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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
- 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.
- 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.
Tue, 30 Apr
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Fri, 3 May
- 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
Here are a few coffee news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look:
- 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
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Want to keep up with current affairs in the coffee industry? Check out last week’s coffee news stories and make sure to read the latest Coffee Intelligence News & Opinion on why Luckin’s roastery expansion shows how China’s coffee market is growing.
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