew oat milk lattes. The new canned coffee products are available in Original, Chocolate, and Honey Lavender flavours, and are available in-store and online.

• World Coffee Producers Forum speakers voice concern over impact of new EU deforestation regulations on global supply chain. The virtual forum was held on 12 July. Speaking at the event, the Secretary General of the European Coffee Federation stated there is a “disconnect” between the requirements of the new bill and the reality for coffee producers.

Fri, 22 Jul

• Bulgarian start-up Cupffee partners with Bühler Group to expand edible cup production. The company aims to double production of its edible wafer coffee cups to six million units per month. The oat bran and wheat flour-based cups can retain their texture for up to 40 minutes once they come into contact with liquid.

• Coffee Roasters Guild announces recipients of 2022 Diedrich Roasters Scholarships for CRG Retreat. Recipients include Kris Carlson of Mighty Peace Coffee, Chloe Caruso-Sosa of FoJo Beans LLC, and Elena Mahmood of Mission Coffee. The CGR Retreat will take place in Wisconsin, US in August.

• South African coffee shop brand Tashas to open first London location by end of 2022. The chain plans to open between a total of 50 and 70 outlets within ten years, including more locations in South Africa and the UAE.

• Ukrainian start-up to develop single-use cup made from used coffee grounds. Rekava’s disposable plant-based cups and lids can break down within 30 minutes of being submerged or filled with hot water (or two hours with cold water). The cups are currently being trialed in several Ukrainian coffee shops.

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

• Mon, 11 Jul – NewGround publishes research on increasing energy costs for coffee shops. Research conducted by Italian coffee machine manufacturer Carimali estimates energy costs contributed to between 10% and 15% of a coffee shop’s overheads in 2021, whereas this figure increased to 20% for some coffee shops in 2022.

• Tue, 12 Jul – World Coffee Research and Malawi Department of Agricultural Research Services publishes results of first Mzuzu harvest and cupping. The International Multilocation Variety Trial (IMLVT) at Lunyangwa Agriculture Research Station (LARS) in Mzuzu was first established in 2017. The highest-scoring varieties in the cupping included IPR 103, Pacamara, Catimor 129, Oro Azteca, and 15066.

• Wed, 13 Jul – Starbucks to close 16 locations in the US. The company is closing six stores in its hometown of Seattle, as well as locations in Los Angeles, Portland, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Starbucks claims the closures are attributed to staff safety measures.

• Thu, 14 Jul – Krispy Kreme UK appoints Jamie Dunning as new President and Managing Director for UK and Ireland. Dunning has previously served as Managing Director of multinational confectionary and food product manufacturer Mars Retail Group. The coffee and doughnut chain says Dunning will focus on growth strategies for delivery and drive-thru outlets.

• Thu, 14 Jul – NCA requests federal funding for coffee research and development. In two letters sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the NCA requested US $500 million in fiscal year 2023 for the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, US $240 million for international agricultural R&D, and encouragement of coffee-focused agricultural research in the fiscal year 2023 US budget.

• Fri, 15 Jul – Coffee Roasters Guild launches second part of its Sustainability Toolkit. The toolkit was created to enable roasters and other coffee professionals to assess their own sustainability efforts. Part two of the toolkit focuses on labour and human rights in the coffee industry.

• Fri, 15 Jul – Brazil’s robusta production predicted to reach all-time high in 2022/23. The USDA predicts Brazil’s production will increase 5%, while Vietnam’s robusta production volumes are expected to decrease during the same period.

• Fri, 15 Jul – Restauranteur set to become co-owner of Starbucks Russia’s coffee shops. Anton Pinskiy will partner with Sindika holding company and Russian music artist Timati to take ownership of Starbucks Russia (which will be rebranded upon completion of the sale). The coffee chain closed all of its 130 stores in late May 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.

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