Café Europa | Spring 2016 by Crimson Media + Communications

caféeuropa THE VOICE OF THE SPECIALITY COFFEE ASSOCIATION OF EUROPE

SPRING 2016

ISSUE 63 NEW SUSTAINABILITY FORUM + GROUNDS FOR HEALTH

+ EXTRACTION RESEARCH

form follows function

dallacorte.com #makeitbetter

Inside ISSUE 63 | SPRING 2O16

04 Welcome David Veal on a year of change 06 Community The ‘Who’s Who’ of SCAE 10 Update News from the coffee community 16 Diary Your spring event guide

18 Chapter Focus Russia's Barista Days 20 Partners Grounds for Health moves to Kenya 22 Sustainability World of Coffee’s new Sustainability Forum

U COL

24 Cover Story The World Cezve/Ibrik Championship 28 Research The kinetics of espresso extraction 32 How To… Build a roastery 38 Roasters Riga’s Rocket Bean Roastery

40 Education Report from AST Live! 43 Cupper’s Guide Africa’s speciality robusta 48 Field Trip SCAE on tour in Brazil 51 Innovators World of Coffee New Product of the Show Award winners 58 Q&A Re:co’s Matt Slater

s Find U

Online

Read the n ition o digital ed m scae.co

48 CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 3

WELCOME

2016 –

A Year of Change

SCAE’s research programme includes interesting research into extraction featured in this issue

elcome to the first issue of Café Europa in 2016. We are already well into a new year which promises to be one of change. Politically and economically the sands are shifting in so many areas. China’s rate of growth is slowing, the Iran sanction has been lifted, oil markets are in turmoil, the UK is debating whether to leave the EU, markets are growing in Africa, and we are watching to see to what extent the corporate coffee companies will embrace speciality. What does change mean to you? Most people, if they are honest, have at least a small amount of fear, nervousness or insecurity when faced with change. We all like to cling on to the security of the status quo. But as the great Irish statesman and philosopher, Edmund Burke, said ‘In order to conserve or preserve itself, an organisation must change.’ To cling on to the status quo is to die. So what changes might we see this year in the speciality coffee community? Well the quest to promote speciality coffee will continue of course, but maybe in different ways. As a community we need to look outwards more and find new ways to embrace and educate consumers particularly, and also other sectors such as HoReCa. This is already beginning to happen. Furthermore, many of us are becoming more impatient to see changes in the economic model as market prices do not 4 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

give the farmer a sufficient living and do not ensure the continuity of the supply of speciality coffee in the future. While we are improving, we need to do more this year to make a real difference in the areas of education, health, welfare and equality in producing countries. Internationally, this could be a year of real significant change. Already the International Relations Council (IRC), the forum at which speciality coffee associations meet to discuss and consider issues affecting our industry, is working under a new charter and a new name, Alliance of International Speciality Coffee Associations (AISCA), and will, amongst other things, continue to support and promote International Coffee Day on 1 October. Everyone is now aware that for some time SCAE and the Specialty Coffee

David Veal

again, will be bigger and better than ever, with some exciting new innovations and features this year. This will enable us to engage even more with our speciality coffee community. Our research programme will produce and publish some very challenging material this year, starting in this issue of Café Europa, and including extraction, freshness, water, roasting defects and behavioural analysis. We will continue to work with our partners at origin so we will offer more support to Grounds for Health in reducing cervical cancer in coffee-producing areas, specifically Kenya. We will support the International Women’s Coffee Alliance in Rwanda, as well as delivering education and research in that country. In addition, we will continue to work with the Brazilian

While we are improving, we need to do more this year to make a real difference in the areas of education, health, welfare and equality in producing countries. Association of America (SCAA) have been holding talks to examine the possibility and value of aligning our activities. Much work has already been done. We don’t yet know what the outcome will be but as the year progresses we will find out. As a result we could be looking at some fundamental changes this year – so watch this space.

hat part will SCAE pay in the process of change in 2016? Well firstly, as we continue to be more innovative, more active and offer more benefits, we expect more and more coffee people to join the 4,000 members that we already have. Our education programme will continue to change and to develop and improve content, and our quality control system will ensure the integrity and transparency of our education. We fully expect by the end of 2016 to have issued over 85,000 certificates during the lifetime of the Coffee Diploma System, a fact that we are very proud of. We will attend more events across the world, as well as hosting our own World of Coffee in Dublin this June which, once

Specialty Coffee Association and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE). Watch out also for our new Coffee Earth sustainability initiative. Finally, one of the exciting things about our industry, and two things that we know will happen in 2016, is that farmers will provide us with new and better coffees and baristas will find new and better ways of brewing them. Already this year, ACE has announced that it will be increasing the qualifying scores for its auctions from 85 to 87, which is guaranteed to improve quality, and SCAA has published its new coffee flavour wheel, which everyone is quite excited about. World Coffee Events also will be changing the rules of some of its championships and this hopefully will improve the quality of coffee that is produced in competitions. So we all have plenty to look forward to in this year of change. Let us embrace 2016 with our customary anticipation and passion. David Veal Executive Director Speciality Coffee Association of Europe

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CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 5

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SCAE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SCAE EXECUTIVE TEAM President Paul Stack (Ireland), Marco Beverage Systems Past President Cosimo Libardo (Italy), Toby Estates Vice President Yannis Apostolopoulos (Greece), W.S. Karoulias Executive Director David Veal (UK), SCAE

Drewry Pearson (Ireland), Marco Beverage Systems

Nils Erichsen (Germany), Ube Erichsen Beteiliungs

Heinz Trachsel (Switzerland)

Luigi Morello (Italy), La Cimbali

Ludovic Maillard (France), Maison Jobin

Johan Damgaard (Sweden), Johan & Nyström

David Veal, Executive Director Michelle Hawkins, PA to Executive Director Membership Team Jayne Richards, Membership Manager Jackie Malone, Chapter Coordinator Isa Verschraegen, Guild Manager Hannah Davies, Guild Coordinator Alison Wraight, Membership Advisor Leanne Celentano, Membership Coordinator Lewis Young, Data Analyst Lesley Potts, Membership Accounts Clerk Robyn Stevenson, Membership Administrator Anna Barlow, Retention Officer Education Team Susan Hollins, Education Manager Annemarie Tiemes, Education Field Manager Kim Staalman, Education Field Coordinator Owen Thom, Quality Coordinator Megan Guo, Asia Coordinator Yun Jung Jung, Asia Coordinator Aidan Jones, Education Administrator Kay Bennett, Education Administrator Alex Morrell, Education Administrator April Melvin, Education Administrator Events Team Garret Buckley, Events Manager Rebecca Dunwoody, Event Operations Manager Margaret Andreucetti, Exhibition Sales Manager Jens Henrik Thomsen, Sponsorship Coordinator Marketing Team James Humpoletz, Marketing Manager Andra Vlaicu, Marketing Assistant Richard Stiller, Marketing Assistant Keith Amos, Business Development Executive Operations Team David Hewitt, Operations Manager Denise Alborough, Senior Accounts Clerk Ellen Rogers, Accounts Clerk Caroline Newman, Accounts Clerk

SCAE COMMITTEES Alberto Polojac (Italy), Imperator

Christina Meinl (Austria), Julius Meinl

Frank Neuhausen (Germany), BWT water+more

Chahan Yeretzian (Switzerland), University of Zurich

Patrizia Cecchi (Italy), Rimini Fiera

James Shepherd (UK/Ireland), Beyond the Bean

Tibor Várady, Barista Guild of Europe 6 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

Membership Committee Yannis Apostolopoulos, Chair Heinz Trachsel, Vice Chair Luigi Morello Tomasz Obracaj Andrew Tolley Tibor Hajcsunk Dale Harris Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos Tibor Varady Isa Verschraegen David Veal Jayne Richards Jackie Malone Education Committee Ludovic Maillard, Chair Paul Stack Ben Townsend Paul Meikle-Janney Edouard Thomas John Thompson Morten Münchow Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos David Veal Susan Hollins Annemarie Tiemes

SCAE COMMUNITY

Events Committee Patrizia Cecchi, Chair Willem Husiman Grace O’Shaughnessy Anke Erichsen Brita Folmer David Veal Garret Buckley Annemarie Tiemes Marketing Committee Christina Meinl, Chair Johan Damgaard Dale Harris Maurizio Giuli Jörg Krahl David Veal James Humpoletz Audit Committee Nils Erichsen, Chair Mark Rose David Veal David Hewitt International Development Committee Alberto Polojac, Chair Mick Wheeler Colin Smith Angel Mario Martinez Garcia Inyoung Kim (Anna) Nick Watson David Veal Research Committee Chahan Yeretzian, Chair Morten Munchow, Vice Chair Frank Neuhausen Lauro Fioretti Edouard Thomas David Veal

OTHER SCAE ORGANISATIONS SCAE President’s Council President Paul Stack (Ireland) Past President Cosimo Libardo (Italy) Vice President Yannis Apostolopoulos (Greece) Treasurer Nils Erichsen (Germany) Executive Director David Veal (UK) Drewry Pearson (Ireland) SCAE Ambassadors SCAE has named the following Past Presidents of the Association as its Ambassadors: Alf Kramer (Norway) Patrick Bewley (Ireland) Mick Wheeler (UK) Trygve Klingenberg (Norway) Tomasz Obracaj (Poland) Colin Smith (UK) Max Fabian (Italy) Nils Erichsen (Germany) Marc Käppelli (Switzerland) Drewry Pearson (Ireland) Cosimo Libardo (Italy)

World Coffee Events (Jointly Owned By SCAE/SCAA) Chair - Mike Yung SCAE Director - David Veal SCAA Director - Ric Reinhart Managing Director - Cindy Ludviksen Treasurer - Drewry Pearson

NATIONAL COORDINATORS EUROPEAN CHAPTERS AUSTRIA Günter Stölner, e: office@cimbali.at BELARUS Maryna Voskresenskaya, e: maryna.vaskrasenskaya@gmail.com BELGIUM Kathleen Serdons, e: kathleenserdons@gmail.com BULGARIA Nikolay Litov, e: n.litov@ibeco.bg CZECH REPUBLIC Stepan Neubauer, e: stepanneubauer@gmail.com DENMARK Lene Hyldahl, e: lenehyldahl@gmail.com FINLAND Viivi Ahtiainen, e: viivi.ahtiainen@gmail.com FRANCE Patrick Mas, e: mas-patrick33@orange.fr GERMANY Peter Muschiol, e: pm@muschiolconsulting.de GREECE Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, e: info@coffeeisland.gr HUNGARY János Szongoth, e: scaehungary@gmail.com ICELAND Jan-Fredrik Winter, e: jf_winter@hotmail.com IRELAND Alan Andrews, e: alan@coffeeculture.ie ITALY Dario Ciarlantini, e: dario.ciarlantini@gmail.com LATVIA Martins Dzenis, e: martins@kcs.lv LITHUANIA Darius Vezelis, e: darius.vezelis@gmail.com NETHERLANDS Peter Eijl, e: peter@doppio-espresso.nl NORWAY Storm Xaron C Lunde, e: stormy.post@hotmail.com

PORTUGAL Claudia Pimentel, e: claudia.pimentel@aicc.pt POLAND Tom Obracaj, e: tobracaj@btinternet.com ROMANIA Silvia Constantin, e: silvia@kiruna.ro RUSSIA Alexander Tsibaev, e: tsibaev@madian.su SERBIA Milos Stupar, e: milos.stupar.kistu@gmail.com SLOVAKIA Tomas Callo, e: cafe@dublincafe.sk SLOVENIA Gasper Trpin, e: gasper.trpin@romita.si SPAIN Elisabet Sereno, e: sereno.elisabet@gmail.com SWEDEN John Dester e: john@dester.se SWITZERLAND Marc Käppeli, e: marc.kaeppeli@blasercafe.ch TURKEY Aysin Aydogdu, e: info@mambocino.com UNITED KINGDOM Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, e: dashwoodm@hotmail.com UKRAINE Roman Ponomarev, e: info_ponomarev@ukr.net

INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS SINGAPORE Ross Bright, e: ross.bright@spinellicoffee.com.sg SOUTH KOREA Seongil Choi, e: sungilc@gmail.com

REGIONAL COORDINATORS Sonja Grant, e: sonjagrant@gmail.com Tibor Hajcsunk, e: tibor.hajcsunk@mac.com Heinz Trachsel, e: heinz.trachsel@gmx.net SCAEWorldofCoffee SCAE_Community SCAEWorldofCoffee SCAE_Community SCAE_Community SCAE CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 7

No.63 | Spring 2016

SCAE

Café Europa is the magazine of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, which is free to members of SCAE. Published quarterly, a digital edition is also available to view and download in the members’ lounge on the website, scae.com.

Speciality Coffee Association of Europe is a company limited by guarantee registered in the United Kingdom, Co. Reg. No. 3612500. Copies of the SCAE by-laws are available by written request.

Publisher: Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) Editor: Sarah Grennan Art Director: Mark Nally Marketing Manager: James Humpoletz Advertising: Keith Amos Sub-Editor: Elizabeth MacAulay Contributors: Susan Hollins, Pam Kahl, Elena Kupriianova, Paul Meikle-Janney, John Schluter, Colin Smith, Susie Spindler, David Veal, Andra Vlaicu, Antony Watson, Hannah Webster Cover Illustration: Mark Nally © Copyright 2015, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe Café Europa (Print) ISSN 1752-8429 Café Europa (Digital) ISSN 1752-8437 EDITORIAL Articles and contributions by SCAE members are invited; please contact the Editor, Sarah Grennan e: cafeeuropa@scae.com t: +353 87 686 1272 ADVERTISING For information about advertising in Café Europa please contact Keith Amos, SCAE Business Development Executive e: keith@scae.com t: +44 1245 426060 The SCAE Media Pack is available for download on scae.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS The print and digital editions of Café Europa are free to members of SCAE. To join the Association please visit scae.com/members/join-scae.

SCAE, Oak Lodge Farm, Leighams Road, Bicknacre, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 4HF, UK t: +44 1245 426060 | e: info@scae.com | w: scae.com Follow SCAE SCAEWorldofCoffee

SCAE_Community

SCAEWorldofCoffee

SCAE

This publication is produced for SCAE by Crimson Communications, crimsoncommunications.ie. Design by Odin Creative, odincreative.ie. Printing by Metro Commercial Printing, metroprinting.co.uk. Views expressed in Café Europa do not necessarily represent those of its Editor or the publisher, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all information, SCAE and its agents accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may arise. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, including photocopying or storing by any electronic means, is prohibited without the prior permission of SCAE.

JOIN OUR COFFEE COMMUNITY Our vision is to be the authority on delivering coffee excellence. Our mission is to create and inspire excellence in the coffee community through innovation, research, education and communication. Our values are excellence, knowledge, leadership, integrity, communication, competence, education and community. Join us and help us raise coffee standards in Europe and across the world. Learn more about the benefits of membership at www.scae.com or email membership@scae.com

8 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

4,000 Members 32

National Chapters

World Championships

800

Authorised SCAE Trainers

500

Coffee Diplomas Awarded

60,000 Coffee Diploma System Certificates Issued

17,500

Certified Baristas

Years' Experience Inspiring Coffee Excellence

UPDATE

Dublin Ambassadors Get Ready to Welcome Coffee World SCAE Ireland has launched an exciting new programme as Dublin gears up for World of Coffee 2016. The local chapter has created a new World of Coffee Ambassadors’ Club which will feature up to 35 top cafés, restaurants, hotels and bars serving quality coffee in the Irish capital, supporting them through a range of training and marketing initiatives. The 35 establishments participating in the programme signed up to help improve the standard of coffee preparation and service in Dublin ahead of Europe’s top coffee week, when over 10,000 people from more than 100 countries will arrive in the city for World of Coffee, the World Barista Championship, World Brewers Cup and Re:co Speciality Coffee Symposium. ‘We wanted to create a programme which could take energy from SCAE’s World of Coffee and leave a positive legacy behind when the event rolls out of town,’ explains Paul Stack, President of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe and Chair of the SCAE Ireland Strategy Group. ‘The Ambassadors’ Club ensures speciality coffee standards of coffee preparation and service are embedded in the businesses involved, enjoyed by the 10,000 visitors and lead the way as a benchmark for excellent coffee service in Dublin.’

Dublin is getting ready to welcome up to 10,000 coffee pros this June for World of Coffee

By April, the businesses taking part in the World of Coffee Dublin Ambassadors’ Club will have received three off-site training days, a one-to-one on-site training session plus three on-site audits completed by an independent auditor. Operators who complete the programme and meet the criteria set out in all audits will be promoted on the World of Coffee 2016 website, mobile app and in promotional material which will showcase some of Dublin’s best coffee locations.

DublinTown, the city’s Business Improvement District, will also be supporting each of the establishment’s achievement by publishing window decals to showcase their accomplishment. The successful Ambassadors will be publicised to all World of Coffee visitors and also circulated in Ireland through media partners. Find out more about SCAE’s plans for World of Coffee Dublin 2016 at worldofcoffee-dublin.com.

Voting Begins for SCAE Board The election for the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe’s Board of Directors begins in April. Under SCAE’s bylaws, directors of the Association are elected every two years and a new board will be appointed at the annual general meeting in Dublin on 24 June. Nominations for the next board closed on 28 March and voting runs from 4 April to 2 May with results announced on 6 May. The board has decided that up to 10 positions will be elected directly by the membership and up to two positions can be co-opted to ensure that the board reflects, as required by SCAE’s bylaws, the regional and category distribution of our membership. The President and Vice President are automatically re-appointed for the next two years, and the Chair of Guilds for the next year. However, due to the possibility of unification with SCAA, this board may not sit for the full term of two years.

10 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

A volunteer at the Nordic World of Coffee in Gothenburg last June

WBC & WBrC Volunteers Wanted

World Coffee Events is seeking volunteers to assist at the World Barista Championship and World Brewers Cup, which will be held at World of Coffee Dublin from 22-25 June. To apply, please visit worldcoffeeevents.org/dublin-2016volunteer-registration.

UPDATE

Nominate Your Coffee Heroes in the SCAE Excellence Awards The SCAE Excellence Awards, which honour coffee professionals and enthusiasts who champion speciality coffee, are now open for nominations. The Awards will be presented at World of Coffee Dublin this June in the categories of: • Young Entrepreneur – open to enthusiastic members of the coffee industry, ideally under 30-years-old, who show success, drive and perseverance in their field • Passionate Educator – open to anyone who has made a concerted effort to communicate and educate others in the wonderful pleasures of coffee • Innovation – open to innovators who have successfully produced a product or system to promote and further the quality of coffee

Pictured at the presentation of the SCAE Excellence Awards 2015 at the Nordic World of Coffee was judge Colin Smith with winners Yves Clyford Desobgo Nguepi, Konstantinos Kostantinopoulos, Patrick O’Malley, Mathias Nabutele, sponsor Max Fabian of Demus S.p.A., and Heinz Trachsel

• Working Towards Sustainability – open to smallholders, estates, cooperatives, mills or farms in origins who are working to improve the environment by adapting farming methods or coffee preparation

Discount Tickets for World of Coffee

• Lifetime Achievement – this prestigious award will be presented to a person who has furthered the interests of the industry by promoting the concept of coffee quality in a statesmanlike manner.

One-day ticket: €15 inc. VAT

Nominations close on 15 May 2016. You can enter your candidate at scae.com/scae-excellence-awards.

Tickets for World of Coffee Dublin are now available to purchase online. Book before 30 April to avail of the ‘early bird’ discount rates. Three-day pass: €25 inc. VAT From 1 May, these tickets will increase to €30 and €20 respectively. Register now on worldofcoffee-dublin.com. Remember, SCAE members go free! Log in at scae.com to get the exclusive member discount code.

WITH BRITA PROFESSIONAL. Better water for your business – the ideal basis for great coffee and tea. Discover the difference now: www.brita.net

CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 11

UPDATE

Visit Rwanda with SCAE

Product Watch

SCAE is heading to Rwanda from 8-16 May in its second field trip of 2016. Open exclusively to SCAE members, the trip will include farm visits, meetings with local farmers and coffee tastings, and will provide a valuable insight into Rwanda’s coffee industry. The trip costs €2,000, which includes all farm visits and other activities, internal travel, accommodation and food and drink (excluding alcohol). Please note, tips and other expenses, including travel to Rwanda, are not included and the schedule is approximate and may change. To find out more, and to register your interest, please contact SCAE’s Field Trip organiser, Colin Smith, at colin.smith@smithscoffee.co.uk or SCAE’s Membership Manager, Jayne Richards at jayne@scae.com

Jobseekers Receive Barista Training A week-long, government-funded scheme aimed at jobseekers was run in Dundee, Scotland, recently. A total of 12 participants were trained in SCAE’s Barista Foundation course by Authorised SCAE Trainer, Jim Watson of Coffee Direct, who included customer service skills in the training. Upon completion of the course, the

students were then offered a threeweek work placement at coffee industry establishments who work closely with the Scottish government. The project has been warmly welcomed across Scotland, and by SCAE, which is keen to assist and support similar programmes in other areas.

Pictured at the barista training for jobseekeers in Dundee, Scotland were Anu Dogra, Lorraine Moore, Steven Tasker and Cavan Short with trainer Jim Watson (second from left)

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What’s New?

Demus SpA is entering new ground in decaffeination with the launch of Demus Aqua, its new process for decaffeinating coffee with water. Developed over eight years in partnership with Illy, Demus Aqua was introduced at Host Milan in October, where visitors could sample coffees decaffeinated by Demus with water, rather than its traditional methylene chloride. With a patent pending, the Italian decaffeination specialist intends to apply for organic certification for the process. ‘We did this as we want to diversify from our methylene chloride business. We want to have two different processes – methylene chloride and Demus Aqua,’ explains Max Fabian, CEO of Demus S.p.A. ‘Demus Aqua enables us to target different markets that were out of reach to us previously. We can now target roasters and green coffee dealers who are looking for a decaffeinated coffee which has the added value of being organic. It is quite an expensive process as it’s very complicated, so it is a premium product.’ For more information, see demus.it. *** New from La Cultura Del Caffé comes the Barista Milk Mate, a sustainable, clean milk-portioning machine which reduces milk waste. Delivering accurately portioned milk, dispense after dispense, the countertop machine includes an integrated rinsing system which allows the milk jugs to be cleaned for the next use.The 2.4-inch LCD touchscreen integrated display and computer interface provides dispensing control while the stainless steel interchangeable pipework and a self-clean function offers hygiene control. Mulmar Foodservice Solutions is introducing the Barista Milk Mate to the UK market. For more, see mulmar.com.

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E F E F ! O C F O E T S A T L A E R E H T R FO

Perfect coffee from the only ECBC approved single cup brewer!

www.technivorm.com CAFĂ&#x2030; EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 13

UPDATE

Raising The Bar Cup of Excellence is innovating for its 2016 programmes. SUSIE SPINDLER details the changes.

Above and below: Cup of Excellence judges

eginning with the Honduras programme in May of 2016, the new minimum score required to win the prestigious Cup of Excellence award will be 86 points. The former cut-off score was 85 points. The Cup of Excellence programme has recognised and rewarded high-quality farmers for producing some of the world’s most exquisite coffees for over 15 years. Farmers have responded to the financial windfall and hope for a better future by producing more and better coffees every year. So many astonishing coffees keep coming in year after year that competition organisers have raised the minimum score three times in 15 years just to keep up. Raising the score to 86 will be the fourth.

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Since Cup of Excellence is the premier competition in the world, it is no surprise that the rules of entry must be strict enough to reflect the ever-higher quality that is presented to be judged. Much like an Olympic event where athletes constantly push to break the speed record, coffee farmers push well past the norm of what is and has been expected for a speciality coffee.

The online platform will provide easy access for more roasters. However, the higher cut-off score leaves out a group of extremely valuable coffees scoring between 84 and 85.9 that were formerly considered to be Cup of Excellence quality. These coffees have already passed through the first three cuppings by the national jury with a score of at least 85 points but have not quite scored the 86 points required now by the organisers to make a Cup of Excellence selection. In 2016, the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) plans to offer for sale the 84-85.9 scoring coffees to any of its members via an online platform. Not being an active one-day auction like the Cup of Excellence, these lots will remain available to purchase until either a price target is met or the time target has

expired. They will also come with their own logo to help the marketplace add value to their customers. Sample sets of the national winning coffees can be purchased by members, in addition to the Cup of Excellence sample sets. Historically, these coffees have been highly sought after by cuppers on the international jury and often purchased right on the spot. This is no surprise really – not only are these coffees great quality coffees with zero defects, but they also come intact with the farm story. In any roaster’s inventory these coffees would be considered some of the best a country has to offer. It is hoped now that the online platform will create easy access for more global roasters to purchase these lots as well. In addition to the online platform and the increase in the minimum score, the Cup of Excellence quality team plans to test a new and exciting competition cupping form. The newly designed form will refine how the world’s top coffees are selected and scored. It could prove to be as revolutionary as when, in 2001, the Cup of Excellence form was first introduced to the international jury in Guatemala. The new scoring format will re-focus cuppers and shine a spotlight on the most valuable attributes that stand out in exemplary coffees. The group of talented cuppers and industry pioneers that have worked, re-worked and slurped through the innovative scoring system is impressive. At each Central American competition, the international jury team will have the opportunity to use and comment on the form in a test competition setting. Adjustments will be made from the comments and the form put into place for future scoring in the Cup of Excellence competitions. Registering for a jury will ensure the experienced cupper has a voice in the final development of what looks to be our new global cupping format. Members of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence will also have access to the form online once it is completed. For more information about how to register for an international jury, become a member and have access to incredible award winning coffees, log on to allianceforcoffeexcellence.org

◆

SUSIE SPINDLER is Executive Director of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence.

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CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 15

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Coffee Event Guide Essential dates for your diary. Find more on scae.com and email us at marketing@scae.com to promote your event.

World Coffee Roasting Championship

CoLab: Antwerp

World Cup Tasters Championship

When: 25-27 April

World Latte Art Championship

Info: baristaguildofeurope.com

World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship When: 29 March-1 April

Athens Coffee Festival

Where: Hotelex, Shanghai

When: 13-15 May

Info: worldcoffeeevents.org, hotelex.cn

Where: Technopolis Gazi, Athens Info: info@forumsa.gr

UK Barista Championship UK Brewers Cup

Poland Brewers Cup

London Coffee Festival

When: 14-15 May

When: 7-10 April Where: Old Truman Brewery, London

Switzerland Brewers Cup

Info: scaeuk.com, londoncoffeefestival.com

When: 21-22 May Where: Münchenstein

Belgium Barista Championship

Info: swissscae.ch

When: 12-13 April Where: Hasselt

Re:co Dublin

Info: scaebelgium.com

When: 21-22 June Where: RDS Concert Hall, Dublin

Re:co Atlanta

Info: recosymposium.org

When: 13-14 April Where: Omni Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta

World of Coffee Dublin 2016

Info: recosymposium.org

World Barista Championship World Brewers Cup

SCAA Expo

When: 23-25 June

When: 14-17 April

Where: RDS, Dublin

Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta

Info: worldofcoffee-dublin.com, worldcoffeeevents.org

Info: scaaevent.org Finland Barista Championship Finland Brewers Cup Helsinki Coffee Festival When: 22-24 April Where: Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki Info: scaefc.wordpress.com, helsinkicoffeefestival.com

16 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

ts icke T t oun ts to Disc l r ticke by 30 Apri u o y k n o i l nt. Bo e Dub ird’ discou e ff o of C rly B World l of the ‘Ea ore on . i m to ava Find out dublin.com eeofcoff d ! l r o w o free he g s r e t b mem o get SCAE cae.com t unt code. at s isco Log in member d sive exclu

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CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 17

CHAPTER FOCUS

Russian Barista Days ELENA KUPRIIANOVA reports from Russia’s National Championships.

pring 2016 in Moscow started off with a great coffee event. Russian Barista Days was held over three days with six national championships involved. The six best coffee professionals from Russia will now travel to Shanghai and Dublin to battle in the world competitions. Let’s start with the national Coffee Roasting Championship, which opened a day before the main event. The championship lasted four days, ending with the final cupping late at night on 3 March. The winner is Renata Ekshikeeva of Double B Coffee&Tea, Moscow. Dmitry Boroday, also of Double B Coffee&Tea in Moscow, won the Russian Brewers Cup 2016. For his open service Dmitry chose red washed caturra from La Virginia Farm owned by Rafael Aya in Colombia. That coffee – only 24 kilos – was carried by the winner in his suitcase when he travelled home from one of his trips to Colombia. Brewing with Immersion Wilfa Pour Over, Dmitry used 20 grams of coffee and 314.5 grams of water to get a sweet, clean

18 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

and juicy coffee. Here is a cup description for the judges: red tea, raspberry, mango and papaya, white chocolate and sweet carrot. For the World Brewers Cup Dmitry is going to look for a coffee he falls in love with, as well as red caturra by Rafael Aya. ‘It’s really important to like your coffee. You should trust it,’ he explained. Sergey Mitrofanov, Double B Coffee&Tea, Moscow, is an experienced barista and competitor. Last year he placed in the final six in the Russian Barista Competition, this year he took the first prize. Sergey chose geisha variety from Colombia for his espresso, milk beverage and signature drink. His presentation for the finals continued from the one he represented during Moscow regionals. The idea is to show how the chemical processes during roasting could influence coffee taste. Espresso is enzymes with its citrus, green apple and kiwi fruit. Cappuccino is caramelisation with its praline and lemongrass tasting notes. In the end of his presentation Sergey prepared a cold signature drink based on espresso with lemongrass and jasmine tea.

1. Ekaterina Vereshchagina, Russian Coffee in Good Spirits Champion 2. Sergey Mitrofanov, Russian Barista Champion 3. Viktoria Sharkova, Russian Cup Tasters Champion 4. Dmitry Boroday, Russian Brewers Cup Champion 5. Vitaliy Veretilnik, Russian Latte Art Champion

CHAPTER FOCUS 2.

CUP PROFILE Speciality Coffee in Russia Coffee is changing in Russia. ‘There is an increasing interest in coffee quality,’ reports SCAE Russia’s Communications Manager, Elena Kupriianova. ‘Customers are becoming more educated and they are ready to pay a higher price for higher quality. Even though people in Russia still drink instant coffee, as well as old ground coffee from supermarkets, demand for that coffee is now gradually decreasing. A second important change is the reduction of imported coffee supplies in the HoReCa segment. Restaurateurs and bars owners are starting to work with local coffee roasters and trust them with coffee choices and barista training.’ Formed in 2002, SCAE Russia now boasts 196 members and awareness of speciality coffee is growing in the country, although there is some way to go. ‘The young people, especially in the big cities, are very much aware of coffee quality and what they have in their mugs. The older generation, however, are more conservative in their tastes and prefer traditional dark roasted coffee with milk and lots of sugar. They don’t like arabica acidity in the cup. The good news is that situation is changing now. We have more skilled baristas, roasters and other professionals who are connected to speciality coffee.’ SCAE’s endeavours in Russia are led by the local committee. Headed by National Coordinator, Alexander Tsibaev, SCAE Russia Officers include Dmitry Koriukin, Education Manager; Yulia Chanturiya, Event Manager; Irina Sharipova, Membership Manager and Elena Kupriianova, Communications Manager.

Coffeemania, the Moscow-based coffee bar chain, celebrated its victory in the Russian Latte Art Championship. The hero of the day was Vitaliy Veretilnik who competed during the last four years and was close to victory last year when he took second place. Now he is a fullof-enthusiasm champion preparing for a battle in Shanghai. ‘I know I should master my latte art. The Asians are so skilled,’ he acknowledged. Another participant from the Coffeemania team won the Russian Cup Tasters Championship. Victoria Sharkova was the best of 62 competitors. Victoria mentioned that some triangles were really difficult as the cups were identical to one another. Ekaterina Vereshchagina of Lebedev Café triumphed in the Russian Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. In the final round Ekaterina prepared the classic Irish coffee based on Kenya Muteka Mutuani and 14-year-old single malt Scotch. The main components in her signature drink are espresso, Riga Balsam Currant and birch sap. The main judges during the event were Teija Marika Lublinkhof (WCE Representative, Barista Competition, Coffee in Good Spirits), Gloria Pedroza (Brewers Cup, Coffee Roasting Competition), Alexander Tsibaev (Barista Competition), Polina Notik (Latte Art Championship). The organizer of the event was Coffee & Tea Magazine in Russia, supported by SCAE and WCE. We would like to thank our amazing coffee volunteers from different Russian cities, who were eager to help with every second of the event and we wish our champions good luck in Shanghai and Dublin. C

CMY

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ELENA KUPRIIANOVA is SCAE Russia’s Communications Manager. CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 19

PARTNERS

Grounds For Health Doubles Impact The international women’s healthcare NGO is working tirelessly to combat cervical cancer in the coffeelands. With support of SCAE, it is rolling out its programme to Kenya this year, where cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women of reproductive age. Report by PAM KAHL.

emember last June? World of Coffee 2015 in Gothenburg? Caleb’s Flirting Peacock? And George’s Coffee Beer? It was also when Grounds for Health and SCAE signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement to improve the health of women living in coffeegrowing communities. The three-year collaboration signalled the growing recognition that women’s health is vital to creating and supporting a healthy supply circle. ‘Supporting Grounds for Health creates a strategic opportunity to have a lasting impact on the future of coffeegrowing communities because women are the stabilising force, responsible not only for today’s coffee but also for raising the next generation of farmers,’ notes David Veal, Executive Director, SCAE.

• The launch of the Penny Per Pound programme that enables roasters and importers to contribute to Grounds for Health as part of the procurement process • The exploration of expansion programmes in Rwanda and Kenya • The unveiling of a new brand identity, signalling a new era for the organisation. The Ethiopia programme, centered in the Wonsho district of the Sidama Zone, was a key driver of results in 2015 and demonstrated the significant opportunity in East Africa to build public-private partnerships to support women’s health and cervical cancer prevention.

SCAE funds, generated through a €0.50 donation for every SCAE Coffee Diploma System certificate signed, are being earmarked to support Grounds for Health’s new Kenya programme. As many may know, Grounds for Health is an international women’s healthcare NGO that has worked in the coffeelands for the past 20 years. The organisation has worked extensively in Latin America and Africa with current programmes in Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Peru and a new programme launching in Kenya this year. But what many may not realise is that the organisation’s mission focuses on one of the greatest disparities in women’s health today – cervical cancer – and has an ambitious vision for reducing the number of women living in developing countries who die annually from this nearly 100% preventable disease. Thanks to the support of SCAE and many others across the speciality coffee supply chain, last year was a significant year for Grounds for Health. Programmes in Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Peru resulted in more than 7,000 women screened (an increase of 56% over 2014) and ensured preventive therapy for nearly 900 of them (an increase of 94% over 2014). The organisation is poised to reach twice as many women in 2016 as it did in 2015. Grounds for Health’s CEO, Guy Stallworthy, joined the organisation in July 2014 and immediately saw the opportunity for growth. ‘We are completely focused on scaling our programmes such that we’re able to reach as many women as possible. By 2020, we intend to increase our impact by reaching 50,000 women annually.’ Grounds for Health had many accomplishments in the second half of 2015, after signing the agreement with SCAE. A few notables include:

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The Roaster’s Challenge fundraising campaign generated more than $200,000 from 72 coffee companies with funding matched by the US government and others for a total of $580,000. Grounds for Health’s strong performance in the country has attracted new grants and partners such as UK-based Marie Stopes International will enable the organisation to expand the programme four-fold in 2016. Dean Cycon is founder of US-based Deans Beans Organic Coffee Company, headquartered in Orange, Massachusetts, and a recipient of the UN Women’s Engagement Award. Cycon was instrumental in helping Grounds for Health establish its Ethiopia programme and rally organisations throughout the supply chain to participate in the Roaster’s Challenge. ‘As an industry, we must recognise that women are at the heart of coffee and their wellbeing is critical to both farmer livelihoods and our livelihoods. If women aren’t healthy, the supply chain won’t be healthy.’ Kenya Capitalising on the successful launch in Ethiopia, Grounds for Health began to expand East Africa programming to Kenya in 2016. According to the Kenyan Ministry of Public Health, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Kenyan women and the leading cause of cancer death among women of reproductive age. Initial operations will focus on Nyeri County, one of Kenya’s premier coffee-growing areas and home to about 100,000 coffee farmers. The Ministry of Health and the Nyeri County

PARTNERS

What else is in store for 2016? ‘New partnerships with Health Executive have welcomed Grounds for Health’s proposed European coffee companies,’ notes Guy Stallworthy. ‘There operating model in part because they have made some is enormous potential to build private-public partnership investments in equipment for cervical cancer screening and opportunities with companies and agencies in Europe that would treatment but have not been able to put them to use. have a catalytic impact on our ability to realise the 2020 goal. In December 2015, Grounds for Health and local partners Our work is highly tangible and measurable and has immediate trained and activated staff at one health centre, while developing impact – saving women’s lives. We know these qualities a workplan for the year. Some initial supporters have already are attractive to companies interested in supporting social made commitments, a fundraising campaign will be launched programmes at origin.’ shortly, and the preliminary target is to screen at least 3,000 women this year. PAM KAHL is the Vice President, Communications and Development, at SCAE funds, generated through a €0.50 donation for Grounds for Health. For more information on how to support Grounds for every SCAE Coffee Diploma System certificate signed, are Health please visit groundsforhealth.org/get-involved/ or email Pam at being earmarked to support Grounds for Health’s new Kenya 9510 Cafe Europa Ad (125x185) AW.qxp_125x185mm 30/11/2015 14:44 pam@groundsforhealth.org Page 1 programme.

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CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 21

SUSTAINABILITY

Securing the Future of Coffee Is ‘sustainability’ a buzzword or mantra, asks ANTONY WATSON.

ustainability has become a term we’re all familiar with, but in truth how much are we all doing collectively in the battle to become more sustainable? There’s no doubt, some take a much more active stance than others, but with small changes to our lifestyles, business practices and attitudes, it’s been proven that we can accomplish a lot more in a short space of time. Aside from the wider challenge of slowing climate change and reducing the human race’s negative impact on the environment, we in the coffee community also have a responsibility to our industry. Numerous reports and research projects have been carried out over the years, concluding that the way our humble bean is produced, traded and retailed is not sustainable for future generations to enjoy. At a recent summit of SCAE’s Board of Directors, senior staff and committee members, a lone voice made an inspiring speech that roused us to take action against the threat that a nonsustainable industry poses to our way of life. That voice belonged to Johan Damgaard, co-founder of Johan & Nystrom in Stockholm, and member of the SCAE Board of Directors. His words weren’t new – at some point everyone has heard them before – but what struck a chord most was that, without urgent action, we are all at risk of letting the worst happen. Inspired by his announcement, the team at SCAE has since been busy planning how we tackle such a serious problem. For a huge number of SCAE members, they have already made an enormous impact and so it seems obvious that SCAE's role should be to facilitate the sharing of the great work that has already been done, to drive the debate for change, and to place sustainability on the agenda of all coffee businesses for years to come. Our Sustainability Policy In 2015, the International Development Committee, led by Alberto Polojac as its Chair, developed a Sustainability Policy for SCAE. This

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vital document has become the catalyst for change. As Alberto explains in more detail; ‘We would never presume to have all the answers, how can we? The power that SCAE has is the ability to share the collective knowledge and experience of our members so that we can all learn and continue to improve how we operate. The creation of a Sustainability Policy is just the start, as we begin to set up a number of new initiatives, each designed to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, research and innovation through a platform that demands more education for all of us.’ Making this idea a reality is a challenge in itself, but certainly not impossible. With such a proactive community, all fuelled by the desire to help and educate, sourcing the content is relatively straightforward, but delivering it in an informative and educational structure is always the hard part. We’ve developed a number of new initiatives that we have already begun implementing. The most significant is the Sustainability Forum, a brand new feature to be housed and debuted at World of Coffee in Dublin this June. The Sustainability Forum will be a hub of activity, bringing together other pioneering associations that operate within the realms of sustainability, alongside case studies from innovative businesses in the coffee industry that have already made a substantial difference. Surrounding the main stage area, several of the world’s leading associations and charities in sustainability will be on hand to discuss groundbreaking trends from other industries and market sectors, and share some of the lessons they have learned. The hope is that, by offering such a significant insight into the great work that has already been done by some of our members, others will be inspired to implement change within their own organisation. Of course, gaining a better understanding of what sustainability really is, and what needs to be done to make a real change for the future, is essential to the success of this forum and this ensures that education remains at the heart of our objectives.

CE53 Direct Trade v_02FIN 13-05-13_Cafe Europa 15/05/2013 07:29 Page 23

SUSTAINABILITY As well as key talks and seminars, we will also host the inaugural Sustainability Awards programme, an initiative that seeks to reward innovation, effort, determination and influence that business and entrepreneurs have demonstrated in their work. It’s important to recognise that being more sustainable as an industry is not something that is only rooted at origin, we can take steps throughout the production process that can have a positive impact on what we do for the future.

and financial savings, but because if we don’t, we won’t have an industry left to work in over the coming century.’ An Exciting New Feature World of Coffee Dublin will be an excellent venue for our first Sustainability Forum and, in turn, we believe this important new feature will bring added value to what is already Europe’s premier speciality coffee event.

‘It’s essential that we start changing the way that we work immediately, not just for great PR and financial savings, but because if we don’t, we won’t have an industry left to work in over the coming century.’ Details of the Sustainability Awards, including how to nominate and vote will shortly be released by SCAE, with regular updates being made available on the website at scae.com. In addition, the SCAE Board of Directors has voted to create a new Sustainability Committee to ensure that there is a focal point for further discussion and development in the future. The committee will be chaired by Johan Damgaard, who has already implemented numerous sustainability projects within his own business. He brings a huge amount of experience to the role. ‘These are just the first few steps towards a more sustainable coffee community, but it’s important for us to build a solid foundation so that we can be more productive in the future,’ notes Johan. ‘What’s been most noticeable in the past is how many professionals switch off when they hear the word “sustainability” and this is because people do not understand what it is. It’s a complicated subject, but it’s essential we start changing the way we work immediately, not just for great PR

Ireland is home to one of the world’s most sustainable food industries and visitors to World of Coffee will be able to learn from some of the pioneering food businesses who are at the forefront of sustainability on the island. The Speciality Food Hall, supported by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA), will be located next to the Sustainability Forum and Awards, providing visitors with easy access to a wealth of knowledge and experience. Working within the speciality coffee community is a privilege that very few of us would dispute. Sadly, preserving the future of our industry cannot be achieved on enthusiasm alone and so we must take dramatic steps quickly to avoid a bleak future. As always, SCAE encourages everyone to get involved in this, or any other initiative, as we strive to inspire coffee excellence for generations to come.

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ANTONY WATSON is Project Manager for the Sustainability Forum.

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COVER STORY

CELEBRATING THE

WORLD’S OLDEST BREWING METHOD

When thousands of visitors gathered in Dubai for the 20th edition of Gulfood, the world’s largest food and hospitality trade show, they were also given the opportunity to celebrate cezve, coffee’s oldest brewing method. Café Europa reports from the World Cezve/Ibrik Championship in Dubai.

Second place Hazal Atesoglu (Turkey), World Champion Konstantinos Komninakis (Greece) and the UAE champion Karthikeyan Ranjedran

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COVER STORY

The World Cezve/Ibrik Championship was held at Gulfood in February

lassical ibrik has undergone a reinvention in recent years, culminating in the introduction of new rules and regulations for the ninth annual World Cezve/ Ibrik Championship held at Gulfood in February (see Café Europa, Issue 62 or ibrikchampionship.org for more details). Organised by SCAE, the competition set out to promote and showcase speciality coffee through the art of brewing coffee in this most iconic and traditional of methods. The championship, which featured a roster of 19 competitors from around the world, was a monumental success, drawing large interest locally and globally. ‘It was huge!’ says Raw Coffee’s Matt Toogood, who served as MC at the event. ‘To have 19 countries represented was just amazing and to be deep inside the Middle East’s biggest trade show, where huge amounts of people were exposed to the World Championship of the coffee brewing method most popular in the region, was brilliant.’ Indeed, SCAE’s decision to bring the World Cezve/ Ibrik Championship to the heart of the UAE represented a ‘homecoming’ for the brew, noted Gulfood Exhibition Director, Mark Napier. ‘In this region coffee is more than a mere beverage; it is regarded as a traditional custom, a hallmark of hospitality values and a rite of passage. All of these factors contributed to ensure that hosting the World Cezve/Ibrik Championships in the UAE – the first time the event had been staged in the Gulf – felt like a homecoming for everyone connected to Gulfood. It was a genuine pleasure to host such a passionate and inspiring industry gathering with wonderful people and personalities. They made the event so special and we look forward to hosting them again!’ Reinventing a Classic Brewing coffee in a cezve or ibrik pot is a tradition that dates back centuries. Little has changed in the technique, but the use of speciality coffees and modern equipment has ensured a bright future for this craft. With more and more people able to access the specialist brewing equipment required, this, the oldest method of brewing coffee, is now becoming increasingly popular among the speciality coffee community. ‘People are looking for that next trend, the next wave in coffee that’s going to inject some new energy into their business and provide an advantage over their competitors. Cold brew has had global success and is becoming a mainstream product offering in cafés and coffee chains all over the world. What’s great about ibrik is that we aren’t reinventing the wheel, we’re just giving it a bit of a polish,’ explains Annemarie Tiemes, Education Field Manager at SCAE, organiser of the World Cezve/Ibrik Championship and member of the Cezve/Ibrik Working Group.

The growing stature and interest in ibrik is, undoubtedly, in small part thanks to the national and World Cezve/Ibrik Championships, that celebrate the passion and skill that go into making coffee in this way across the globe. There’s no denying that certain SCAE National Chapters have struggled to find enough competitors to run a national championship in the past, and for many years it has been reliant on the likes of Turkey, Greece, Romania and Italy to provide the competitors, representative of Europe, for a World Championship. In October 2015 this changed, as the inaugural MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Cezve/Ibrik Championships took place in Dubai. What’s remarkable about the birth of this new competition is that it was driven by an overwhelming demand from the region to have a contest, and it quickly became apparent that it was a smart move to organise it. What followed this hugely successful contest was a wave of support and interest in cezve-style coffees that has spanned across North Africa, Asia, Europe and to the Americas over the last six months. With eight competitors already registered for the 2016 World Championships, the number of national championships organised in Europe for this discipline doubled. Slovakia, the Netherlands and Russia were just some of the chapters to successfully organise a competition and there were plenty more interested in holding competitions in other chapters, had time permitted. So, with 19 competitors entered, the most ever to compete in the World Cezve/Ibrik Championship, the stage was set for an incredible battle for the 2016 title. Looking around the crowd in attendance each day, a number of former national and world champions could be spotted. Davide Berti, the 2015 World Champion from Italy, was in attendance to watch the spectacle unfold and, among the judging panel, a host of celebrity faces were there to give their expert feedback on the performances. Former World Champion and Head Judge, Aysin Aydogdu, was joined by Greece’s 2014 World Champion Stavros Lamprinidis, and several other national champions. This transfer from barista to judge demonstrates the passion and dedication inherent in so many speciality coffee baristas. After three full days of heats, the competitors were called back on the eve of the last day to learn who would progress to the final. The quality of the competitors meant that choosing six finalists was a difficult task but, after all the scores were tallied, it emerged that Kathikeyan Rajendran of UAE, Hazal Atesoglu of Turkey, Jerome Jumawan of the Philippines, Ecaterina Szasz of Romania Konstantinos Komninakis of Greece and Sara Al-Ali of Saudi Arabia would contest the final. » CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 25

COVER STORY

Mark Napier, Exhibition Director, Gulfood and David Veal, Executive Director, SCAE present World Cezve/Ibrik Champion Konstantinos Komninakis with his award

The final was held under an intense spotlight after some world-class performances. As well as superb tasting coffees, the baristas also introduced a number of new and intriguing techniques for perfecting the quality of the brew. For instance, Hazal Atesoglu of Turkey brought her chemistry lab to the stage to demonstrate the attention to detail and need for precision when brewing speciality coffee in a cezve pot. What has often been a criticism of Turkish coffee is the coffee grounds served in the cup, and if you are not used to it, then it’s certainly a strange sensation. However, it does make for an interesting cup of coffee, full of body and a depth of flavour that you don’t often get in a traditional drip filtered brew. What many competitors, including Saudi Arabia’s Sara Al-Ali, chose to do was to filter their coffee using an Aerobie Aeropress or similar method. The result is a much cleaner cup of coffee, yet with a distinct fullbodied flavour, that is unattainable through other brew methods. After a final full day of competition and with all the finalists on tenterhooks, the moment arrived to announce the winner. Following SCAE’s Executive Director, David Veal’s, kind words of thanks and gratitude to the volunteers and staff that made the competition the success it was, the mic was handed to Annemarie Tiemes of the SCAE Cezve/Ibrik Committee to announce the placing. In reverse order, they were: 6th – Sara Al-Ali (Saudi Arabia) 5th – Jerome Jumawan (Philippines) 4th – Ecaterina Beatrice Szasz (Romania) 3rd – Karthikeyan Rajendran (UAE) 2nd – Hazal Atesoglu (Turkey) 1st – Konstantinos ‘Kostas’ Komninakis (Greece) It was a huge triumph for Konstantinos, who competed on the global stage for the first time in Dubai. Having taken a few moments to soak up his success, he remarked, ‘The National Greek Championships were my first time competing and to go on from there and to win the world title is an amazing feeling. I am honoured and, after a lot of hard work, I must thank my team, Antonis Kargiotis, George Bournelis, the farmer Graciano Cruz, and of course my inspiration to compete, Stavros Lamprinidis.’ A Festival of Coffee Perhaps the most exciting addition to SCAE’s competition area (after the championship) was the inclusion of the Brew Bar, which provided a unique opportunity for onlookers and spectators to 26 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

sample some of the coffees the competitors were preparing for their performances. Every type of brew method was available from espresso to traditional drip filter and of course cezve/ibrik. This feature proved to be incredibly popular with hundreds of people keen to try some of the best speciality coffees available. A nice addition was that, among the local roasters and baristas who were working on the Brew Bar, several of the competitors also took a slot and happily prepared their beverages for all to try. It proved to be a great way of engaging the local community with the importance of speciality coffee. In between the competitors’ presentations and the drinks being served at the Brew Bar, the stage also made way for a number of guest speakers who talked on a range of subjects, from the growth of the coffee business, to the importance of coffee science and the research that SCAE’s Research Committee is currently committed to delivering. For many in the audience, it was a first glimpse at the level of professionalism that is present in the coffee industry and the message that everyone took away is that, without these dedicated and hardworking individuals that have pioneered coffee education, research and knowledge-sharing, the industry would be a lot worse off. Interspersed with the day’s activities, were a series of entertainment line-ups, including traditional African and Arabian dancing, as well as delicious treats often associated with ibrik, including homemade date cake and Turkish delight. Overall, this element of the event gave the championship area a festival feel with literally hundreds of people crowding around to watch and see what was happening. SCAE Executive Director, David Veal, remarked: ‘Hosting the World Cezve/Ibrik Championship here at the Dubai World Trade Centre during the Gulfood event was an easy decision for us to make and gives us a fantastic opportunity to promote speciality coffee in this region. The support from the venue has been second to none, and with the additional support for our returning sponsor, Loumidis, we knew the event was destined to succeed. The response we’ve seen from the audience here is overwhelming and it's quite evident ibrik’s growth in popularity is continuing.’ SCAE would like to thank the sponsors, all the equipment suppliers, and the organisers of the entertainment, for their support and help in making this our most successful World Cezve/Ibrik Championship to date.

THE COMPETITORS World Champion: Konstantinos Komninakis (Greece) Runner-Up: Hazal Atesoglu (Turkey) Second Runner-Up: Karthikeyan Rajendran (UAE) 4th: Ecaterina Beatrice Szasz (Romania) 5th: Jerome Jumawan (Philippines) 6th: Sara Al-Ali (Saudi Arabia) 7th: Hemant Pokharel (Nepal) 8th: Ayan Eroglu (Netherlands) 9th: Marina Khyuppenen (Russia) 10th: Ondrej Petrus (Slovakia) 11th: Nir Chouchana (Israel) 12th: Anna Marzova (Czech Republic) 13th: Reka Dobra (Hungary) 14th: Helena Olivero (Italy) 15th: JP Muliro (Uganda) 16th: Arin Khachtoorian (Iran) 17th: Vitalii Nevmerzhytskyi (Ukraine) 18th: Prem Bahadur (India) 19th: Majda Errihani (Morocco)

COVER STORY

MEET THE WORLD CHAMPION

Konstantinos Komninakis Tell us a little about yourself… Where do you work? Why did you choose a career in coffee? I started working with coffee 11 years ago in a small coffee shop at my village in Lesvos. Five years ago I moved to Athens and I started learning more about speciality coffees. I work at Just Made 33, in the historical center of Athens, using speciality coffee roasting by Sapid. I feel happy every time I smell, I taste and I work with coffee! I couldn’t have a better reason to choose this as a career. What attracted you to ibrik? Ibrik is a method that we use a lot in Greece. Greek coffee means coffee in ibrik, so from a young age I was used to this style. Another inspiration for me was Stavros Lambrinidis who maintained a high standard in the Ibrik Championship in Greece. How did it feel to be crowned World Cezve/Ibrik Champion? It was an amazing feeling. It’s a big dream come true. How did you prepare for the competition? There were lots of hours of hard work over three months at Sapid Coffee Roasting Co. What was it like competing in the event? It was a great experience. The World Cezve/Ibrik Championship is a really

interesting competition, especially this year with new rules and the fact that there were more competitors than ever. Will winning the World Championship have a big impact on your career? I hope so! Ha, ha. Of course winning a world championship has significant impact on your career but it needs to be handled very professionally. How do you make the perfect cezve? It needs love! It also needs good quality water at room temperature, a gas heater (I use Theofilos) or sand heater, handmade Greek-specific ibriks (mine were by Mediterranean Art), and of course high-quality coffee! Should more cafés around the world offer cezve? Yes it is a very interesting method and I feel that many coffee shops are offering it already. Ibrik or cezve coffee is the oldest method of brewing coffee. It has many techniques and lots of materials that you can work with. It tastes great and it is very easy to make.

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CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 27

RESEARCH

KINETICS OF ESPRESSO EXTRACTION New research, commissioned by SCAE and conducted at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), investigates the impact of pressure and temperature on espresso extraction, writes ANTONY WATSON.

28 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

any different extraction methods have been introduced over the centuries which can vary according to geography, culture, social context and personal preference. This can result in vastly different flavour profiles but there are few brewing techniques that can produce a coffee with such intensity of aroma, taste and flavour – making espresso one of the most popular ways to extract coffee. So it comes as no surprise that the quest for the illusive ‘god shot’ is on the lips of most coffee enthusiasts and professionals when it comes to pulling the ‘perfect’ espresso, whether at home or in a commercial setting. Given that the vast majority of drinks served in a coffee shop are espresso-based, mastering the art – and science – of preparing a well-extracted shot is absolutely crucial to customer experience and business success.

RESEARCH

Method A yellow bourbon Arabica coffee from Brazil was roasted to a medium roast degree. The coffee was frozen two weeks after roasting and defrosted 12 hours prior to the experiment to ensure freshness. Less than one month had elapsed from roasting to extraction. A recipe of 18g in, 30g out (double porta-filter basket) in 25 seconds was applied using a Compak K10 grinder and Dalla Corte Mini semi-automatic espresso machine. The water Expenses 2015 used was a commercially available mineral water with a total mineralisation of 130 mg/L. 5% 4%Extractions were performed with five different combinations of water pressure and temperature profiles, one within the 29% provided by the Specialty Coffee Association of recommendation America (SCAA) of 9 bar at 92°C and the others with values that exceed or were lower than SCAA’s recommendation. Although all the coffees were prepared by an experienced barista, variations resulting from the manual preparation process were expected. To reduce this variability, eight extractions for each set of conditions were performed and five replicates selected for which the final weight of the extract was closest to 30g, ending up with 25% coffee weights in the range of 31.5g ± 2g.

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Figure 1 shows the time-intensity profiles of the centre point experiment (9 bar/92°C) for each of the five groups of VOCs. Time zero corresponds to the moment at which the pump of the coffee machine started to run, however, coffee did not start to flow out of the portafilter until five to six seconds later. After 25 seconds, the pump was stopped and one second later the coffee flow also stopped. This figure shows the distinguishing features in intensity found between the different groups of compounds. During the 25-second extraction, the intensity over time of the volatile compounds in the coffee was monitored and analysed in detail for identified compounds. Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) was applied, resulting in the grouping of 44 compounds (see Figure 2) into five different groups that shared similar timeintensity profiles. The results show that an increase in the extraction temperature leads to higher quantities of volatiles in the extract. This can result in over-extraction and a coffee cup with negative flavour notes, such as woody, burnt or acrid flavours. Increasing pressure up to 11 bar also resulted in coffees with higher aroma intensity than coffees extracted at 7 or 9 bar pressure. Effect of Pressure Pressure is the driving force required to produce a flow of water through the compacted coffee column, assisting the extraction of desirable aromatic and flavour compounds, while also helping to transfer solid particles and oil droplets from the ground beans to the cup. In comparable studies, authors have reported an increase in chlorogenic acids, lipids, coffee oil, diterpenes and volatile aroma compounds when increasing pressure from 7 to 9 bar – although no differences in caffeine or total solids were observed in the experiment. A further pressure increase to 11 bar had either no effect or produced a decrease in these volatile compounds. Although the negative effect on extraction efficiency of high pressure has been attributed to a decrease in flow by causing a gradient of resistance in the lower part of the coffee column, the extraction at 11 bar did not significantly change the average flow of the coffee. »

Figure 1: Normalised intensity over time graph showing the profile curve of each group of volatile organic compounds in a 25 second espresso coffee extraction at 9 bar/92°C. The graph shows the concentration of compounds classified into group E increased only slowly in the flow of the coffee extract, to reach their maximum under this condition only after about 20 seconds, and remaining high until the end of the espresso extraction. 1.00

Normalised intensity

In recent years, there has been a trend towards dosing with higher quantities of coffee in many northern European speciality coffee markets, with extraction yields of anywhere between 18-25% being achieved. But in an increasing competitive industry – where rising business rates and upward pressures on speciality coffee prices are driven by demand and concerns over climate change – baristas are now looking at new ways of extracting 'more with less' to reduce unnecessary wastage without compromising on quality. A revolution in espresso machine design, offering incredible precision and control as well as the adoption of technologies such as the refractometer used to measure total dissolved solids (TDS), is helping to drive this new phenomenon. The hot water extraction process under high pressure required to brew an espresso is, of course, the result of the interplay between numerous factors that must be carefully calibrated if consistency is to be maintained and quality achieved. Just some of these parameters include the coffee variety or blend, freshness of the roasted coffee, particle size and distribution of the ground coffee, brew ratio, and the temperature, pressure and mineral composition of the extracting water, all of which have a significant impact on the profile of the final quality of the cup. During extraction, soluble compounds such as coffee oils, lipids and organic acids are dissolved, while non-soluble compounds such as salts and carbonates are transferred to the water. Essentially a flavour carrier, the water contains between 5-10% of dissolved or suspended solids. In an effort to investigate the dynamics of espresso further, SCAE’s Research Committee commissioned a team of scientists at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), led by Prof. Chahan Yeretzian, to specifically examine the effect of different water temperature and pressure profiles over time on the extraction kinetics and concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in espresso – of which many are the volatile aroma compounds found in coffee. Their aim was to break the extraction down into several parts and analyse each stage with the help of a highly sensitive piece of equipment designed to monitor the volatiles directly from the flow of coffee in real time, using a technique called protontransfer reaction time-of-flight mass-spectrometry, or PTR-ToFMS for short. In order to gather the data, they studied the effect of pressure by extracting espresso coffee at 7, 9 and 11 bar pressure over a brew time of 25 seconds. To study the effect of temperature, espresso coffees were also extracted at 82°, 92° and 96° centigrade. They analysed 44 VOCs and grouped these into five groups of volatile compounds that had similar extraction dynamics or time-intensity extraction profiles.

0.75

0.50

A B C D E

0.25

0.00 0

Time/s

CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 29

RESEARCH In this recent ZHAW study, the overall time intensity profiles of group A characterised by organic compounds such as acetic acid, showed no significant differences based on extraction pressure. For the representative compounds in groups B and C, extraction at 7 bar resulted in lower intensities, but only during the middle phase of the extraction (8-16 seconds) where the highest effect of pressure on the time intensity profiles was observed. In group D and E, there were no differences between 7 and 9 bar but extraction at 11 bar resulted in significantly higher concentrations of VOCs over the entire extraction time – particularly during the last 10 seconds. However, since the differences in intensities at each point in time were very small across the range of pressure profiles with the exception of extraction at 11 bar in the latter stages, these could still accumulate and have a high impact in the final cup from a sensory perspective. Hence this study revealed a more differentiating picture of pressure on aroma extraction efficiency, showing specific dependencies on certain volatile compounds in the extraction phase. Effect of Temperature As expected, increases in temperature resulted in an increase in the measured intensity of VOCs. This was especially visible in the second half of the extraction from 14-25 seconds, however, the effect was again different for each volatile organic compound group. For group A and C, no significant difference was observed between extractions at 92°C and 96°C, but the extraction at 82°C resulted in lower intensities. Compounds represented in group B showed differences in intensity after 16 seconds, although only in the last two seconds of the extraction was there a significant difference for all three temperatures. The greatest effect of temperature was observed for groups D and E. Significant differences in the two extreme temperatures appeared earlier than for the other groups starting at 16 and 12 seconds for group D and E respectively, and increased with extraction time. For the compound dimethylpyrazine, a representative of group D which has a distinctive nutty aroma, it was observed that the intensity reached a maximum at 16 seconds and then remained constant until the end of the extraction. In the case of the representative compound of group E – furfurylpyrrole – which can have a vegetable or fruity aroma, the increase of extraction efficiency at 96°C was even more evident. In general, an increase in water temperature resulted in higher solubility in water for some compounds such as methylbutanal, pyridine and some pyrazines. Similar studies have shown that the use of water at high temperatures for brewing espresso has been related to increases in extraction yield, caffeine, diterpenes, coffee oil and lipids. This suggests that the more efficient extraction of coffee oil and lipids at higher extraction temperatures may, in turn, favour the extraction of more soluble lipophilic compounds which have a strong effect on flavour release and perception. This could explain the greater effect of temperature on the higher extraction of volatiles from group D which contains chemical signatures that have a lower polarity than other compounds. Conclusion The analysis of volatile coffee compounds released from the coffee flow during extraction by PTR-ToF-MS has proved to be very effective in the study of coffee aroma extraction when using a range of different pressure and temperature parameters. Significant differences in the extraction kinetics between volatile compounds allowed them to be grouped into five groups with similar physio-chemical characteristics. It was also observed that the polarity of the volatile compounds was the main influence in their rate of extraction.

30 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

Concentrations of aroma compounds changed with the different brewing parameters and increases in both pressure and temperature resulted in the higher extraction efficiency of VOCs. Compounds with lower polarities were the most affected, which mainly impacted on the aroma balance in the last stage of the extraction. Prof. Chahan Yeretzian, Chair of the SCAE Research Committee, explained: ‘Overall, we found that an increase in temperature had a greater impact on the extraction of volatile organic compounds than changes in pressure. It was also interesting to observe that both parameters seem to impact the extraction of VOC only at extraction volumes larger than 15g. Finally, not all compounds are affected the same way which could be linked to physico-chemical properties of the VOCs (most of which are coffee aroma compounds). Compounds with low polarity are more affected by the extraction conditions, while compounds of high polarity are much less sensitive to extraction conditions.’ Lead scientist on the project, José A. Sánchez López, added that ‘the experiment provides further scope for research as we seek to understand, at the chemical level, how small changes can lead to significant changes in the cup.’

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This research was submitted for publication in the International Journal of Mass Spectrometry. Title: Extraction Kinetics of Coffee Aroma Compounds using a Semi-Automatic Coffee Machine: On-Line Analysis by PTR-ToFMS. Authors: José A. Sánchez López, Marco Wellinger, Alexia N. Gloess, Ralf Zimmermann, Chahan Yeretzian. It was funded by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe and the PIMMS ITN, which is supported by the European Commission’s seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement number 315 287382. Figure 2: The Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) can be grouped into five groups, according to their time intensity behaviour during espresso extraction: Group A

Group B

Group C

Formaldehyde

Formic acid

1,3-Butadiene

Methanol

2-Propenal

Dimethyl sulfide

Acetaldehyde

2-Methylpropenal

Butyraldehyde

Acetone

3-Buten-2-one

Propanal

Methylbutenal

2-Methylpropanal

Acetic acid

Methylpropanoate

Butanone

Propanoic acid

Pentanedione

2, 3-Butanedione Group D

Group E

Pyrrole

Pyridine

Furan

2-Acetylpyrrole

Methylpyrrole

Ethenylmethyl-pyrazine

Methylpyrazine

2-Ethyl-5-methylpyrazine

Furfural

Trimethylpyrazine

Furfuryl alcohol

Guaiacol

Hydroxypentanone

Ethylbenzenediol

1-Methyl-2-butanoic acid

Ethylcyclopentanedione

Dimethylpyrazine

2-Acetyl-1-ethylpyrrole

Ethylpyrazine

3-Acetyl-2,4-dimethylpyrrole

Acetylfuran

1-Furfurylpyrrole

5-Methylfurfural 5-Methylfurfuryl alcohol

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How To…

Start a Roastery This spring Café Europa is introducing a new series of guides offering practical business advice on a wide range of topics. Leading coffee educator, PAUL MEIKLE-JANNEY, begins the series with a guide to opening a new roastery based on his first-hand experience launching Dark Woods Coffee in the UK. Images: HANNAH WEBSTER 32 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

ADVICE

It’s also a great location for visitors travelling to our café, and we don’t upset people creating too much smoke, which are all points to consider when you think about where to start. It’s a modest-size business with a 1950s’ Probat UG22 at its heart, specialising in high-end Arabica blends and single origins. My two partners in the business brought a lot of experience with them. Damian had been a roaster and buyer for many years for a larger roaster nearby, and had a lot of experience at origin, including being involved in the Cup of Excellence programme. Ian was director of a large social enterprise and a charity working closely with African farmers. Finally, I ran Coffee Community for the last 16 years, providing barista training and consultancy to the industry and I also helped write the SCAE barista qualifications. This naturally leads me to the first question someone needs to ask when considering roasting themselves: What skills and knowledge are required? • Roasting and the ability to taste • Business and logistics • Barista skills • Marketing and sales The renovated Probat UG22 roaster at Dark Woods Coffee

hen asked to write an article advising readers on how to start a roastery, I first had to question my credentials to do so. We only started Dark Woods Coffee a couple of years ago and, although the future looks promising, it is still early days yet to judge how successful we have been (that said, I spend my days working in an old mill in the beautiful Yorkshire Moors, roasting great coffee, so that is already success in many ways!). And so, what follows are merely observations from our experience and questions to ask yourselves if you feel like following down a similar path. Dark Woods Coffee is based in a renovated textile mill nestling by the river, canal and moorland of the Yorkshire Pennines, in the North of England. We chose the location as we all love the countryside, didn’t want the stress of city life, and the rent is much cheaper – although we did spend quite a bit of time and money on the refurbishment!

I would hope that roasting skills would be top of your list (although I know many companies that have learnt on the job, hoping that enthusiasm pulls them through). Turning green things brown is achievable for most, but never underestimate the skills required to select and buy the best coffees (having a good palate is essential), maximise their potential through the blending and roasting process, and then keep that quality consistent month after month. I thought I knew a fair bit about coffee but had to bow to Damian’s experience and skill in this area. The ability to get the optimum roast profile for a particular bean or blend quickly will minimise a lot of waste. But roasting and tasting is only one skill that is needed. Equally important are your business skills, such as complete awareness of the costs involved in producing each of your coffees; not just the green beans but the power, wages, packaging and transportation. Also, managing your cash flow; following a policy of lean purchasing. Knowing your break-even point, how many kilos of coffee you need to sell to pay the bills, will also help. » CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 33

ADVICE

The craft roasting business is attracting a lot of new entries at the moment. Each new company has to fight for customers to survive, and so you have to be clear on exactly who your customers are and why they are going to choose you over your competitors.

Damian Blackburn travelled to Brazil last year to sort out a long-term relationship with a farm there.

Sales & Marketing To sell coffee successfully these days you will also need decent barista skills. Not only will you need to know how to get the best from the beans but your customers will expect training as well. Marketing is another crucial area. There are a number of questions that you will have to ask yourself: • Who are your customers? • What is their understanding of coffee quality? • What are they willing to pay for it? The craft roasting business is attracting a lot of new entries at the moment. Each new company has to fight for customers to survive, and so you have to be clear on exactly who your customers are and why they are going to choose you over your competitors. We wanted to concentrate on roasting only speciality coffee but that brings its own challenges in the North of England. There are a number of enlightened cafés, restaurants and hotels but the vast number have been untouched by the changes in the coffee world. Many will first ask the price of the coffee with little or no regard to the quality or traceability of the beans. Many more will enquire about free machines and deals; the coffee itself often seems sadly low on the agenda. We had to work out quickly who our customers were, and were not, going to be. Many potential customers are not prepared to pay for quality coffee, and are often used to tasting only dark roast commercial coffees, and actually prefer that 34 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

flavour. For potential customers like these the cheapest prices and free equipment deals are highest on their agenda. We chose to walk away from this sector of the market but we are fully aware that it may be the largest market opportunity – at least in our local area at the moment. Those who could be tempted away from using highly roasted commercial grade coffees needed convincing that better quality coffee was worth paying that little bit more for. They needed support with training and coffee styles that didn’t alienate their customers. In our market it was important that we did not confuse style with quality. For sure, most of the cheap commercial coffees we come across tended to be over-roasted, but that does not mean that quality coffee cannot be taken on in the roast a little. We ended up having one darker roast espresso blend – although certainly not that dark in relative terms – as well as a medium roast espresso to complement our lighter style blends and single estate coffees. The darker styles became a gateway to introducing customers into our world, giving us the chance to introduce the lighter styles and single origins at a later stage. Those cafés that already thrived on speciality coffee also have their needs. They need a constant supply of interesting single estate beans for espresso and filter. This gave us the opportunity to bring in exciting coffees from some of the best producers in the world. We had to take time to develop this side of the business though, so that we had sufficient demand for these more specialist products. And in the UK, price is still important to these customers, whatever the quality of the coffee! In the end, although we had a firm base of local customers, we ended up with many more widespread. Interest in the lighter style coffees, and more exclusive single origins in particular, came from top London cafés and restaurants, along with some interest internationally as well. This is something we want to expand upon with the launch of new packaging in the spring. Other questions in the marketing area you will have to address might include: What other services do they demand? It is interesting the way the sale of coffee has developed

ADVICE historically in the UK. Most customers will expect their supplier to offer a range of products and services, over and above just the coffee. Trying just to sell the beans may be difficult as customers want to buy things like tea, chocolate and equipment from one place, as well as engineering and training services. I sometimes point out that we would not expect a butcher to provide a free oven and training when we buy our meat, but you will have to plan for these demands. Having the training background from the last 16 years running Coffee Community meant that we could offer our customers a lot of support in this area. We invested heavily in great facilities at the mill: great machines, brewing equipment and beautiful counters and cupping station. Most customers get free training when they come on board, and top up as they need it, along with free access to a rolling programme of SCAE courses, latte art and so on. It’s a heavy investment but it helps in representing our products better to the end customer. What ‘brand identity’ will attract them? We can learn a lot from the wine world. All bottles of wine look very similar although they may be hugely different in price and quality, much like a bag of beans. How a wine is branded can help to differentiate it from its competitors even before you have the chance to taste it. Choosing the right brand identity starts with understanding your customers again. What style, imagery, message and packaging will attract them? Developing a brand can be a costly business and take a lot of time. If you have not got the skills yourself you will probably end up using a graphics company, but it is vital that they understand the trends in the coffee market as well as your specific customer needs when they take on the work. The values of the company as well as the brand identity will then have to be interwoven into everything that you present, from your website, social media, sales materials, and packaging.

Logistics So far I have mentioned little on the logistical side of setting up a roastery and so here are a few key questions you may need to address: • Size matters – what size roaster should you buy? • What type of roaster should you buy? • What other equipment will be needed? • How do you source your beans? Choosing the right size of roaster to buy can be one of the hardest decisions to make for a new craft roasting company. Ultimately it may be budget that makes the decision, buying a small three or five-kilo roaster because that is all you can afford. That does have its advantages as it allows you to roast small batches of coffee without much waste when you start up and demand is low. The problems come later when demand is higher and you need to do multiple roasts of the same thing to fulfil even modest size orders. A larger roaster will, of course, do that more efficiently but challenge you if you just want to roast a couple of kilos of something. When purchasing a roaster check what the minimum batch size can be roasted in it. Ultimately, a combination of two roasters is ideal, one for small batches and one for bulk, but may not be within your budget. What type of roaster you buy is quite a personal decision, and the roaster needs to suit your style of coffee and operation. It’s hard to find out what suits you best; it’s not like buying a car where you can go for a test drive (although some manufacturers may give you access to one of their models for a trial). Factors like fuel efficiency, engineering support and automation are also aspects that you should consider. Perhaps look at other roasters you respect and see what they are using. Damian had used a Loring and a Probat roaster at his last place and so we had some reference points to go on. Both tend to be among the list of top companies to consider and both have »

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Before the makeover: Paul and his partners renovated an old textile mill

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ADVICE many strengths. In the end we chose a vintage Probat UG22 for a number of reasons. First the traditional drum roaster with its sturdy construction was famed for imparting the depth of flavour we were looking for in our coffee. We were keen to have a very hands-on approach to roasting and so did not demand any automation (although we did have several probes fitted to it so that what we do can be accurately tracked through the Cropster software). We had looked at lots of roasters that we favoured around the world, and this vintage Probat was at the heart of many of them. Finally, the 1950s UG is a thing of beauty, something that is important as it sits on view to our café customers. We were very lucky to find a second-hand model that needed a lot of attention and even luckier to know someone who could strip it down and rebuild it to its former glory. When setting out the budget for opening your roastery remember there will be a lot of other equipment that will be required as well. Things like a sample roaster, certified scales, food grade bins, bag sealers, grinders, and an espresso machine will probably be essential. But you can keep spending if the budget allows, such as on packing equipment, colour meters, destoners and so on. When it comes to sourcing good coffee these days there are, thankfully, many more decent importers with a great selection of single estates and co-ops on offer. We were clear from the start that we wanted to have much more involvement in the selection process than simply ‘buying off the list’. Damian travelled to origin extensively in the past and his contacts with great farms became invaluable to us. This continued with his trip to Brazil last year to sort out a long-term relationship with a farm there. We’ve also benefited from Ian’s ongoing work in Tanzania and Kenya, working on farmer radio and climate change sustainability programmes. As well as buying one-off special lots, it was always our aim to build long-term relationships with key farms, guaranteeing business each year for the farm and a reliable supply of great beans for us.

How do you stay safe? It would be wrong not to finish without mentioning the attention that is required to safety when setting up your roastery. Fires caused by the highly combustible chaff and any build-up of oils need to be prevented by close attention to daily maintenance and cleaning; emergency equipment, procedures and training need to be in place. Also you are producing a food product, and so hygiene policies and procedures need to be in place as well. I hope our story and the questions above are useful to anyone considering setting up their own roastery. I am sure that we did not always make the right decisions along the way, but business is growing and the prospects for 2016 look good. It makes it all worthwhile when you do find like-minded customers along the way. On a Friday afternoon I often drop coffee off at the local farm shop, on to the artisan bakers (picking up pies and bread as I do), and then finally ending up dropping the coffee off at Magic Rock Brewery, for a pint and a chat. Life is good!

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PAUL MEIKLE-JANNEY, a World and UK Championship judge and former WCE board member, has a long relationship with coffee education. A member of the SCAE Education Committee, he chaired the Coffee Diploma System Creators’ group, and helped write the City & Guilds Barista qualification. He established the barista and training and consultancy company, Coffee Community, in 1999 and started Dark Woods Coffee in 2014. @DarkWoodsCoffee darkwoodscoffee.co.uk coffeecommunity.co.uk

Learn More Learn the essential skills required for operating a roastery through SCAE’s Coffee Diploma System. Find out more about the Green Coffee, Sensory Skills and Roasting modules on scae.com.

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ROCKET MAN ANDRA VLAICU speaks to Raimond Feil, Co-owner and Master Roaster of Rocket Bean Roastery in Riga, Latvia.

Tell us about your beginning in coffee. Did coffee choose you or did you choose coffee? It was 2004 in Tallinn. I needed a summer job while studying in university so I went to a local coffee house where they hired me as a waiter. After the summer waiting, I stayed on as a barista. It was one of the first coffee shops in the city to introduce a proper espresso and cappuccino concept, using single origin coffees sourced from a micro roaster in Helsinki. I got hooked on coffee – a whole new world was opening before me that I had no idea existed. I started Googling coffee in my spare time and the more I read, the more I was hooked. After a year, the owner of the Kehrwieder (the café chain where I worked) asked if I’d like to start roasting coffee. I was blown away by the proposition. One month later I was sent to Probat in Emmerich. I had to finish installing our 5kg Probat and start roasting from scratch. At the same time I started to develop barista training programmes for our baristas (we had five stores then) and I became a Coffee Roaster and Coffee Trainer. This was when I really got stuck into coffee and here I still am. How is the speciality market in Latvia? When I first arrived here three years ago it was barely starting. There were two or three coffee shops that were focusing on 38 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

I think the personality of each single coffee gets lost in blends. Each coffee is as individual as each human being. We want to bring out that personality and enjoy them fully by themselves. speciality coffee and offering manual brews and there was one coffee roaster. I know it may sound cocky, but I believe that Rocket Bean Roastery, which is a coffee shop and roastery, has made a big impact on the local speciality scene since we opened. It gives others more courage to start pushing better quality specialities as they feel they are not on their own, and it builds healthy

ROASTERS competition. It is easier to educate society when there are more of us, and there is plenty of room for everyone. Just a month ago we got a SCAE Chapter and we have plenty of company and individual members which is great as this means we will be able to host official SCAE barista competitions. What was your biggest challenge when starting the roastery? We were lucky to acquire the premises where we are located now. We bought it in a bankrupt market but what we didn’t realise was that it had never been a catering establishment in the past and it had been closed for a few years, so all the communications were shut off and we had to start everything from scratch. The bureaucracy was the biggest headache and the main thing that slowed the opening. It took us about 14 months to get through all the paperwork. You just offer single origins. Why? We believe in the personality and the clean taste of each coffee that comes from a single environment. I think the personality of each single coffee gets lost in blends. Each coffee is as individual as each human being. We want to bring out that personality and enjoy them fully by themselves. How do you choose your coffee? We choose our coffee based on how much it excites us. The

more ‘wow’ it gives us, the more we’re likely to buy it. We try not to focus on price but of course there are some financial limits and availability is important. What’s your favourite brew method? Chemex! And origin? Origin isn’t as important to me as the experience the coffee gives. Origin to me is linked to mood – what do I feel like drinking now? How are you going to conquer the world with coffee? We’ll make our product so awesome and irresistible that no one will be able to say no to it. Then we’ll share it as much as possible. If it’s great enough to catch one person’s attention then it will spread by itself! But to be frank, we don’t really have very special plans for that. What would you advise somebody starting out in coffee? Read a lot, then read some more. Read what different writers have to say on the same topic. It will give you a wider understanding. Analyse and question everything you read, hear and see. Experiment as much as you can. Making mistakes helps you learn why some things work and others don’t. Coffee is a learning curve and I sometimes make mistakes willingly to help me better understand the process I’m trying to figure out. Do you have any other words of wisdom to share? Dare to have high ambitions! Don’t follow anyone blindly just because they have a recognised name. Follow your own way of creating things, but be able to substantiate why. Share your knowledge, as this is a way to make yourself visible to the world. Sharing grows you more than keeping things to yourself.

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rocketbean.lv Rocket Bean Roastery rocketbean

CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 39

Live Learning in Budapest SUSAN HOLLINS reports from AST Live! 2016

udapest – a city of amazing architecture, lovely people, great restaurants and, for three days in February, the home of AST Live! 2016. More than 40 Authorised SCAE Trainers (ASTs) travelled to the Hungarian capital for three days of education with speakers from the coffee industry, leading European Universities and the Creators of SCAE’s Coffee Diploma System education programme. This was the second annual trainers’ event organised by SCAE with a packed schedule of workshops, presentations, social events and, of course, coffee. A tour of some of Budapest’s finest coffee shops, organised by Tibor Várady, Chair of the Barista Guild of Europe, and friends from the local SCAE chapter, provided a popular start to the event. The speciality coffee scene has grown on both sides of the Danube and delegates tried out brews from the likes of Espresso Embassy, My Little Melbourne, Kelet, Madal Espresso & Brew Bar, Fekete and Budapest Baristas. Back at the Hotel Mercure in the heart of Budapest’s city centre, the coffee was brewing as trainers gathered for the opening presentation, ‘The Scents of Coffee’, by Léa Desportes

from Editions Jean Lenoir, makers of the famous Le Nez du Café. A short experiment with a coriander seed – ask anyone who attended AST Live! for an explanation – demonstrated the links between smell, aroma and taste while the way different people perceive differently became evident after just a couple of aroma tests. Training and education was the focus for Day One of AST Live! and one of SCAE’s most prolific trainers, Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos, gave a detailed exploration of training skills before giving delegates the chance to show off their talents in a series of five seven-minute presentations. More coffee followed before the event’s keynote speaker, Maxwell ColonnaDashwood, gave us all something to think about as he posed questions about the variables in grinding in his presentation, ‘Water and Grinding’. Day One concluded with an optional visit to the Marrionet Craft Beer Bar – an option taken up by almost all attendees, proving that coffee is not the only drink enjoyed by coffee people. AST Live! was first held in Dublin in 2015 following requests

Susan Hollins

Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood

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EDUCATION from ASTs for a separate meeting outside of World of Coffee. A total of 24 ASTs attended last year’s event. AST Live! 2016 attracted 42 ASTs from eight different countries, with a different focus for each day and a wider range of speakers and topics for presentation. Day Two in Budapest saw the focus move to the Coffee Diploma System, with an opening presentation by Morten Münchow, Creator of the Roasting Module and External lecturer in the Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen. Morten is also a member of SCAE’s Research Committee and work carried out by members of the committee is invaluable in ensuring the Coffee Diploma System remains a relevant and upto-date programme. After more coffee – well you can never have too much – the creators of the five specialist modules of the education programme presented workshops on their subjects: SCAE President Paul Stack with Tim Sturk (Brewing); Paul MeikleJanney (Barista Skills); Morten Münchow (Roasting); Edouard Thomas (Sensory Skills); and John Thompson (Green Coffee). John was joined by Ludovic Maillard, Chair of the Education Committee and a co-creator of the Green module. Organisers of AST Live! were determined to involve ASTs in the event and so trainers were given the opportunity to comment on the Coffee Diploma System to a panel of its creators in a Q&A session. Their questions will help SCAE to develop and improve the education in general, and the Coffee Diploma System in particular. SCAE Education has been working with colleagues from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) to align the two education programmes and SCAE was delighted to welcome Ildi Revi, outgoing SCAA Education Manager, to AST Live! Ildi’s presentation, ‘From Training to Performance: Educators of the Specialty Coffee Industry Becoming Human Performance Technologists’, described how ASTs could add value to the coffee industry and their coffee business – a subject which prompted many questions and requests for more information. For the final item of the day, Susan Hollins, SCAE Education Manager, was joined by Education Field Manager, Annemarie Tiemes, Education Committee Chair, Ludovic Maillard, and Education Field Coordinator, Kim Staalman, for a presentation and discussion about ‘What’s new in SCAE Education?’. Among the developments taking place in 2016 will be a new set of Coffee Diploma System exams, updated curricula, a new handbook for SCAE trainers and an extension of the Fill the Gaps project to get more people qualified in Sensory Skills and Green Coffee. All delegates at AST Live! enjoyed the social aspect of the event and dinner at the fabulous Kiosk restaurant on the second evening in Budapest gave everyone a chance to relax, catch up with old friends, share stories and make new friends. Day Three was dedicated to research and organisers were delighted to welcome Professor Chahan Yeretzian, Head of the Center of Analytical & Physical Chemistry at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Yeretzian is also Chair of the SCAE Research Committee and his presentation, ‘Update on SCAE Research Committee: Programme and On-Going Projects’, gave a valuable insight into work which is already having an impact on coffee education, through the Coffee Diploma System, and which will continue to do so in the future. Prof. Yeretzian’s colleague at Zurich University, Dr Marco Wellinger, followed this with a detailed presentation on ‘Standards and units of water for coffee: Fundamentals and Applications’, and then it was up to the ASTs to do some work as they were split into groups according to their chosen module (Barista Skills, Brewing, Roasting, Sensory Skills and Green Coffee) and asked to develop ideas for research projects. This initiative was welcomed by SCAE President Paul Stack, who commented, ‘AST Live! Budapest was a wonderful event of networking and learning. It was great to see SCAE’s Research Committee members present original research findings to our ASTs. Another highlight was our AST community feeding directly

to our Research Committee new topics they wish to have on our research schedule, completing the circle between SCAE research and SCAE education.’ AST Live! coincided with the launch, three weeks earlier, of the new SCAA Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel. The next speaker, Ida Steen, a sensory scientist based at Copenhagen University, had just returned from the launch in the US and so was well placed to talk about the wheel’s development and how it could be used in a European certification scheme. Continuing the sensory theme, the final speaker at AST Live!, Richard Boughton, CEO of FlavorActiv, gave an interactive presentation of the industry’s first smell and taste kit to replicate defect coffee flavours. The event concluded with a series of optional workshops from ‘Marketing your SCAE course’ to ‘Becoming a judge’, followed by one final coffee, lots of goodbye hugs and promises to meet again at AST Live! 2017. The success of AST Live! was due to the amount of support received locally. Huge thanks go to Tibor Várady and the local chapter and also to Tibor Hajcsunk, SCAE regional coordinator, who was SCAE’s ‘go-to’ man in Budapest for everything from heavy machinery to help with translations. Thanks also to the event sponsors, Bunn, BWT, Mahlkönig and Marco, to the event organisers, Eventhaus, to the creators and members of SCAE education committee, to the inspirational presenters, to the dedicated team of SCAE staff and of course to the wonderful SCAE trainers. The final words go to five of the many trainers who sent feedback to SCAE: ‘I learnt a lot and got a lot of inspiration’, ‘The first AST Live! for me – what a great experience’, ‘It was great for me to meet the AST family’, ‘So many great speakers and loads of great information' and 'It was great to be part of it!’

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SUSAN HOLLINS is Education Manager of SCAE.

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Out of

Africa

Diversity & Opportunity in Robusta Coffee With the ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) Robusta Futures Market loitering below $1,500 per ton on the nearby positions, Africa’s robusta producers are responding with a renewed focus on quality and productivity to enable their smallholder farmers to survive and thrive. In the new spirit of Public-Private Partnership, this is opening up many new opportunities for the adventurous, with some vision and energy, to engage with producers in what could increasingly become a win-win dynamic for robusta producers in Africa, plus roasters and consumers willing to share the journey. JOHN SCHLUTER reports.

ong considered the ‘poor relation’ in the speciality coffee markets, robusta coffees are beginning to emerge from the shadows to reveal their many positive attributes. As robustas take a growing share of global consumption, they are attracting more interest among roasters and consumers. Whereas 20 to 30 years ago robustas represented about 30% of global production, today they are close to 45%, rising to as much as 55% by 2030, according to a presentation at last September’s Global Coffee Forum in Milan. It is easily overlooked that most new consumers start their coffee journey with robusta, often in soluble products, and increasingly with derivatives, such as the three-in-one mixes. We should welcome the development. After all, how many traditional consuming markets have benefited from the youthful consumption of milky or creamy coffee drinks, complete with generous doses of sugar or flavourings, which then ‘graduates’ to a more discerning palate for quality coffee? The lattes and the this-or-that-accinos give way to a more slimline espresso or black coffee as a young generation matures in their consumption habits (and start to worry about their waistline!). While robusta remains, in many cases, essentially a mainstream commodity for blending, there is a growing trend among producers towards differentiation. This is particularly so in Africa. As the original source of robusta, there is a rich diversity of genetic material of this type across the continent. As with arabica, this diversity needs to be better mapped and preserved for the future of the sector, but that is another story. The Coffee Quality Institute has, in the past few years, developed the R-Grading system, to parallel the Q-Grading system for arabica. This is a welcome development and Uganda is home to the Centre of Robusta Excellence where much of this work has been done. The quality control community is now able to identify and describe, in standardised terms, the cup and green characteristics of robusta.

Africa’s Growing Domestic Consumption Most coffee people know about Ethiopia’s long coffee tradition, and the strength of their internal consumption. In other African countries, domestic consumption is often overlooked, yet it is rapidly growing in many countries, to say nothing of strong consumption trends across the Sahel and North African markets, which source much of their raw material from neighbouring producing countries. There is also a burgeoning middle class taking to the habit of a coffee break, and a growing number of specialist roasters catering to their needs. This roasted product could represent a market opportunity for retailers or distributors with a vision of getting closer to the source of their coffees: improved processing and packaging make possible the export of the finished product directly from Africa. A Continent of Opportunity Not only does Africa have a 100-year-old tradition of growing robusta coffee, but also the geography, altitude, climate and manpower for processing give it a unique opportunity to develop further the ‘gourmet’ side of its robusta business. A brief look at some of Africa’s robusta producers [overleaf] gives an idea of the range of possibilities, and the scope and diversity, of that production. Whether it is a high-grown neutral cupping coffee, a bold bean with a strong cup, or a washed robusta with a touch of acidity which will add body to a blend, Africa offers an abundance of opportunity to develop long-term relationships with producer groups, whether directly or through established exporters. In a market, which for now is so challenging for producers, it is perhaps the moment to think about such an investment in the longer-term. With the threats of climate change, population growth, and competition from other crops, who knows where it may be in a few years’ time? » CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 43

CUPPER’S GUIDE

Africa’s Robusta Ones to Watch

Cote d’Ivoire The CCC (Conseil de Café-Cacao) launched an ambitious programme in 2014 to rehabilitate a large area of their smallholder coffee production. There are also some private sector firms and cooperatives which are working with farmer groups to improve productivity and quality. Over recent years seven specific ‘terroirs’ of robusta coffee have been developed in the Cote d’Ivoire, coming from different production zones, each with its own catalogued quality profile. These are being roasted and packaged for the local market. The plan is that they would also be available for international retail markets, or the green coffee could be supplied to international roasters looking for a distinctive robusta coffee. The seven terroirs are: • Antilope from Daloa • Djiboua from Diva • Indenie from Abengourou • Tonkpi from Man • Nawa from Soubre • Beuer from Yamoussoukro • Sanwi from Aboisso

Togo Togo has long been the source of good quality robusta coffee. The principal growing zone in the highlands around Kpalimé, about 120km north-west of Lomé, where there is an active growers’ federation, FEPRUCAT, which organises the farmers, and is working on both quality and productivity. Togo also has an active coffee research institute and a private sector, which has its own inter-professional organisation, CICC.

There is still some work to be done in organising the farmer groups and production in these areas. The internal market is liberalised, and regulated by the CCC. In addition, the coffee sector is underpinned by the well-organised CNRA (Centre National de Recherche Agricole), which is doing ongoing work round these terroirs. This represents an opportunity for a roaster who might be interested in these coffees to develop a long-term relationship with these producer groups in collaboration with an exporter and the CCC.

ACRAM – Agence de Café Robusta d’Afrique et de Madagascar This is the association of robusta coffee producers, mainly from Central and West Africa, who in 2008 formed the organisation, together with Madagascar, to promote their coffees in the international markets. The secretariat of ACRAM is provided by the Caistab in Libreville, and ACRAM aims to develop a collaboration among its members, and with the international market. This is not only for the promotion of their coffees, but also to enhance the productivity and quality of production across the region. »

Gabon Gabon has a small coffee and cocoa production, the coffee coming mainly from the province of Haut Ogooué, named after the river, in the South-East of the country near the border with Congo (Brazzaville). The government’s policy is to rehabilitate the coffee production, targeting the speciality markets with a high-quality robusta. The sector is regulated by the Caistab in Libreville, which also provides the secretariat of ACRAM (see below).

Whereas 20 to 30 years ago

robustas represented about 30% of global production, today they are close to 45%, and they are predicted to rise to as much as 55% by 2030. 44 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

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Cameroun Cameroun has four main robusta production zones, the Littoral, the West, the South-West and the East. While most of the robusta is still sundried, there is a small but growing production of washed robusta from the Littoral zone, and also a little from the South-West. This is being promoted by the private sector and cooperatives. In the natural robustas, Cameroun’s ‘gros grain’ Screen 18 coffees have long been appreciated, in particular in the Italian and Spanish markets, for the whole bean trade. The government and private sector are developing a PPPP – Public-Private Partnership Platform – specifically for the coffee sector. While overall production has declined in recent years, due not least to cocoa being more profitable for farmers, the new emphasis on quality and productivity is expected to start reversing that trend. Both the ONCC (Coffee Board) and CICC (Private Sector Inter-professional Organisation) would welcome any expressions of interest. In addition there is an active local roasting industry in Cameroun, with some good qualities for the more discerning consumers. DR Congo DR Congo used to export 90,000-100,000 tons of coffee each year, of which about 80% was robusta coffee. Today the official exports stand at around 9,000 tons, though much more is produced, going either into local consumption or across the borders to one of its nine neighbours! Out of the official export figure, only 50% is robusta. The ravages of CWD (Coffee Wilt Disease), together with the internal civil strife over 15 to 20 years, have decimated production. But, despite all the challenges, the coffee sector, especially in Eastern DRC, is beginning to do better, thanks largely to a committed and dynamic private sector. 46 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

The exporters and cooperatives work mainly through their Association ASSECAF, which is working to improve quality and productivity among small-holders. ASSECAF has also built a positive cooperation with the ONC (Coffee Board), which is active in supporting the sector’s development. There are organic, UTZ and Fairtrade certified farmers in Kivu, which regularly achieve excellent prices for their (mainly) arabica, though they are now also gradually moving into the robusta sector. The HTM/N/M qualities from Beni, North Kivu, have long been well appreciated by discerning buyers in the Italian, Spanish and Greek coffee markets. This coffee has a particular characteristic of giving an excellent ‘spuma’, so important for a good espresso. Being grown mostly above 900 metres' altitude, it also benefits from particularly favourable climatic conditions. In the 1970s and 80s some of Africa’s finest (and most expensive) robustas came from the North Equateur Province, where they were prepared as fully washed coffees, qualities which at times commanded prices above those of milds. Production in Equateur and Oriental Provinces is today much lower, and the logistical challenges are formidable. Bas-Congo, with its unique Petit-Kwilu, has seen some development funding in recent years for the coffee sector, and production is starting to recover. The Petit Kwilu, when washed, has an almost entirely neutral cup, with a touch of acidity. The opportunities across the country are many, but are not for the faint-hearted! Uganda Uganda is Africa’s largest exporter, and the largest producer of robusta coffee. This comes mainly from the crescent around Lake Victoria, and thus benefits from a favourable climate and over 1000 metres of altitude. Lately robusta production is also being developed in Northern Uganda.

CUPPER’S GUIDE The coffee sector has been liberalised for the past 25 years, and the positive relations between UCDA (the Coffee Development Authority) and the private sector (UCF, Nucafé, UCFA and other organisations) have helped the industry to bring the support to the smallholder farmers who produce over 90% of the crop. UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Organic certifications are all available from Uganda, along with 4C verified coffees. While up to now there has not been much differentiation of the robusta coffee on the basis of the different growing zones, there are nevertheless some distinctive qualities available. The bold bean Screen 18 coffees, representing 10% of total exports in 2014/15, continue to meet good demand, and command good premiums, as do the 1-2% of certified robustas.

Africa’s geography, altitude, climate and manpower for processing gives it a unique opportunity to develop further the ‘gourmet’ side of its robusta business. Uganda was probably the pioneer in the production of washed robusta, which was introduced in 1955, and grew to 40,000 tons by 1969. It was particularly popular in the US market – indeed a

survey in the 1970s on the West Coast revealed that in a blind test, about 25% of consumers actually found this the best quality! During the Amin years, that production disappeared, but today there is a small but growing production. With the new environmentally efficient processing options now available, and the producers’ growing awareness of quality in their search for a viable livelihood, it is likely that this will grow in the coming years. Given the dynamic nature of Uganda’s private sector, there are doubtless opportunities to be taken for those seeking a specific supply. Tanzania Growing on the West side of Lake Victoria in the Kagera and Karagwe Districts, robusta production in Tanzania in some years reaches 50% of total exports. While the arabicas have received much attention in recent years in terms of investment and projects, the robustas today represent a significant opportunity for those looking to invest, or seeking a consistent and reliable supply of quality coffee. As with Uganda, the region benefits from a great climate, and 1,000 metres of altitude. With the application of GAPs and improved processing, the Bukoba Robustas could increasingly emerge in the coming years as a coffee for the gourmet sector. The three main cooperatives, Kagera, Karagwe and Kaderes all offer good quality robustas, whether bold bean, or certified Fairtrade and/or organic. In addition, the private sector exporters are active in the region. The TCB (Coffee Board) continues to operate the weekly auction in Moshi during the season, and works increasingly with the TCA (Coffee Association), which brings together private sector stakeholders. Tanzania’s coffee sector is supported by TaCRI, the Coffee Research Institute, which is well organised, and doing useful work on disease resistant varieties for both arabica and robusta.

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JOHN SCHLUTER is Director of Café Africa,

cafeafrica.org

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FIELD TRIP

Cooperation to Improve Quality & Profits COLIN SMITH reports on the SCAE Trip to Brazil.

t the invitation of the Brazilian Speciality Coffee Association, 12 members of SCAE enjoyed a week visiting coffee plantations and cooperatives in the Minas Gerias region of Brazil last September, where they had the opportunity to taste some of the lovely coffees that farmers in the region are producing. Arriving at Belo Horizonte, we took a minibus for seven hours to Sul de Minas, Guaxupe, where SMC (SMC Comercial Exportadora de Café) entertained us to dinner. The following morning we visited its cooperative, Cooxupe. With 11,961 producers Cooxupe sells 4.5 million bags per year. The company has been moving towards speciality coffees since 2013. It looks for consistency of flavour and if a farm regularly produces a certain approved quality it is added to the range of specialities. Cooxupe will then send samples with specific flavour definition to prospective buyers. We had the opportunity to try some of the coffees and were very impressed by the differences that occurred as a result of various processing methods. Natural processing produces a full-bodied coffee with rich and heavy overtones. Pulped natural processing decreases the heavy notes to leave lighter, fruitier characteristics. Fully washed with fermentation has a clean and bright flavour with a good body. Lunching at Santa Ignes Farm, a third-generation farm producing coffee and cattle, we proceeded to see the flowers that have recently arrived after a spell of rain in the previous week. Having 500,000 trees of Typica, Maragogype, Catuai and Bourbon, the white blossoms produced a most impressive sight. After the night in Alfenas we travelled to Fazenda Monte Alegre,

which was the biggest farm that we visited with an impressive 7.4 million trees. First we headed to the nursery that holds one million young trees which are expected to produce a full crop in 2023. The farm works with 10 harvesting machines that do the work of 100 pickers. Driving through miles of coffee trees we reached the offices and had a very informative and illustrated talk from Jose Pereira describing the growing and processing methods of the coffee bean. Following a short tasting session and a barbeque lunch we visited Fazenda Capoeira where we were shown around the farm by Marisa Contreras, the marketing director for the Brazilian Women’s Coffee Association. She is an active worker on the farm which has a seven year programme to enhance sustainability through composting, which keeps the ground moist and encourages nutrients. With 90 hectares of coffee and 400,000 trees they leave the cherries to dry naturally on them until they are moved to the patios. Cafebras, on Wednesday morning, welcomed us with two full tables of regional coffees to cup. What struck us, as a group of well travelled coffee specialists, was how much the flavours of the coffees are enhanced by the preparation and also the species of tree. Many sweet and fruity notes can be found in selected coffees that have been carefully processed. Cafebras is an organisation that brings together local farms giving farmers the opportunity to get their coffees to market. It teaches management skills to enhance the quality of the coffee, providing a better price on the market. To ease identification the company categorises the coffees into four groups, each with specific values for different cup qualities. Andrea Garcia, an

n Tour

CAE o Join S

Colin, pictured second from left, with the group at SMC

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FIELD TRIP

The group pictured at the visit to Santa Ignes

agronomist, gave a very informative lecture on the use of fertilisers and coffee management, describing how different species are more suitable to different treatments. The Fairtrade Cooperative of Coopasv, under the guidance of Beatriz Souza Pereira, has a community of 120 families. As well as assisting producers in training and technical support, the coop has a children’s orchestra project and a local hall for social events. The scheme is democratic, with a general assembly, and gets some aid through foreign investment.

We were very impressed by the differences that occurred as a result of various processing methods. Natural processing produces a full-bodied coffee with rich and heavy overtones. Pulped natural processing decreases the heavy notes to leave lighter, fruitier characteristics. Fully washed with fermentation has a clean and bright flavour with a good body. Our next two nights were spent on the farm. We divided into two groups and stayed in different locations, Fazenda Samambaia and Fazenda Pinhal, which are beautiful houses set in the farms. The following day included a very instructive visit to SanCoffee (a local cooperative). SanCoffee has 30 farms (5,000ha) producing

156,000 bags per year with 1,200 permanent employees. The system works on a ‘value added’ basis giving all more wealth, and opportunity. Group learning improves development and a link with the university enables agronomical research. After lunch and tasting the washed and natural coffees from these estates, we visited the nursery at Pinhal. The young trees are grown on compost which has an element of Gypsum introduced to the soil. We saw trees at the first stages, Pinhead and Cats Ears. The trees are then repotted when they reach five pairs of leaves (two-and-a-half months). The next day we commenced the journey back to Belo Horizonte, stopping at Fazenda Mumbuca in the Campo das Vertentes region. As a young farm, only five years old, they aim to develop, using all the latest technology, as ‘an icon of excellence in production marketing and management’. It is exciting to see how development in agriculture continues to improve the quality of Brazilian coffee. Our last day at the BSCA International Coffee Exhibition in Belo Horizonte enabled us to experience more coffees from different areas of Brazil, sweet and fruity from Fazienda Ecoagricola or rich blackcurrant tones from Fazienda Sao Silvestre compared to bright acidity from Fazienda Camocin. During the afternoon we had the opportunity to meet more farmers who explained how they were developing new flavours through careful processing or moving toward organic farming to meet new market trends. Many expressed concern that they have to educate young people to continue the work that they had started. Thank you to the Brazilian Speciality Coffee Association, to Alan Botrel, Maria Claudio Porto and Marcia Schuler who organised the trip and looked after us so well. Thank you also to the farmers who entertained us and imparted so much knowledge. We have come away with a greater understanding of the advances that are now happening to Brazilian coffees.

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THE INNOVATORS In part two of our series of profiles on winners of the Nordic World of Coffee New Product of the Show Awards we look at award-winning packaging, equipment and food products. To be in with a chance to shine at the New Product of the Show Awards in World of Coffee Dublin this June, visit scae.com for entry details. Be quick – the deadline for entering is 30 April.

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INNOVATORS

ECO-FRIENDLY BOX POUCH THE FLEXIBLE PACKAGING SOLUTION Named Best New Packaging Solution at the Nordic World of Coffee New Product of the Show Awards, the Eco-Friendly Box Pouch with Front Zipper impressed judges with its green credentials.

he Eco-Friendly Box Pouch with Front Zipper from Dutch Coffee Pack was born out of roasters' demands for more sustainable coffee packaging. ‘Environmental awareness is of big importance and a hot topic in the coffee market,’ explains Dutch Pack’s Arthur Bek. ‘More and more coffee roasters asked us for a more sustainable bag. The biggest challenge for us was to remove the aluminum film but still provide a high barrier to oxygen and UV, ensuring that the coffee is kept as fresh as possible.’ With the high-barrier film, zip and valve made entirely from plastic, the new packaging is fully recyclable. ‘Although it is still a plastic bag we believe this is a step in the right direction and Dutch Coffee Pack will keep looking for eco-friendly solutions to improve environmental issues.’ While the New Product of the Show Awards Jury were impressed with its environmental sensibilities, they also noted the flexibility of the product. The stand-up box pouch is handy for branding and shelf-stacking, while the front zipper is convenient for consumers. ‘This package is innovative and recyclable, offering an eco-friendly solution at a competitive price point. The front zip provides flexibility and flat bottom offers ease of use,’ reported the New Product of the Show Awards Jury. To date, the packaging has been used predominantly in the consumer market but Arthur notes that demand is growing among the coffee community. ‘We see a large growth coming from the coffee industry because of its high barrier. Artisanal made coffee is a very vulnerable product.’ Winning the Best New Packaging Award at the Nordic World of Coffee was a huge boost to the team, says Arthur. ‘Winning this award has encouraged us to keep looking for new packaging possibilities and to improve as a company in any possible way. We launched a new label as Dutch Coffee Pack to keep on growing, and serve the European coffee industry as a one-stop-shop concept.’

dutchcoffeepack.com

2015 COMPETITION

2015 Winner Best New Packaging Solution

David Veal, Executive Director, SCAE and Tony Andersson, Director, Wilfa, sponsor of the Nordic World of Coffee New Product of the Show Awards, present the award for Best New Packaging Solution to Arthur Bek, Dutch Coffee Pack

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Custom Pouches

Stock Pouches

Coffee boxes

Pouch sealers

Dutch Coffee Pack offers numerous options to create your perfect and eye-catching stand-up pouch. With an extensive experience in coffee packaging we can provide any creative model and execute the bag with a zipper, valve and laser-score. Combined with printing up to 10 colours including matt varnish, you will have your ultimate coffee pouch tailored to your style. Together with boxes, pouch sealers and labels we offer a total solution for coffee packaging. Check out our website for more info.

Proud winner of New product of the show Award 2015 WOC Gothenburg

Photos by Olger Kooring

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ESPRESSO SYRUP THE NATURAL FOOD FLAVOUR

Café owner, Adrian Borowiec, searched for the perfect syrup to use in coffee and baking for nearly 10 years. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he created his own. It was awarded Best New Food Product at the Nordic World of Coffee New Product of the Show Awards.

he trouble with many syrups is that they are created for cocktails, not coffee, notes Adrian Borowiec of Café Borówka. ‘They work well with alcohol but not with milk which is the main ingredient of most coffee drinks.’ On the hunt for an all-natural solution, the team at Café Borówka began experimenting with ingredients and the result is the Espresso Syrup range of nine syrups, all made from 100% natural ingredients. ‘We do not use any artificial colouring, flavouring or preservatives so all the flavours are gentle and delicate,’ says Adrian. Though designed originally for coffee, the syrups work well with chocolate, pastry and pancakes, and the products have been picked up by the foodservice sector. Espresso Syrup showed at London and Amsterdam Coffee Festivals in 2015, as well as the Nordic World of Coffee, where the range was well received, says Adrian, who reveals that the top two performers to date are the Caramel and Rose flavours. The all-natural ingredients appealed to the Jury at the New Product of the Show Awards in Gothenburg, who selected Espresso Syrup for the Best New Food Product Award. ‘The Espresso Syrup collection is very competitively priced for an all-natural product range with a wide variety of flavours,’ noted the New Product of the Show Awards Jury. ‘Winning the award is a great honour for us,’ states Adrian. ‘Our efforts have been appreciated by professionals. That’s important and therefore we are proud to be a winner.’

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More Read a, urop afé E r 2015) C e Se ners inte 2 (W f the win ow 6 e o h Issu the S ofiles re pr oduct of World o m for w Pr rdic e Ne e No gazine is of th rds at th e ma Awa ffee. The now in th o w of C le to vie ge Loun ab avail embers’ om. M ae.c on sc

2015 COMPETITION

2015 Winner Best Food Product

David Veal, Executive Director, SCAE and Tony Andersson, Director, Wilfa, sponsor of the Nordic World of Coffee New Product of the Show Awards, present the award for Best New Food Product to Adrian Borowiec, Café Borówka

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INNOVATORS

THE REVELATION CUP A NEW CUPPING EXPERIENCE The Revelation Cup from L’Arbre à Café was indeed a revelation for judges of the New Product of the Show Awards at the Nordic World of Coffee. In a tight heat, it edged past competitors to win the award for Best New Professional Coffee Equipment.

illed as the world’s first cupping cup for espresso, the Revelation Cup was launched in 2015 following two years of research by L’Abre à Café’s Founder, Hippolyte Courty and designer Sylvie Amar. Its goal is to reflect the aromatic wheel of the coffee, its textures and flavours. ‘Cups have always been created as tableware but they were never designed to enhance the espresso’s flavour. However, an espresso needs a specific container, adapted to its specific characteristics,’ explains Hippolyte. To create such a container, which is designed to reflect the different stages of extraction, L’Arbre à Café looked to the wine world. ‘We wanted to create a cup that could reveal and open the complexity of an espresso. Inspired by the work of wine-tasting glassware, it is adapted to the characteristics of an espresso. More than 390 different espresso cups were tested by coffee and wine sensorial analysis experts in order to understand the impact of material, thermal inertia and internal shape on the taste,’ he says. The result is a stoneware cup designed to appeal to the senses – sight through the round shape, smell through the aromatic opening, touch through the handless, thick stoneware, and taste with the organoleptic clarity that this cup enables. The New Product of the Show Awards Jury were wowed by the sensory experience, noting that the Revelation cup ‘transforms your cupping experience’. Hippolyte concurs. ‘The Revelation Cup comes as a decisive step for espresso tasting. It represents a new way of experiencing it, for coffee tasters, as well as for any audience.’ In the future, he believes that cups can be adapted to each coffee, each extraction method and each terroir. ‘The Revelation Cup is the first step of this process.’

larbreacafe.com

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2015 COMPETITION

2015 Winner Best New Professional Coffee Equipment

Tony Andersson, Director, Wilfa, sponsor of the Nordic World of Coffee New Product of the Show Awards, presents the award for Best New Professional Coffee Equipment to Hippolyte Courty, L’Arbre à Café (left)

CAFÉ EUROPA | SPRING 2016 | 57

QjA

MATT SLATER

We catch up with the International Re:co Symposium Director to find out what’s planned for the speciality coffee symposium this year.

What is Re:co? Re:co is an abbreviation of ‘Regarding Coffee’ and is a symposium event committed to high-level discussion, leading innovation and strategy development for those passionate and influential in the world of speciality coffee. To achieve this, we’ve designed an event based on compelling talks, unparalleled research-sharing, and sensory experience that is absolutely unique in the speciality coffee industry. Re:co originated in the US as the SCAA Symposium which SCAE invited to Europe and was launched in Gothenburg last June where it was rebranded as Re:co. This coincided with the Nordic World of Coffee, and followed soon after with Re:co New Zealand in November. This year Re:co will be held in Atlanta on 13-14 April prior to SCAA Expo, and then in Dublin on 21-22 June during World of Coffee week in Ireland. Who is Re:co aimed at? Re:co is aimed at business leaders. It brings thought leaders in a variety of disciplines together to share ideas, innovation and expertise. Re:co looks at the speciality coffee market, the challenges we face and some of the solutions we have, shining a light on opportunities for growth and development. Topics including sustainability, coffee quality, science and economics are always on our agenda and we always strive to ensure that our symposium is wholly collaborative and at the very cutting edge of coffee innovation and discussion. What is your vision for Re:co? We want to bring some very real, challenging and innovative ideas to the speciality community. Re:co is about combining and collaborating to effect real change in our community. We want to foster new thinking, discussion, collaboration and action in speciality coffee internationally. What topics are up for discussion at Re:co this year? The theme of Re:co Dublin is ‘People’. People are the very fabric of our community and coffee is what threads us together. There are

a variety of topics which will be explored including the influence of capital investment in speciality coffee, specifically the concerns and hostility around the potential impact on quality, ethics, identity, independence, integrity, but also what opportunities capital investment can bring. Why should coffee professionals go to Re:co? You need to go for a simple reason: Re:co is the premier symposium event in the coffee calendar. It delivers challenging and amazing content over two days. It fosters a new way of thinking and you need to be there to collaborate and to effect change. There will also be a big focus on the much discussed coming together of SCAE and SCAA which will be one of the biggest things to happen in the speciality world in recent years – so if you want to know how important this is to you and your business, you best come along to hear directly from both Associations' Presidents. How will Re:co develop in the future? Re:co will evolve. Our ambition is to run four Re:co symposiums per year internationally, and we may expand the portfolio to offer other events in the future. We have already launched Re:verb, focused at the roasting and barista communities, which was held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Seoul, Korea and Guangzhou, China last year. You were appointed to the role of International Re:co Symposium Director in November. What brought you to Re:co? My background is in green coffee where I was working with the great guys over at Falcon Coffees building collaborative supply chains both at origin and into the UK/European roasting communities. But I first came into the coffee community through music. I’m from the punk DIY scene where I was involved with Collective AKA, a group that collaborated to pool our resources to bring bands from around the world that we loved to the UK. There are a lot of similarities, both in my previous coffee role and my music background, with what I am trying to do now. Re:co is all about collaboration and mobilising a community to make change. This must be a dream job for you. Absolutely – it’s all about people for me and the relationships coffee has allowed me to build and experience has been amazing. Re:co is about converging – bringing people together to communicate, collaborate and change.

Panellists at Re:co Gothenburg

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To learn more about Re:co and to book tickets to the events in Atlanta and Dublin visit recosymposium.org. 58 SPRING 2016 | CAFÉ EUROPA

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