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Coffee News Recap, 9 Aug: US Coffee Champs announces regional updates, Hartree Partners to acquire Volcafe & other stories

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wpadmin

On August 10, 2024

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Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week.

Editor’s note

This week, companies have launched a string of innovative products. The Oracle Jet is Breville’s latest model in its bean-to-cup range, Timemore’s and Meraki’s collaboration is sure to make waves in the home espresso machine market, and the K-Brew+Chill brewer will offer Keurig’s coldest coffee drinks yet.

Looking beyond new coffee machines, convenience has been a common theme this week. The politically controversial Black Rifle Coffee Company and NBA superstar Jimmy Butler’s BIGFACE brand both debuted new RTD drinks to appeal to consumers who seek quality as well as speed.

US company Diamond Brew also unveiled its “brewless” coffee pods, which require no equipment or even skills to prepare. The company’s product draws many comparisons with Cometeer’s flash frozen capsules, which raised over US $100 million in funding in 2021 after capturing the attention of specialty coffee.

Whether Diamond Brew will achieve the same level of success remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, however – convenience is still one of the biggest drivers of growth in the coffee industry. If coffee brands don’t keep up with this, they could well end up getting left behind while their competitors grow and scale around them.

Coffee News Recap, 9 Aug: US Coffee Champs announces regional updates, Hartree Partners to acquire Volcafe & other stories

Industry news

Mon 5 Aug – Blank Street continues UK expansion. The chain opened its third Manchester store in the Trafford Centre. Since its UK debut in 2022, the Blank Street has gained popularity with its signature drinks offering. (Manchester, UK)

Fri 9 Aug – Bacha Coffee opens first outlet in Seoul. The Moroccan-inspired boutique coffee brand signed an exclusive franchisee and distribution rights deal with Lotte Department Store in January 2024, with plans to open two new Korean locations in the next six months. Menu items include a rare Brazilian Paraiso Gold coffee priced at ₩480,000 (US $351) per 350ml serving. (Singapore)

New launch

Mon 5 Aug – Breville adds Oracle Jet to award-winning bean-to-cup line. The new machine features an integrated Baratza burr grinder, Auto MilQ milk foaming technology, and a 5-inch touch screen with ten presets, including for cold brew and cold extracted espresso. (Torrance, California, US)

Tue 6 Aug – TOUTON launches PACT Standard coffee sourcing platform. With over 120 built-in verification points, the PACT framework aligns with multiple certification criteria and is compliant with European and international regulatory standards. The system is also recognised by the Global Coffee Platform as equivalent to the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code. (Bordeaux, France)

Wed 7 Aug – Timemore and Meraki collaborate on new home espresso machine. The Meraki dual boiler machine includes an integrated Timemore commercial-grade conical burr grinder and smart CoffeeSense technology to optimise extraction. The Kickstarter campaign has so far raised over £764,750 (US $976,077). (Hong Kong)

Wed 7 Aug – Nespresso releases new coffee honey products in the US. Nespresso Bloom is the brand’s first range of honey products, which are harvested from the same coffee plants used for Nespresso Master Origins Colombia capsules. New products include the Coffee Blossom Honey and Coffee Blossom Honey Syrup, which is infused with Nespresso coffee. (New York City, New York, US)

Thu 8 Aug – Vivreau launches new water filters for US hospitality businesses. The company’s three new water filters are designed specifically for North American water conditions with the needs of cafés, bakeries, catering, and vending operators in mind to provide water quality and hardness solutions. (Rockaway, New Jersey, US)

Milestone

Wed 7 Aug – CODOS Coffee celebrates tenth anniversary. Over the past decade, the German company opened six coffee shops, a roastery, and an organic bakery. CODOS will host small events to celebrate the milestone in its Hamburg, Berlin, and Hildesheim cafés from 12 to 18 August. (Hamburg, Germany)

Wed 7 Aug – UK’s Change Please becomes certified B Corp. Founded in 2015, Change Please is an award-winning social enterprise which aims to end homelessness through training and creating job opportunities in the coffee industry. (London, UK)

Thu 8 Aug – Neumann Kaffee Gruppe opens its first office in China. The new NKG Shanghai facility includes a cupping lab and warehouse, and marks a significant milestone in NKG Group’s expansion efforts to serve the rapidly growing Chinese coffee market. (Shanghai, China)

Thu 8 Aug – Producer & Roaster Forum announces multi-year sponsorship deal with Belco. As part of the deal, Belco will be the official sponsor of the Soil of Excellence competition for the next three PRF: Farm Summits. Belco’s first event as the Official Soil of Excellence Competition Sponsor is PRF: Farm Summit 2024, which will take place on 17 and 18 October at Hacienda Cafetera La Pradera in Santander, Colombia.

Three women producers in the DRC sort green coffee on raised beds.

Trade & production

Tue 6 Aug – Forest Coffee’s Huila Condor Project certifies 20 female producers for first time. The project – which includes a total of 96 women in the municipalities of Pitalito, Bruselas, Timana, and La Plata in Huila, Colombia – works to improve coffee quality and prices. For the first time, 20 female producers have been certified by The Forest Academy for coffee quality and best processing practices. (Bogotá, Colombia)

Thu 8 Aug – Smaller arabica beans could impact Brazil’s final coffee harvest volume. Despite expectations that bean size would increase, ongoing weather challenges in Brazil’s Central-Southern region have hindered growth. Robusta beans are also reported to be smaller, which will potentially affect crop volume and pre-contracted batches. (Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil)

Research

Events & competitions

Wed 7 Aug – Roast Summit will take place in Chicago on 24 & 25 October. The event is designed to bring roasting professionals and enthusiasts together for an immersive experience in the art and science of roasting. Session and speaker information will be announced soon. (Chicago, Illinois, US)

Thu 8 Aug – Second edition of Nordic Coffee Festival to feature all-new Barista School. The new event feature will include the Espresso, Latte Art, Batch Brew, and Hand Brew stations where visitors will have 15 minutes to interact with a professional barista. The second Nordic Coffee Festival will take place on 1 & 2 March, and will also host the second Nordics Best Roaster competition. (Gothenburg, Sweden)

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

Tue 30 Jul – Onyx Coffee Lab achieves Living Wage For Us certification. The roaster is the first Arkansas company to earn the highest certification from Living Wage for Us, which recognises its commitment to paying a living wage that covers essential needs. The certification is awarded by a non-profit after a year-long evaluation. (Rogers, Arkansas, US)

Sat 3 Aug – Japan’s % Arabica to enter six new markets within next three months. The specialty coffee chain will begin operations in Paris, Cairo, San Sebastián, Budapest, and Kathmandu, and is also considering expansion in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and other markets. (Tokyo, Japan)

Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association, Natasha M. Lozano