Coffee News Recap, 3 May: 2024 WBC takes place in Busan, first-ever PRF: Farm Summit to focus on reg ag and organic farming on 17 & 18 Oct & 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 events.

Mon, 29 Apr

Ryan Willbur and Laila Ghambari acquire Portland’s Guilder & Junior’s Roasted Coffee. The husband-and-wife duo both have extensive experience in specialty coffee – including stints at La Marzocco and Stumptown. Junior’s Roasted Coffee was founded by Mike and Caryn Nelson in Tallahassee, Florida in 2017, and later moved to Portland to merge with Guilder.

Coffee industry mourns passing of Juan Valdez icon Carlos Castañeda. Carlos Castañeda was a coffee producer from San Bartolo, Antioquia, and became the face of the iconic Juan Valdez brand in 2006. FNC CEO German Bahamón Jaramillo expressed his condolences, saying Castañeda was an “absolutely special” person.

Starbucks and workers’ union engage in contract negotiations. The coffee chain held contract negotiations with Workers United in Atlanta, and plan to reconvene in late May. The negotiations aim to establish a framework for Starbucks workers’ union organising and collective bargaining in the US. Since 2021, more than 420 of Starbucks’ 9,000 US stores have filed to unionise.

Keurig Dr Pepper bets on branded pod partnerships to boost growth. KDP’s new CEO Tim Cofer aims to boost the company’s falling coffee sales by expanding its branded coffee pod portfolio. Lavazza will transition to a licensed brand, while Black Rifle Coffee Company joins KDP’s partner portfolio.

Westrock Coffee releases 2023 sustainability report. Highlights include that the Raz Sustainability programme helped Latin American producers increase yields by up to 23%, and the company diverted 64% of its waste from landfill by improving resource management and waste reduction efforts.

Café Cà Phê announces third annual Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Festival for 11 May 2024. The event will showcase more than 50 AANHPI-owned businesses to celebrate the community’s diversity and identity. Held at CPKC Stadium, the event will coincide with AANHPI Heritage Month.

Tue, 30 Apr

Vietnamese farmers increase irrigation as coffee sector faces water shortages. In the wake of dry weather conditions, Vietnamese coffee farmers have increased irrigation to unprecedented levels, according to a Reuters article. The country’s coffee sector is now facing water shortages, which can negatively impact plant health and growth.

Japanese chain % Arabica to open third location in Canada. The new location in Whistler follows the specialty coffee chain’s two recent Toronto store openings, and will officially open its doors on 11 May.

New analysis shows Europe’s “big five” countries surpass global coffee market growth. While China and Canada lead global consumption rates, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and Germany also exhibit strong growth trends. Circana’s research provides market insight for industry stakeholders across 12 major countries.

xBloom launches new whole bean capsule Studio machine. Following the success of the award-winning xBloom Original, the new Studio machine features three automated brewing modes: Autopilot mode, Copilot mode, and FreeSolo mode.

Joe & the Juice opens new café and training campus in Dubai. The new facility will focus on product R&D, including recipe development. The company plans significant expansion in the Middle East, with an aim of establishing up to 300 franchised outlets by 2032.

Beyond the Bean partners with Fresh Blends as part of new fully automated beverage service. Fresh Blends self-serve machines offers a range of drinks, including iced coffees to smoothies. The partnership with Beyond the Bean will allow customers to choose from over 200 drinks from one machine.

Wed, 1 May

The 2024 World Barista Championship held at inaugural WoC Asia in Busan, South Korea. Hosted in partnership with Exporum, this is the first-ever World of Coffee Asia event. In addition to hosting the 2024 WBC, the event will include the Roaster Village, cuppings, lectures, and brew bars. This year’s WBC finalists include:

Honoka Kawashima, New Zealand

Jack Simpson, Australia

Takayuki Ishitani, Japan

Zjevaun Lemar Janga the Netherlands

Junghwan Lim, South Korea

Mikael Jasin, Indonesia

Starbucks cuts annual forecast as demand drops in US and China. The company’s shares fell 12% after it reported disappointing quarterly profits – partially the result of boycotts related to Israel’s war in Palestine. Starbucks revised its full-year sales growth forecast accordingly, compared to its earlier estimate of 4% to 6% growth.

Dalla Corte to host 2024 World Espresso Championship on 5 May in Busan. The knockout-style competition will take place at Momos Coffee – with the winner receiving a cash prize.

The 2024 Good Food Award coffee winners announced. A total of 14 roasters received 16 awards at the 14th Good Food Awards in Portland, Oregon. Winners include Montana Coffee Traders’ Ethiopia Mulish and Goodboybob Coffee Roasters’ Panama Cafe Gran Del Val Finca La Fortuna. Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee and Olympia Coffee both received two awards.

Dutch specialty coffee roaster Wakuli closes €5.2 million (US $5.6 million) investment round. Founded in 2019, Wakuli will use funds to open eight new Dutch stores and explore entering neighboring markets in the coming years.

Starbucks to debut first stores in Ecuador and Honduras in 2024. In partnership with Delonorte S.A. and Premium Restaurants of America, the coffee chain will expand into both markets. Ecuador’s first store is set to open in July 2024, followed by Honduras later this year.

Luckin Coffee surpasses 18,500 stores in China. The chain announced it opened 2,340 new stories in 2024 Q1. Total sales in the period reached RMB 6.3 billion (US $870 million), which falls short compared to previous quarters. Despite brand growth, the company faced its first quarterly loss in two years following increased expenses.

Take Two Coffee opens first retail store in Fort Myers, Florida. Founded by Caleb MacPherson, Hunter Keslar, and Breno Donatti who all have over two decades of experience working in specialty coffee, the new store will also serve artisan doughnuts.

First-ever PRF: Farm Summit to focus on reg ag & organic farming on 17 & 18 October in Santander, Colombia. The event will take place entirely on a coffee farm, unlike previous PRF events. In response to industry demand and feedback from previous attendees, the event will focus on regenerative agriculture and organic farming practices. International tickets can be purchased here, and Sourcing Trip Experience tickets are available to buy here. A full event schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

Slayer Espresso relaunches v3 machine at WoC Busan. In collaboration with DOOREETRADING, the premium espresso machine manufacturer is showcasing its lineup to the Asian market – and is featuring a number of guest roasters on its booth.

UK roaster Iron & Fire hires first “coffee advocate” to spearhead wholesale growth. Steffan Frost, who has an extensive background in coffee and hospitality, will lead the company’s customer onboarding and barista training.

Thu, 2 May

New study finds roast profiles impact sourness and acidity. UC Davis Coffee Center researchers collaborated with Bridge Coffee Co. to understand more about how roasters can control acidity by using different roast profiles. The study focuses on total titratable acidity (TA) – which is closely linked to sour flavours – and found that the timing of first and second crack are two key factors.

Oatly foresees path to profitability after narrowing losses in 2024 Q1. The oat milk company reported “encouraging” financial results, with a net loss US $45.8 million compared to US $75.6 million in the same quarter last year.

Nguyen Coffee Supply expands US retail presence with new Target partnership. The US-based Vietnamese coffee brand’s RTD products will be available in 500 Target stores in the US – following its recent entry into Whole Foods stores.

Origin Coffee debuts in Edinburgh with new café. The B Corp UK roaster opened its latest location on South College Street.

First-ever Queer Coffee Collective to launch on 11 May 2024. Organised by Cup North which runs the Manchester and Birmingham Coffee Festivals, the inclusive event will be held at CAMP in Margate, UK.

Fri, 3 May

Food 4 Farmers launches campaign to celebrate World Bee Day. The non-profit will run the Coffee for Bees campaign throughout May to raise awareness about the important role bees have in sustainable coffee production.

Dates and hosts announced for national 2024 AeroPress Championships. Upcoming events include:

Norwegian AeroPress Championship, hosted by Solberg & Hansen on 30 May 2024

Philippine AeroPress Championship, hosted by Yardstick Coffee on 1 June 2024

Romanian AeroPress Championship, hosted by Artisan Coffee Gear on 2 June 2024 at the Slow Coffee Festival

The Barista League returns to Berlin for first time since 2019 and will host first-ever event in Poland. The Berlin competition will take place on 1 June at Jules Biergarten & Café, while the inaugural Polish event will be held on 8 June at HAYB Specialty Coffee.

First shipment of Rainforest Alliance-certified EUDR coffee to reach Europe this month. The coffee was produced by High Range Coffee Curing in India, who partnered with Rainforest Alliance to ensure compliance with the necessary requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation.

Specialty Coffee Association to host second WoC Asia event in Jakarta, Indonesia. At WoC Busan, the SCA announced the 2025 edition will be held at the Jakarta Convention Centre from 15 to 17 May. The event will run in addition to the SCA’s annual World of Coffee trade shows in the Middle East and Europe next year.

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

Mon, 22 Apr – Moccamaster launches Diamond Edition machine to celebrate 60th anniversary. Only 2,000 units will be available for US $379, with each machine having an exclusive lifetime warranty.

Wed, 24 Apr – Dripos secures US $11 million Series A funding to expand presence in specialty coffee. The company says that in 2023, the number of locations relying on its platform increased by 400%.

Wed, 24 Apr – Chamberlain Coffee partners with 818 Tequila on new Espresso Martini Kit. The kit includes Chamberlain Coffee’s Candied Pecan cold brew packs, as well as a martini shaker and glass.

Sat, 27 Apr – Joanne Osborne is Costa Coffee’s UK & Ireland Barista of the Year. Osborne from Evesham has worked at Costa Coffee for over two years – and prepared her “Iced Frothy Banoffee” signature drink as part of her winning routine.

Thu, 25 Apr – Restaurant Canada Show 2024 hosts three national Coffee Championships. The event in Toronto, which took place from 8 to 10 April, hosted the 2024 Canadian Latte Art, Cezve/Ibrik, and Coffee in Good Spirits Championships. Arthur Chu is the 2024 Latte Art Champion, Ply Pasarj placed first at the 2024 Cezve/Ibrik Championship, and Stacey Lynden is the 2024 Coffee in Good Spirits Champion.

Photo credits: Producer & Roaster Forum, The Barista League