Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s stories.
Mon, 28 Mar
- Co-founder of Costa Coffee passes away. Sergio Costa, who co-founded the chain with his brother Bruno, passed away in Monaco. The Costa brothers set up their first coffee roastery in London in 1971.
- Coffee leaf rust (CLR) research project begins in Hawaii. The partnership – led by the Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council – is receiving funding from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s (FFAR) Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research programme. Research from FFAR has identified the strain of CLR affecting Hawaii’s coffee plants. Under the FFAR grant, the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture is creating and distributing management materials to help coffee farmers identify CLR.
Tue, 29 Mar
- Accademia del Caffè Espresso opens in Florence, Italy. The coffee research and cultural centre opened in the old La Marzocco factory in the city. The Accademia del Caffè Espresso aims to educate visitors about the history of espresso, as well as the wider coffee supply chain.
Wed, 30 Mar
- Starbucks EMEA reports 41% revenue increase on 2020. Total revenues for fiscal year ending October 2021 reached US $237 million. Starbucks EMEA says drive-thru sales helped improve financial performance, including reversing a US $74 million fall in sales from 2020.
Thu, 31 Mar
- KeepCup releases reusable bottle. The KeepCup Bottle unscrews in the middle and can be used for a range of beverages, including coffee. The new reusable bottle is available in ten different colours.
- Scottish roaster Cairngorm Coffee appoints new operations director. Harris Grant, founder of vegan fashion brand Treen, is now also a co-owner of Cairngorm Coffee. The company experienced significant financial loss during the pandemic, but has since seen 1,100% growth in online sales. Cairngorm recently rebranded its packaging and launched a subscription service.
Fri, 1 Apr
- Planetary Design joins Conservation Alliance. The coffee brewing equipment manufacturer, which includes brands such as BruTrek and Airscape, joined the alliance, which supports grassroots conservation groups across North America.
- Pret A Manger joins coffee capsule recycling scheme. The Podback scheme was created by Nestlé and Jacob Douwe Egberts as the UK’s first nationwide recycling initiative for coffee capsules. Pret customers can order Podback recycling bags, which can be deposited at more than 6,500 collection points in the UK.
Here are a few news stories from previous weeks that you might find interesting. Take a look.
- Wed, 23 Mar – Keurig Dr Pepper joins Water Resilience Coalition. The company, which manufactures Keurig coffee capsules, hopes to achieve net positive water impact by 2050. By 2025, Keurig aims to improve its operational water use efficiency by 20%.
- Wed, 23 Mar – Nestlé provides updates on operations in Russia. The company stated it will continue to only provide essential food and beverage items in the country as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. Production for brands such as Nespresso have been suspended in Russia.
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Photo credits: Juan Ricardo
