Coffee News Recap, 19 July: Vietnam’s coffee exports expected to remain tight until end of year, MICE2025 to take place from 20 to 22 March & other stories

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

Here are this week’s stories – the word of the week is investments.

Mon, 15 Jul

Vietnam’s coffee exports expected to remain tight until end of year. Drought has already impacted the country’s production, and the potential onset of La Niña (which typically increases rainfall) could further hinder exports. Industry experts claim rebounds aren’t expected until December 2024 at the latest.

Study finds coffee has significant potential to merge conservation and production. A research team at Oxford Brookes University reviewed 69 studies and found that coffee grown in high-shade conditions (30% or more canopy cover) promotes greater biodiversity and reduces agriculture-driven deforestation. (Oxford, UK)

World Coffee Research updates robusta breeding report. The peer-reviewed robusta breeding initiative will include four phases, including designing target sensory profiles, creating genetic variation, and distributing at least 1,000 unique clones for evaluation. The first breeding cycle began in April 2024, with selected parent crossed to customise clones to local growing conditions. The seeds resulting from these crosses will be harvested in February 2025, and then disseminated to WCR partners. (Portland, Oregon, US)

Top-scoring coffee at 2024 Ethiopian Cup of Excellence receives 90.50 points. The natural 74158 variety was grown by Basha Farm in Sidama. A total of 27 coffees scored 87 or more points, with the auction to take place on 27 August. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

New report reveals UK coffee shop owners are confident about their future. According to data from SumUp, more than 35% of coffee shop owners in the UK feel confident that their business will perform well and overcome any future challenges. Some 44% agreed the current economy and rising costs are a main cause for concern, despite signs of recovery following the pandemic and conflict in Ukraine. (London, UK)

De’Longhi partners with Well Grounded to support career development in UK coffee industry. The collaboration will allow social enterprise Well Grounded to provide training and employment opportunities to long-term unemployed people, which will bolster industry growth and resilience in the face of pressing issues. (London, UK)

Tue, 16 Jul

Arla launches dairy and plant-based barista milk lines. The new Arla Barista and Arla Jörđ Oat Barista milks were co-developed with professionals baristas to improve steaming and pouring performance. (Sønderhøj, Denmark)

Arabica prices experience sharp decline to pull back from two-year high. The drop was driven by concerns over Brazilian production, with the most-active arabica contract in New York falling as much as 3.4%. This decrease comes after prices surged last week to their highest level since February 2022.

Black Sheep Coffee appoints Thomas Colebourn as new Finance Director. Colebourn brings years of finance leadership experience from roles at the LEGO Group and UK retailer M&S to his new position at Black Sheep. His appointment follows the company’s recent milestones of opening its 100th international store in Abu Dhabi and entering the US market with a debut in Dallas, Texas. (London, UK)

GoodNews debuts in the Netherlands. The Spanish coffee company initially planned to launch in Amsterdam in 2023 as part of a broader strategy to enter major European cities. With over €15 million raised from seed, Series A, and crowdfunding rounds, GoodNews aims to scale operations with future expansion into Germany and the Nordics. (Barcelona, Spain)

Nestlé develops new high-yielding Star 4 arabica variety. Developed using traditional breeding methods and selected to grow in Brazil, the new variety has larger-sized beans and is said to have desirable flavour characteristics similar to other Brazilian coffees. The Star 4 was developed by the multi-national to meet rising global demand while also safeguarding quality for future generations.

Danelaw Coffee receives £25,000 investment loan for expansion. The UK roaster secured the loan from the British Business Bank via BEF, which will allow the company to move into a larger facility and invest in packaging equipment and a 6kg-capacity roaster. (Yorkshire, UK)

Nespresso launches new generation of immersive retail locations. The new store formats – with the first location opened in Texas – include interactive elements focused on consumer education, catering specifically to Gen Z and others interested in learning more about coffee. (Nationwide, US)

Wed, 17 Jul

Highest-scoring coffee receives top bid of US $132/lb points at 2024 Cup of Excellence Honduras auction. Over 276lbs of the washed Gesha from Benjamin Paz Muñoz (which scored 91.21 points) was purchased by Angelino’s Coffee for a total of more than US $36,505. Overall, the auction sold more than 19,232lbs of coffee for a total of US $464,057. (Siguatepeque, Honduras)

MICE2025 to take place from 20 to 22 March. More than 10,000 attendees are expected to visit next year’s event, which will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Exhibitor registration is open now. (Melbourne, Australia)

Hurricane Beryl believed to have destroyed up to 10% of Jamaica’s coffee production. The category 5 hurricane caused extensive damage in the Caribbean, Yucatan Peninsula, and parts of the US. The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) has reported damage to coffee farms, including uprooted trees and bent coffee plants. (Kingston, Jamaica)

C olcafé develops new product to reduce water use in agricultural industries by up to 70%. AquaCoffee is a granular powder that absorbs 60 times its weight in water and releases it over longer periods of time. The product also adds nutrients and organic matter back into soil and reduces irrigation frequency by up to 50%. (Medellín, Colombia)

Reborn Coffee to acquire iconic Korean bakery chain Bbang Ssaem. Reborn Coffee plans to use the acquisition to bolster its position as a top franchise in the US and South Korea. Launched in 2019, Bbang Ssaem showcases traditional baking expertise and has a strong customer base. (Seoul, South Korea)

Bluewater launches new commercial water filtration system. The US water purification company debuted the Café Station 1 at World of Coffee Copenhagen, which uses purifying SuperiorOsmosis technology to remove contaminants and adds minerals like calcium and magnesium in a 2:1 ratio using Liquid Rock solution. (Brea, California, US)

Voyage Foods introduces bean-free coffee for foodservice operators and CPG brands. Voyage Foods bean-free coffee is made from chickpeas and rice hulls, and contains caffeine extracted from green tea. (Oakland, California, US)

Caffè Mauro serves world leaders at G7 Trade Summit. The trade minister summit included representatives of Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US, who also attended an exclusive tasting of the Bio Peru and Special Espresso blends. (Reggio Calabria, Italy)

Malaysia’s ZUS Coffee reportedly prepares for US $53.5 million investment raise. Founded in 2019, ZUS Coffee operates 497 outlets across Malaysia, making it the second largest branded café chain in the country after Tealive, surpassing Starbucks. The funding will support ZUS Coffee’s further expansion plans. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Thu, 18 Jul

Six of top ten Roastful’s Top 100 2024 roasters use Loring machines.The subscription service asked 32 international specialty coffee professionals to rank the Top 100 Roasters of 2024. Tim Wendelboe, Coffee Collective, April, Sey, La Cabra, and Onyx Coffee Lab are among the top ten who use Loring machines.

Starbucks plans expansion in Australia following improved performance. The chain plans to open a location in Perth, Western Australia, with 12 drive-thru stores opening soon and nine more by early 2025. This expansion follows successful openings in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, marking a strategic move amid growing demand and recent profitability milestones in the country. (Perth, Australia)

Botrista receives US $120 million investment to improve AI-driven technology. Led by Jollibee Foods Corporation, the funding round will further expand Botrista’s automated beverage platform, enabling restaurants to serve over 2,000 craft drink recipes from a single machine. (San Francisco, California, US)

The 2024 World Latte Art Grading Battle Championship to take place at Triestespresso Expo. The competition will be held on 26 October at this year’s Triestespresso Expo. National winners are able to register to compete in the world finals now. (Trieste, Italy)

iCalifas unveils new portable self-heating espresso maker. The ME2218 can prepare ground coffee and Nespresso capsules as either hot or cold, and features 19 bar of pressure to produce crema. (Guangzhou, China)

UK’s Pret ends five-drinks-a-day subscription service. Launched in 2020 for £20 per month (which increased to £30), the subscription service will be replaced by “Club Pret”, which will offer 50% off up to five drinks daily for £5 per month until 31 March 2025. (London, UK)

The 2024 World Coffee Roasting Championship roast profiles available on Stronghold Square. The competition took place at WoC Copenhagen, where all competitors used Stronghold’s S9X. The 2024 World Coffee Roasting Champion TaiYang Liu’s winning roast profile is exclusively available on Stronghold Square, as well as the other top three competitors’ profiles. (Seoul, South Korea)

The 2024 Café Business Expo to take place on 15 & 16 October. The event will include 100 speakers and 200 exhibitors – highlighting the latest products and services in the coffee and F&B sectors – and will also include the 2024 Innovation Awards, including Product of the Year. Exhibitor and visitor registration is open now. (London, UK)

Fri, 19 Jul

World AeroPress Championship reopens local roaster partnerships for 2024 world final in Lisbon. In a statement on Instagram, CEO Tim Williams acknowledged a shortfall in efforts to partner with a local roaster to organise the event. WAC has reopened applications, and also revised criteria and reduced volume to boost participation. (Lisbon, Portugal)

Expo Cafeto 2024 totake place on 20 & 21 July. Organised by Flick Producciones, the event will feature a trade show, public and private coffee tastings, and the Cafeto Brew Off and Cafeto Latte Art competitions. The knockout-style Cafeto Brew Off will include three participants per round, and the winner will receive a ticket to attend the 2025 Specialty Coffee Expo. The Cafeto Latte Art competition, meanwhile, will assess the skills of ten baristas. (Córdoba, Argentina)

The 2025 Korean Barista Championship to showcase UNIC Stella Epic espresso machine. The multi-boiler espresso machine will be used by competitors to win a spot at the 2025 WBC in Rimini, Italy. (Seoul, South Korea)

Girlsplaining schedules first-ever in-person event from 3 to 5 August. The initiative aims to create an inclusive platform for knowledge-sharing and skill development, as well as to improve female representation in the coffee industry. Activities include workshops, a Bolivian coffee cupping, and sensory analysis and entrepreneurship sessions, supported by the Coffee Quality Institute. (La Paz, Bolivia)

The 46th edition of SIGEP to take place from 18 to 22 January. Organised by Italian Exhibition Group, the 2025 event is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors from over 160 countries from a number of different industries, including coffee, bakery, chocolate, and gelato. Next year’s SIGEP will include Sigep World – The World Expo for Foodservice Excellence. (Rimini, Italy)

The 2024 Brighton Coffee Festival to return to All Saints Hove on 10 & 11 August. Welcoming more than 2,000 people, the event is set to feature informative talks, live entertainment, various coffee competitions, and exhibitors from across the industry. Exhibitor and attendee registration is open now. (Brighton, UK)

A woman sorts coffee cherries in Vietnam.

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

Mon, 8 Jul – New technology allows Brazilian producers to sort 30 tonnes of coffee per hour. The Cerrado Coffee Growers’ Cooperative (Expocacer) will launch an industrial production line for sorting specialty coffee, which will have sensors to monitor machinery vibrations and temperature in real time, also helping to reduce production costs by 20%. (Patrocínio, Brazil)

Thu, 11 Jul – Jeff’s Bagel Run integrates Otus Coffee as in-house supplier. Otus Coffee co-founders Glen and Jaclyn Turchin will join Jeff’s Bagel Run’s management team, and will also continue to operate under its existing branding. (Orlando, Florida, US)

Thu, 11 Jul – Stumptown Coffee releases limited-edition Coraline cold brew in partnership with LAIKA. The packaging draws inspiration from the 2009 Tim Burton film’s “fantastic garden” scene, and is available in major grocery stores while stocks last. (Portland, Oregon, US)

Sat, 13 Jul – McDonald’s Canada targets price-conscious consumers with CA $1 coffee. The new price for the chain’s McCafé Premium Roast Coffee comes amid a 5% year-on-year price increase in food and beverage outlets, alongside a 2% decline in out-of-home food and beverage sales in the country.