Coffee News Recap, 29 Nov: C price reaches 47-year high, 2025 London Coffee Festival to take place in May & other stories

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

Editor’s note

This week, the C price reached a high of US $3.3/lb – its highest level in 47 years. Prices at this level have only been seen in 1977, 1997, and 2011 and are not expected to drop any time soon.

Many interconnected and complex factors are driving up the market price of coffee. Supply shortages in Brazil and Vietnam, the pending EUDR delay, the USDA’s reduction of its Brazil 2025-26 production volumes estimate, and a stronger US dollar against the Brazilian Real are all impacting the C price.

Inevitably, everyone in the supply chain will continue to pay more for coffee. With margins already tight, roasters will need to pass some of the costs onto consumers – but how much they’re willing to pay is another question. Price sensitivity has already been a major factor affecting the coffee industry, and it’s now only going to become more prominent.

Blends and low 80-point coffees are likely the way forward for many roasters. At the same time, we may see more producers reduce their specialty coffee production volumes to capitalise on a high C price.

A attendee at the 2019 London Coffee Festival drinks coffee at a roaster's booth.

Industry news

Mon, 25 Nov –Esquires Coffee aims to double the number of locations in the UK. The coffeehouse chain plans to open 10 new stores by March 2025, aiming to double locations within three years. In 2023, UK sales rose 20% to £17.5 million, with 12% from new outlets. Its New Zealand-based parent company, Cooks Coffee, plans to relocate its HQ to the UK while focusing on lower-cost suburban stores for expansion. (Vancouver BC, Canada)

Mon, 25 Nov –McDonald’s temporarily pulls espresso drinks from US menus over machine safety concerns. The defect, which could cause steam to escape and damage the machine, led McDonald’s to halt the use of the equipment for up to three weeks while the issue is investigated. The company confirmed the issue following reports from the Wall Street Journal. (Chicago, Illinois, US)

Tue, 26 Nov –New study crowns Queenstown as the coffee capital of Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand’s South Island town topped Remitly’s Coffee Capitals Index, achieving a score of 97.8, based on café density, ratings, reviews, and social media presence. Australia dominated the top 10 spots, with Coffs Harbour leading at 66.4, followed by the Gold Coast and Cairns. Despite its reputation, Melbourne ranked seventh, while Sydney placed 12th.

Tue, 26 Nov –World Barista Champions Mikael Jasin and Anthony Douglas join MILKLAB as brand ambassadors. Jasin and Douglas, the respective 2022 and 2024 World Barista Champions, will represent the Australian dairy and plant milk brand at events and competitions across Asia. (Shepparton, Australia)

Wed, 27 Nov –Coffee Supreme partners with Melbourne running group. The Australian roaster is celebrating its partnership with Melbourne’s AM:PM.RC running group with a limited-edition stacker mug and Twilight Track blend. The collaboration highlights their shared love for coffee and well-being, with special products launched ahead of the 2024 Melbourne Marathon. (Melbourne, Australia)

Wed, 27 Nov – Starbucks’ annual Red Cup giveaway helps boost US sales. Daily store visits on 14 November jumped 42% compared to the previous five Thursdays – and this figure was also higher than the 2023 Red Cup giveaway, which coincided with a union workers strike. (Seattle, Washington, US)

Wed, 27 Nov –Australia’s Grinders’ takeaway cups are now certified home compostable. The cups feature a water-based barrier coating that eliminates the need for polyethene lining and biodegrades into natural components within 12 months, reducing landfill waste. Grinders Coffee is among the first Australian roasters to offer this environmentally friendly packaging made from renewable sugarcane pulp. (Melbourne, Australia)

Thu, 27 Nov – Ground Control ships latest SM brewer. The Ground Control SM can prepare cold brew, concentrates, and hot brewed coffee in under eight minutes – and features a removable dispenser for ease of use. (Oakland, California, US)

Thu, 28 Nov – Crosstown Doughnuts appoints former Papa Johns exec as new CEO. Former Papa Johns Managing Director Jo Blundell joins the specialty coffee and artisan doughnut brand to support product innovation and expansion. (London, UK)

Thu, 28 Nov – Bellwether Coffee shares customer success stories. Roasters including Hey My Coffee in Spain, Partners Creating Community in Pennsylvania, and Ethiolife Coffee in Arizona shared their experiences using the electric Bellwether Shop roaster, which can roast up to 13 consecutive batches in one cycle. (Berkeley, California, US)

Thu, 28 Nov – Bread Holdings reportedly exploring sale of Gail’s. According to a Sky News report, the UK bakery and specialty coffee chain’s parent company hired Goldman Sachs to lead an auction to sell the company in 2025. Gail’s could be valued as high as £500 million (US $525 million). (London, UK)

New launch

Mon, 25 Nov –Starbucks Reserve debuts holiday drinks with eggnog blends. Stores in Seattle, Chicago, and New York City have launched new eggnog beverages, including the iced caramel brulée eggnog latte and eggnog espresso martini. Returning favourites like the peppermint mocha and peppermint mocha espresso martini are also available, along with seasonal food, merchandise, and the Winter Wonderland Pop-Up at the Empire State Building store. (Seattle, Washington, US)

Mon, 25 Nov –PKN introduces the new JOY Barista Pecanmilk. Made from sustainably sourced upcycled pecans, PKN JOY includes functional ingredients such as flavonoids and powerful antioxidants. CEO Laura Shenkar highlights the brand’s commitment to taste and sustainability. (Austin, Texas, US)

Tue, 26 Nov – Romanian chain 5 to go launches viral Dubai chocolate flavour syrup. The chocolate and pistachio flavoured syrup, tapping into the viral food trend, is available across the brand’s coffee shops and in selected retailers. (Bucharest, Romania)

Tue, 26 Nov – Coffee Planet launches the Brewing Futures initiative. The career development programme provides barista and skills training, with graduates offered opportunities to work at Coffee Planet cafés. (Dubai, UAE)

Wed, 27 Nov – New green coffee service provider Age of Coffee launches. The green coffee supplier adopts a circular coffee supply chain that prioritises sustainability and reverse logistics and partnerships.

Wed, 27 Nov – Rancilio expands presence in the UK with new branch. The new centre in Letchworth Garden City will serve the UK and Ireland and will promote Rancilio, Rancilio Specialty and Egro, as part of the Ali Group Coffee Division. (Parabiago, Italy)

Thu, 28 Nov – Aram launches new grinder line. The grinders include a Nano Tuner adjustment system, aerospace-grade aluminum and stainless steel materials, and Volcano Texture and Grip Lock features. (Curitiba, Brazil)

Fri, 29 Nov – Port of Mokha launches holiday gift range. The roaster, which exclusively sources Yemeni coffee, is offering two blends – the Timeless Mokha and a seasonal winter blend – and two anaerobic processed single estate lots. (San Francisco, California, US)

Milestone

Mon, 25 Nov –Hardtank achieves BRCGS certification.The equipment manufacturer has received BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety (Grade A) certification, ensuring its RTD cold brew, oat lattes, and iced teas meet top food safety standards required by supermarkets, retailers, QSRs, and coffee shops. The certification supports market access, ensures consistent quality, and streamlines safe production processes. (Opole, Poland)

Wed, 27 Nov – Portland’s Nossa Familia celebrates 20th anniversary with rebrand. The iconic US roaster collaborated with multi-media artist Mika Rane to create packaging for its new Anniversary blend. Nossa Familia will donate US 50 cents from every bag purchased to support schoolchildren in coffee-growing communities. (Portland, Oregon, US)

Fri, 29 Nov – Langdon Coffee Merchants establishes partnership with Mountain Harvest in Uganda. The green coffee importer now represents Mountain Harvest in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, with UK shipments recently received and AU and NZ shipments are expected in early 2025. (Melbourne, Australia)

A producer rakes dried coffee beans on a patio.

Trade & production

Wed, 27 Nov – Fairtrade International and the International Cooperative Alliance form partnership to improve resiliency of co-operative models. The announcement was made during ICA’s General Assembly held in New Delhi, India earlier this week. Both organisations say the partnership agreement will help facilitate collaboration in a number of areas, including cooperative legal frameworks, agroecology, climate change, youth inclusion, and gender equality.

Thu, 28 Nov – Market volatility pushes Brazilian exporters to seek debt renegotiation. Atlântica Exportação e Importação SA and Cafebras Comércio de Cafés do Brasil SA have jointly filed a restructuring request, but continue to operate normally. The rising C price is adding strain to traders’ cash flow as they deal with increased costs of hedging. (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

Events

Mon, 25 Nov – Pinhalense takes part in the 12th Cerrado Mineiro Region Awards. The coffee processing equipment manufacturer helped award prizes to winners at the event, which included pulped natural & honey, fermented & other experimental processing, and natural coffees categories. (Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil)

Tue, 26 Nov –MICE2025 releases early bird tickets. Tickets are available until 15 January 2025 with up to 35% off. The event will run from 20 to 22 March, offering various ticket options, including All Day Access and Access All Areas, with VIP perks. (Melbourne, Australia)

Wed, 27 Nov –The Chain Collaborative to host fourth annual holiday auction. Taking place from 3 to 10 December, proceeds from the auction will support TCC’s Community-Led Development Incubator, which supports local leaders in coffee-growing regions with community-driven projects. Auction items include coffee, brewing equipment, and merchandise, and more. (Kennet Square, Pennsylvania, US)

Fri, 29 Nov –Dublin Coffee Festival confirmed for 12 & 13 April 2025. The event will be hosted at the new venue RDS Dublin next year and will feature a trade exhibition, coffee tastings, competitions, talks, and discussions. The event is set to attract a record number of exhibitors and visitors. Pre-sale tickets are available via a sign-up. (Dublin, Ireland)

Fri, 29 Nov – The theme of the 2025 INTERNORGA event is “Where trends take off”. The hospitality event, which also focuses on the international coffee industry, will take place from 14 to 18 March 2025 – and will feature a trade show exhibition, a forum, awards, and competitions. (Hamburg, Germany)

Competitions

Mon, 25 Nov –Starbucks announces 2024 Latin America and Caribbean Barista Champion. Luis from Puerto Rico won the 2024 Starbucks Latin America and Caribbean Barista Championship at Hacienda Alsacia, Costa Rica. The event, featuring baristas from 22 different markets, showcased skills in espresso, milk steaming, and latte art. Juls from Mexico and Claudio from Peru were also finalists. (Seattle, Washington, US)

Wed, 27 Nov – Stronghold machines showcased at national Coffee Roasting Championships. The roaster manufacturer is the 2024-27 Official Production Roaster sponsor. The S7Pro, S8X, and S9X were recently used by competitors at the national competitions in Poland & Czech Republic, Japan, and Taiwan, respectively. (Seoul, South Korea)

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

Thu, 21 Nov – Cumulus Coffee debuts at Williams Sonoma flagship stores. The partnership marks an important step towards Cumulus’ goal of making premium cold brew, nitro cold brew, and cold-extracted espresso accessible for home preparation using its innovative brewing technology. (New York City, New York, US)

Thu, 21 Nov –Duck Donuts expands to the Bahamas. The US bakery & café chain has opened a 1,400 sq ft store in the Bahamas, featuring counter service and digital ordering points. This is the chain’s second Caribbean location, following its launch in Curaçao in October 2023. Franchisee Mercianna Moxey expressed excitement about expanding the brand in the region. (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, US)

Fri, 22 Nov –Costa Coffee tests 24-hour drive-thru in the UK. Costa Coffee is testing extended hours at its Leicester Meridien East drive-thru to serve key workers, including healthcare professionals and delivery drivers. Feedback will guide potential 24-hour service at more UK locations. (Loudwater, UK)