SUMMER 2020 | Vol. XXXIII No.5 www.coffeetalk.com
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New Normal for Roasters 6 COFFEE SERVICE CORNER Interview with Copper Moon's Gutwein Brothers 12
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The View
Contents
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Industry Calendar
Visit http://coffeetalk.com/forms
Roasters Rock
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New Normal for Roasters
New Insights and Pragmatic Lessons to Accelerate Sustainability
10
Exploring Home-Roasting
Taking Industry Passion to the Next Level
12
Coffee Service Corner
Interview With Copper Moon’s Gutwein Brothers
Coffee Fest To Go
14
A Visitor’s Perspective
14
Newsbites
17
Advertiser Index
SUMMER 2020 | Vol. XXXIII No.5
www.coffeetalk.com
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WHO WE ARE Phone: 206.686.7378, see extensions below Publisher Kerri Goodman, ext 1 kerri@coffeetalk.com Administrative Director Laurie Veatch, ext 4 laurie@coffeetalk.com Web Design Justin Goodman, ext 6 justin@coffeetalk.com Print Design Marcus Fellbaum, ext 5 marcus@coffeetalk.com Mailing Info Mail: HNCT, LLC, 25525 77th Ave SW Vashon, WA 98070 Phone: 206.686.7378 Fax: 866.373.0392 Web: www.coffeetalk.com Disclaimer CoffeeTalk does not assume the responsibility for validity of claims made for advertised products and services. We reserve the right to reject any advertising. Although we support copyrights and trademarks, we generally do not include copyright and trademark symbols in our news stories and columns. CoffeeTalk considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible. However, reporting inaccuracies can occur, consequently readers using this information do so at their own risk. Postmaster: Send address changes to HNCT, LLC, 25525 77th Ave SW, Vashon, WA 98070
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ns matic Lesso hts and Prag New Insig
& ROASTERS ROCK
New Normal for Roasters 6 COFFEE SERVICE CORNER Interview with Copper Moon's Gutwein Brothers 12
Cover Photo by New Zealand Photographer, Dave Richards, for Kaffelogic, Ltd.
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Calendar
For complete and updated show information visit our online calendar: http://coffeetalk.com/industry-calendar/
September 4-6
Cafe Show China, Bejing China
October 19-22
PIR Expo, Moscow, Russia
September 18
89th PCCA Convention Aptos, CA USA (Virtual)
October 22-24
Expo Cafe, Mexico City, Mexico
September 19
Campfire Coffee Cookoff 2020
October 24
Houston Coffee Festival, Houston, TX
September 22-24
Expo Cafe Mexico Mexico City, Mexico
October 29
4C Global Sustainability Conference-People Matter: How to Address Social Challenges...
September 30
4C Global Sustainability Conference- Truly Green Bean: Deforestation-Free
November 2-4
World Tea Virtual Summit (Virtual)
October 15-17
World of Coffee, Warsaw, Poland
November 3-6
Cafe Show Seoul, Coex, Seoul, Korea
October 15
4C Global Sustainability Conference-Carbon Footprint of Coffee and Climate Change...
November 3-6
World Coffee Leaders Forum, Seoul, Korea
November 7-8
Chicago International Tea Festival (Virtual)
THE VIEW Kerri Goodman
I
t’s my 59th birthday. It is also the 26th anniversary of CoffeeTalk’s first issue, released at Coffee Fest Seattle. I was young and ambitious, having zero experience at publishing, nor Trade shows or public event hosting. Naturally, I threw a launch party to celebrate the inaugural issue, flew the Minister of Economics from Guatemala in to be a guest speaker at the event, and organized a charity auction all on my 33rd birthday. At the time, I truly believed I could have a positive impact on the industry by providing relevant, useful information to help business owners succeed. Fast-forward 26 years, and I still believe CoffeeTalk has and will continue to accomplish
this mission. Granted, the business landscape today barely resembles those early days, even without the current COVID crisis. Gone are the days of scanning in negatives (no digital cameras back then) and middle-of-the-night press-checks, replaced by instantly available digital proofs and world-wide communications. Along the way, I am incredibly proud of the innovations and impacts the journey has brought. Thank you to every client, colleague, family member, and friend who has joined in this journey.
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Roasters Rock
by Rocky Rhodes
New Normal for Roasters
F
irst, let’s all agree to stop saying ‘new normal’! Entrepreneurs wake up every day to the ‘morning normal,’ and it will be different by the time they go to bed. Roasters deal with the same thing standing at the machine. Is there a NORMAL roast? Every batch requires adaptations.
For those of us responsible for maintaining a consistent product from the roaster as well as inventing new ones for the creative marketing efforts, we have an additional challenge: Green bean supply issues. While in the US we have dealt with distribution issues by deeming food manufacturing an essential service, that does not help with maintaining a supply of coffee from certain countries. There have been port delays, both inbound and outbound. There will most certainly be delays with harvests in the later part of 2020.
So here we are amid a pandemic. Roasters in January had different jobs to do than what they face now. ‘Today’ requires roasters to adapt and persevere. We have known that roasting is part art and part science, but now it is part social distancing. Adapting to meet customer needs while keeping everyone safe is a challenge. In what some might call ironic, and others see as obvious, coffee roasters were considered essential workers, but teachers, until August 18th, were not. It turns out that if teachers can’t get their morning coffee, they can’t do their jobs well! So we essential workers got busy roasting coffee. What has changed since January’s ‘normal’? Are people drinking less coffee? The data suggests they are not. Are consumers changing their buying habits? That is a question best answered with “duh!” But knowing what they are doing helps roasters stay engaged and selling coffee. According to Rabobank data compiled for NCA, there has been an increase in the price of coffee as well as a surge in the sales of whole bean coffee. Growth has also occurred in single-cup products, instant coffee, and roast and ground coffee. PEOPLE ARE MAKING COFFEE AT HOME! The data also shows that the price per pound at retail stores is trending higher as consumers want to treat themselves to better coffee at home. It follows logic then that coffee sales in restaurants and coffee shops are down a lot. If people can’t go out or are not going to work, then dining sales have to decline. Roasters are adapting to this drink at home phenomenon with home delivery, mail order, and limited seating in the coffee houses. Since the start of specialty coffee, roasting companies have tried to launch successful online ordering and subscription service coffee to minimal success. Consumers were just not planning ahead enough to order coffee before they needed it, and shipping costs made it very expensive. We now have a post COVID reality that consumers are fine ordering coffee online and having it delivered. Shipping is fast and can be inexpensive. Euromonitor International estimates that between just the loss of on-campus coffee consumption and office coffee service loss due to work moving to the home office, home consumption is up 4.5%. So Roasters? What are you doing about it? Every company roasting coffee is having war-room meetings on how to adapt, thrive, maintain market share, etc. Here are some examples of changes that companies are implementing to rise to the moment.
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– Cashless transactions – Curbside pickup – Barista delivery – Phone Order apps – Increased outdoor seating – Carrying more ‘homebrew’ equipment – Build web-presence for ordering – Making creative COVID blends – Experimenting with single-serve packaging – Raising prices to meet increased costs
Roasters are having to replace blend components with what is available at the time. Just because you have a contract does not mean it will get to a US warehouse on time. Finding the opportunity here will be essential for maintaining business but could also be a way of creating new products and finding ways to lower costs. Celebrate what you have in stock! If you need a single-origin coffee and you are out of the COE inventory, go scoop some of your ‘blender’ coffee and get to work on finding the best it has to offer. It is a fun process of experimentation and will usually result in a darn good cup. We just don’t usually think of that grade 2 as having unique qualities special enough for single-origin representation. You might surprise yourself and have a lower cost / higher-margin product. Blend what you have in stock. If you run out of Colombian, you use in your House Blend and have a lot of El Salvador, try using it before committing to buying more inventory. It may not work – but it might. In a pandemic, it would be wise to reduce the amount of money tied up in inventory and use it for necessary operating expenses until things open up. Predictions for coffee buying trends in the future require a crystal ball and a Ouija board. There does seem to be some data, however, that could inform some choices. Global Workplace Analytics says, “Our best estimate is that 25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021”. That has to pique the interest of coffee roasters! The opportunities from that prediction alone mean that at-home coffee consumption will continue to be high and that office coffee service may flatten or decrease from pre-COVID levels. Also, some of those ‘home’ workers are likely to be sick of their homes and move operations to a coffeehouse. Adapting space to accommodate the new workforce might also be wise. There is likely no new normal, just an ever-changing normal of where people will drink their coffee. Be willing to adapt, change, and deliver to wherever your coffee drinkers enjoy their coffee. Rocky Rhodes is an 18-year coffee veteran, roaster, and Q-Grader Instructor, and his mission now is to transform the coffee supply chain and make sweeping differences in the lives of those that produce the green coffee. Rocky can be reached at rocky@INTLcoffeeConsulting.com
Photo by Trish Rothgeb
Summer 2020
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New Insights and Pragmatic Lessons to Accelerate Sustainability by Committee on Sustainability Assessment - COSA
“
The inequality is glaring, and it’s getting worse” is the first salvo of Daniele Giovannucci, president of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment, COSA, interviewed on a recent ‘Cheddar Reveals’ program to break down the most significant problems when it comes to sustainability in the coffee industry, and how to support coffee growers around the globe. Farmers producing the world’s most traded agricultural commodity are facing enormous difficulties from climate change, to the exodus of youth from farming, and poverty-scale prices. Some coffees – like heirloom varieties - are even in danger of vanishing. That diversity could disappear, he says, along with their unique flavor profiles and genomic protection. The path to real sustainability starts with understanding three critical and inter-woven issues: incomes, risks, and markets. Globally, 65% of the world’s poorest are small farmers and laborers who primarily depend on agriculture, according to World Bank data. In coffee – which involves some 20 million families - the price paid to producers generally has only occasionally topped $1/pound for decades1. To put it bluntly, the majority of coffee farmers (and laborers working on the farms) do not earn a living wage or a living income. That is “the income required for a household to afford a decent standard of living, in terms of basic food, education, and healthcare”.
Income inequality has grown to glaring proportions. Today, a coffee farmer earns about 3 cents from a $3 latte. To make matters worse, the farmer also bears most of the risks in the supply of coffee. As supply chains alter and adapt to the fallout from the pandemic, the farmers and rural laborers of the Global South who supply world markets will likely see their livelihoods fall further below their already low levels. The International Coffee Organization’s historical data helps us understand that even as farming has become more efficient in some geographies, it has also become globally somewhat riskier in all of them. The random effects of climate change combined with crop pests and disease introduce uncertainties that make it difficult for resource-poor farmers to invest in their crops. Add to that the record-levels of price volatility, often untethered from underlying fundamentals of supply-demand, and the fabric of any argument to be a coffee farmer looks threadbare for most. It does not require much calculation to understand what will happen when we offer minimal profit margins with increasing levels of risk.
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As most other costs have steadily risen, coffee farming is becoming untenable for many small farmers. A number of origins see fewer and fewer young people choosing to be coffee growers. Today, coffee farmers are typically near to 60 years old, on average, with a few notable country exceptions. That does not bode well for a labor-intensive crop.
Next-generation farming is therefore emerging as a real concern. Youth in these communities are increasingly drawn away from farming and often choose migration instead. We know that evidence of ‘passing the torch to next generations’ in smallholder families is a key indicator of their sustainability.
Will you miss me when I am gone? Along with fewer small and medium farmers, we will also lose unique heirloom varieties – those with unique flavor profiles and precious genomic diversity that can protect the entire sector from pest or disease pandemics.
Most coffee research does not focus Markets are shifting, with two on protecting these varietals as factors driving the change. many do not lend themselves to As consumers recognize and commercial viability. Without the appreciate more diversity in efforts of small farmers, many will coffee origins and profiles, we vanish. We must laud and support are also increasingly able to those who pay more for this monetize that interest. There is uniqueness. recognition of value in a variety of intangibles that include preparations, qualities, origins, varietals, and characteristics such as fulfilling standards for sustainability. 1. The first factor is the evolving role of micro-messaging channels such as baristas and social media that are opening up new areas and opportunities that have historically been the domain of big brands and their marketing muscle. These new market niches can operate at the level of small lot purchases that are often characteristic of these differentiations. While volumes are small, the Third Wave can sway a broad swath of consumer interests, even somewhat in mainstream coffee channels. 2. The second factor is the evolution of data and technology to rapidly inform decision-makers. This includes a new interest in consistently measured indicators that add new levels of understanding to discussions about sustainability, at least for the companies, co-ops, and farmers that use them. Smart money is realizing that the increasing application of artificial intelligence (AI) in consumer segmentation is now spreading to every level of the coffee industry, from logistics to predictive farm-level risks. AI depends on data, quality data that is consistent, and it can take a few years to secure and manage such data adroitly in a supply chain. The Global Coffee Platform, the ISEAL Alliance, and the Sustainable Food Lab were among the first umbrella organizations to collaborate with COSA to define clear and consistent metrics that can be compared across time and geographies. They have, in essence, set the stage for the kind of data that can power AI. Leading companies like Nestlé, McDonald’s, and Mars are also invested in good data efforts. The push by major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and European supermarkets toward consistent and credible reporting of traceability and carbon is also contributing to a rapid increase in industry demand for better information. Among the more useful metrics available today are those that indicate resilience. These are especially useful when problems or pandemics arise. While there may be a temptation for some companies to reduce or delay sustainability programs given current uncertainties, this will likely diminish the resilience of producer communities at a critical time. Some major
Summer 2020
cont. on page 9
New Insights visualize data that tracks programs or activities. Other tools facilitate traceability and can even automate compliance. 4. Ensure accuracy and credibility with verification to protect your reputation and investments (such as training or programs). Integrated digital systems can validate data and significantly reduce verification costs. Use analytics to help identify and locate risk before it becomes a problem 5. Tell Stories that Matter. A good sustainable sourcing program delivers sustainability intelligence that will engage your customers, stakeholders, and staff. It provides reliable insights and meaningful reporting at your fingertips, cutting the clutter with dynamic visuals. Results-based management enhances your ability to succeed and scale-up fast.
brands like Nespresso, Costa, Lavazza, and Starbucks are not backing off their sustainability commitments to support farmers. McDonald’s is another leading company that is doing a lot more than many major brands in sustainability. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) is also pioneering a healthy vision that includes Living Income and how to help farming communities be more resilient and so that supply chains can become more resilient. Despite the efforts of some leaders, many coffee companies are frankly failing to help the most vulnerable parts of the supply chain. What can the coffee industry do? It can appear complicated to integrate sustainable procurement as an essential business practice. For companies to accelerate that, we offer here the five key elements of a successful sustainable sourcing program that have consistently worked for companies large and small: 1. Align strategic direction and sustainability objectives. There are at least nine factors to consider in any strategy, so that requires a bit of process. Still, when done, you should be able to mobilize and inspire staff and stakeholders with articulate and measurable goals as well as be prepared to apply global best practices in your operations. 2. Select the right Key Performance Indicators: measure only what matters with simple and reliable SMART metrics (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-bound) that can be integrated into everyday business processes to help you monitor performance and to foster continuous improvement. No need to reinvent the wheel, just ensure that metrics align with key international norms and are standardized so you can benchmark across origins and supply chains. 3. Use pragmatic tools to simplify sustainability management in vital business areas. Simple and proven technologies help gather, analyze and
However you choose to approach sustainability, know that it matters to millions of people, and so it is worth getting it right. Consider a pragmatic approach that mirrors good business practices and is results-oriented. Committee on Sustainability Assessment - COSA COSA is a global, neutral nonprofit advancing science-based systems for understanding, managing, and accelerating sustainability. 1
Blended simple average of all producing countries
Photo credit: Matthew Himmel, COSA
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Exploring Home-Roasting by John Robson, Director Marketing, Kaffelogic Ltd
Taking Industry Passion to the Next Level
I
n these unsettled times, with the world in pandemic crisis and farreaching economic downturn, the retail environment has been significantly disrupted and who knows what the future may look like. With lockdowns rampant, restrictions on retail activities, and product supply, consumer behavior is being forced to shift from a disposable pre-made society to a back to basics /DIY culture where consumers are making things at home again and rediscovering hobbies and interests that had fallen by the wayside.
Home-Roasting Background Information For those whose daily ritual is to grab a coffee from their favorite local cafe to fuel themselves for the day, this has become harder and, for some, is even now a no go. For others who love the experience of making their coffee at home, getting to their favorite roaster might not be possible, and some of us may begrudgingly find our only option is to go to the supermarket and pick up coffee off the shelf. This isn’t ideal, nor is it a situation we ever thought we would have to face.
So, what does this mean for coffee professionals, including baristas, café owners, cafe managers, and the like? Is this potential disruption a threat or an opportunity? As a coffee professional, you owe it to your customer and yourself to be an expert. Do you know the origin your coffee comes from, the altitude it is grown at, the process it goes through by the farmer? Do you know how it was roasted? Try roasting at home and be surprised at how much fun it is and how quickly you will become more educated on the very product that is essential to your business.
Home roasters may have dabbled with tumbling green beans in a pan or even tried their luck with a popcorn maker. For many, knowing that coffee roasting at home is even possible hasn’t been on their radar until now. Every palate is different, and taste is subjective. What I consider the ‘best’ tasting coffee can be completely different from yours; there is no right or wrong. Home roasting opens a world of new taste. Home roasting can break down barriers and encourage considerable experimentation, and this has to be good for the industry as a whole. Home roasting will never be for everyone, so the industry should not fear but embrace this as advancing the industry.
To understand this more, we need to delve into what motivates home roasting, who are these people, what technology is changing the way consumers may view home roasting, and why as a professional, you should also try roasting at home.
Add to the mix new advances in technology that have made way for a new breed of at-home roasters and are making waves on the global market. Brands such as Kaffelogic, an NZ made product, Behmor, USA-made, or Aillio Bullet, Taiwan-manufactured, make it possible to simply and quickly roast your beans in the comfort of your kitchen to a professional standard. cont. on page 11
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Home Roasting Knowledge is Power But here’s the thing, as an industry professional, should you also be roasting at home or sample roasting for your business? Given a chance, of course, you should! As a barista understanding the roasting process and issues such as coffee aging will assist your professional advancement and perhaps allow you to move into other industry sectors. As a café owner, experimenting with different origins and blends will let you talk with your roasted coffee supplier with more expertise. In other words, you can now educate yourself about coffee roasting instead of being subject to the mystique that surrounds coffee roasting at present.
Often people have mistakenly believed that home roasters are overly complicated units requiring a degree in science to steer and belong in the garage. This is no longer the case with well-designed and smart pieces of technology that take roasting at home to a new level. As an example, Kaffelogic comes with a software suite that allows the user to either roast on a range of core profiles provided with the unit, or for the advanced user, the ability to create their very own unique profiles down to the minutest detail. Small footprint, efficient chaff collection, and minimal smoke mean this type of new generation roaster sits comfortably on any kitchen bench, not consigned to the garage! This type of product is also is finding favor amongst roasting professionals and top baristas as a sample roasting tool, so they are not just for the home user.
So, should your business fear or embrace home roasting? Home roasting is an activity that will continue to grow, so ignore it at your peril. Treat it as an opportunity, not a threat. Use home roasting yourself to enhance your own business or explore how you can also ride the home roasting wave by selling green beans to complement your roasted offering or selling home roasting hardware. Run roasting education sessions at your premises and become the go-to business in your area for the home roaster to hang out. Much like the craft homebrew industry, home roasting may potentially change the way we all look at our industry. As home users discover new techniques of roasting and brewing, will the wider industry need to adjust to evolving consumer demands? Possibly. One thing is for sure; coffee will remain one of the world’s most popular beverages, so the future remains assured.
Home roasting can be started with something as basic as a frypan or wok, or a second-hand popcorn maker found on eBay for a few dollars! However, once the consumer becomes hooked and starts to demand consistent quality and the ability to replicate, then the costs can begin to climb from several hundred dollars to thousands. And like most things, the more money spent, the better the quality of roast, and the greater functionality that is available. So, coffee enthusiasts may now know they can roast at home why would they? We can all agree that nothing compares to a cup of aromatic, freshly roasted coffee, nothing. And fresh is absolutely best. The world becomes their oyster with green beans opening up possibilities for experimenting with flavor and body. When buying green beans, the consumer can choose a wide variety of different coffees to achieve the flavor and body to their liking. And, it keeps the bean counters happy too as for around half the price of roasted beans, the home roaster can get extraordinary specialty grade beans. And it’s simple! With a new generation softwareassisted benchtop roaster like Kaffelogic or Ikawa, coffee roasting can be as simple or complex as the user wants it to be. If new to roasting, simply plug it in, add the green beans, select the preferred roast level and hit go. Or for those more confident or wishing to expand their horizons, delving into profiling software can be an incredibly rewarding and fun activity. Either way, the home coffee lover can open themselves up to a whole new experience previously reserved for industry experts.
If you are thinking of giving roasting a go and looking at your options, there are a few things to consider before deciding which is for you: • What do you want to achieve from roasting coffee at home - is turning coffee brown all you desire? Or do you want to experiment with exotic coffees from around the world? • How much functionality and control do you want? • How important is the consistency of the roast? • How will your roaster look on your benchtop, or will it be consigned to the garage? • What support do you want - training, forums, video tutorials? Once your decision has been made, and you start roasting, you will begin immersing yourself in the magical world of coffee: • The most irresistible grinders that will blow your socks off in consistency, dose, and zero retention. • Scales that greet you in the am with a “hello” and have brewing apps that record everything. • Espresso machines that sit on your benchtop but have all the pressure profiling and temperature stability their big brothers/sisters have, with tablets that control them. • Brewing methods that are half science and half from another planet bringing out pinpoint flavors and clean mouthfeel. But it all starts with green coffee that you have personally crafted with love and care. The only thing you will have to worry about - besides watching your wallet grow from your savings is, who are you going to invite over to taste and share your perfectly prepared coffee?
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Coffee Service Corner
INTERVIEW WITH COPPER MOON’S GUTWEIN BROTHERS
C
President Cary Gutwein
CEO Brad Gutwein
opper Moon Coffee, LLC, is a family-owned coffee roaster in Lafayette, Indiana. Focused on a single mission: To create evenly roasted, uniquely smooth, high-grade coffee – giving you an entirely satisfying taste that’s out of this world. We do this with our family values of integrity, trust, and hospitality. Copper Moon Coffee operates a state-ofthe-art food-grade certified roaster and is a certified roaster of Organic, Fair Trade, and Kosher coffees. Consumers can “Reach for the Moon” online at coppermooncoffee.com and at retailers across the country. I have had the pleasure of knowing the Gutwein family for more than a decade, having been a coffee customer of theirs, and then acquiring their Indiana OCS routes during my days at Standard Coffee Service. I engage with the Gutwein brothers on various projects through my consulting business. I spoke to Gary Gutwein, President of Copper Moon Coffee, about the business of coffee and the current state of the industry. KS: It’s been great to reconnect with you. It’s also good to see Copper Moon maintaining a viable presence during these unprecedented times. To what do you attribute your ability to survive during this terrible pandemic? CG: This COVID period has been extremely difficult. Fortunately, we roast and pack ground, whole bean, and single-serve coffees for the retail trade as well as for the foodservice class of trade, including drip brew coffee, served in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and C-Stores. But make no mistake, we have suffered alongside our OCS and Foodservice customers. We look forward to working with our customers as they adjust and ease back to some normalcy in the near future. KS: At one time, Copper Moon had coffee service routes. What prompted the sale of that business?
VP of Sales Dan Gutwein
KS: Tell me more about the level of involvement that you have with farmers and others at countries of origin. How do those relationships enhance your viability as a roaster? CG: Our coffee sourcing program is a multi-tiered approach; we call it the SEE Copper Moon Rising sustainability program. SEE stands for Social, Economic, and Environmental, and we seek to make substantive progress in each of those pillars for the good of coffee farmers and the coffee industry. We’ve done this through programs where we have directly contracted with small growers in Honduras and El Salvador to support them directly. Additionally, we have joined the Sustainable Coffee Challenge that is administered by Conservation International. KS: What do you see as keys for roasters surviving, hopefully thriving, as we navigate through this pandemic, which has decimated office populations and driven OCS operator revenues to well below 50% of pre-pandemic numbers? CG: We will need to be creative and look for those opportunities and methods of business that are different than what we are doing now. In time I think that the offices will return, and the OCS business will come out of this; it may take some time, but it will happen. We hope to be there when it does, both for the operators, distributors, and end customers. Ours is a value-add approach. We partner with our customers in search of developing new opportunities and building upon what we have. KS: Cary, I thank you for the time that you set aside for this timely and meaningful interview. All of us at CoffeeTalk wish you and our entire roaster community the very best!
KS: With your focus now solely as a roaster, what classes of trade are you targeting?
In Closing: As I continue to reach out to suppliers, distributors, and operator friends during this pandemic, most continue to report a painful business condition. Though we remain in the most challenging times that I have ever personally witnessed, it is encouraging to witness the creativity, ability to adapt and pivot, and the re-positioning of companies for a rebound and even greater success. The attributes of great leaders shine most clearly when facing the headwinds of adversity.
CG: The Office Coffee Service, Foodservice, C-Store, and Hospitality markets have certainly been key markets for us. We roast and package coffee for the retail grocery category as well. The response to our brands has been excellent. As you know, we also operate a few cafes in Indiana. That exposure has been very beneficial.
Nurturing, positive company cultures that support and promote a team environment provide strong foundations during the best and worst of times. Copper Moon is one of these companies.
CG: Our focus today is on being a wholesale roaster. As you know, Ken, operating a coffee route business, is unique and different from the roasting and packaging part of the business. We felt we could better serve our customers by having our attention being on the manufacturing aspects of the coffee business. Additionally, taking this position eliminated our being a competitor to our operator customers.
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by Ken Shea
Until next time - Ken Summer 2020
Ken is President of Ken Shea and Associates, providing specialized solutions to operators and suppliers in the Coffee, Tea and Water Industries.
Whatever your coffee source, style or blend, trust BĂźhler technology to give you better control over flavor, texture and taste of your final product. Contact us today www.buhlergroup.com
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Coffee Fest To Go by Jen Stone, Licensed Q Grader / Coffee Specialist Consultant
A Visitor’s Perspective
are upping the game with additional training sessions, additional exhibitor participation, Master Chats, interviews, and even swag bags. They genuinely want to serve the specialty coffee and tea community. By the way, did I mention it is FREE to attend and extremely reasonable for exhibitors? Comments from some participants were positive, including David Bisek from Food Rise Marketing. He felt the platform was easy to navigate. “I made new connections and am appreciative of the six-week window to log back in, attend webinars, and survey new products.”
The inaugural event drew 1100 attendees
I
just got back from Coffee Fest! I didn’t see you there. It was wonderful, and the conference center was so easy to get around, the hotel was so swanky… wait. That was last fall in downtown Los Angeles.
I just got back from Coffee Fest To Go. Online. It was great! Coming from someone who travels a pretty good bit for this type of event, I was really pleased with my online experience. Attendees were able to participate for free and have access to a live Exhibitors Directory. At the same time, a regular schedule of sessions was being held, either via webinar or “zoom” style interaction. Plus – if you expressed an interest in a product, it could be addressed quickly on the spot. There was a calendar where you could request and confirm meetings and get straight to business, instead of flying back home, dealing with all the fires, and then shuffling through cards and emails trying to remember why someone you met at the event mixer was so important at the time. Of course, there was no waiting in line for a clever little Miir espresso tumbler, or photo booth with Juan Valdez, either. But there could be! With such success, the team at Coffee Fest is preparing for the second event on October 21 & 22, 2020, around the time the original PNW event was scheduled. They
Shruti Prasad, an exhibitor with Middleby Beverage Solutions Group, commented that preparing the virtual booth was much easier than a traditional show in many ways. However, attention was still required to detail and some razzle-dazzle, as attendees could swipe through and quickly pass our page. She was pleased with the turnout. “Within the first day, we heard from over 30 contacts with 12 prospects expressing interest in our touchless Concordia Bean to Cup equipment and our Synesso Espresso Machines.” Erika Lowery, Portfolio Director for the event, held by Coffee Fest Clarion F&B Group, was eager to respond to the desire for interaction, exposure, and need for training, especially in light of having to train new staff after Covid-19 related café closures. The DCR Barista training session was the real deal -quality information and full of granular detail, plus is available for use any time on the Coffee Fest YouTube channel. Keep an eye out for these events as an attendee or exhibitor. It was truly refreshing to do business in a new way, create exposure to people looking for solutions for their companies, not only for delicious gelato samples but for a great cup of coffee. By Jennifer Stone, Licensed Q Grader, Coffee Specialist
Jen Stone
NewsBites
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First-Of-Its-Kind BLOCKBAG® Combines Shelf Appeal Of A Block Bottom Bag With Fully Automated Production Capabilities Telford, PA - Fres-co System USA, a single source provider of flexible packaging solutions, announced the launch of its new BLOCKBAG®, the first fully automatic machine that produces a premium package that mimics the block bottom bag. BLOCKBAG combines the shelf appeal and stability of a block bottom bag with the ability to produce it in a completely automated production process – something coffee roasters in particular have sought, but not been able to obtain until now. Known for its industryleading coffee market innovations, including the one-way degassing valve, Fres-co has introduced a unique packaging solution that delivers benefits both roasters and consumers will value. BLOCKBAG enables the precision and convenience of fully automatic production, the stability and reliability of a flat bottom, the product freshness consumers expect, and the unique aesthetics that make for an impactful presence on the shelf. For More Information: www.fresco.com.
Vermont Artisan Launches Limited Edition Coffee To Honor Vermont Sustainability Pioneer, Rick Peyser Food 4 Farmers and Vermont Artisan Coffee are proud to announce the second release of Roasted Rick’s, a series of limited-edition coffees that honor the work of Rick Peyser and the farming families at the heart of the coffee industry. Peyser is co-founder of Food 4 Farmers and has been advocating for equitable livelihoods for coffee farmers and their communities for 30 years. This release of Roasted Rick’s is a blend of coffee from Fazenda São Francisco in Brazil and the small farmers of Anserma Cooperative in Colombia. Tasting notes are sweet and fruity with nutty notes and milk chocolate. The coffee will be personally roasted by Vermont Artisan founder and owner Mané Alves and is available directly through Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea at https://bit.ly/F4FVermontArtisan. All proceeds will fund Food 4 Farmers’ food security work with coffee-farming families in Latin America. For More Information: https://bit.ly/F4F-VermontArtisan
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Innovating in the COVID-19 Era
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NewsBites Web Connectivity Brings The Ancient Kyoto Brewing Method Into The 21st Century The ACE Brewer is a revolutionary solution for cold brewing at the shop level. Utilizing Active Cold Extraction with Pulse Brewing, the Kyoto style brewer crafts 5 gallons of delicious Cold Brew Coffee in 2 hours or less. The Ace Brewer makes cold brew by following a user created brew profile, which when executed by the brewer’s control system, strictly manages the brewing variables. The result is cold brew consistently crafted to precise standards.To facilitate creating and recalling a brew profile, the Ace Brewer is integrated into a Mobile or PC managed network. Once a profile is created and shared a local barista recalls the profile and follows the onscreen Brew Wizard. The Ace Brewer follows the recalled brew profile to craft the brew as intended. Connected brew profiles remove the barriers for scaling since expensive cold chain distribution is replaced with web distributed brew profiles and on-site brewing. For More Information: Ray@Brewbomb.com Riff Cold Brewed Coffee Names Former NFL Star Vernon Davis to its Advisory Board “Oregon-based Riff Cold Brewed Coffee has added former Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis to its advisory board. Davis, a 15-year NFL veteran turned entrepreneur, who over the past few years has aligned himself with several purpose-driven companies, will focus on helping the Riff team build brand awareness, develop new product innovations, and further strengthen its commitment to social equity and inclusion. “Coffee has a way of flipping our mood, a way of bringing us closer, a way of leading us down the road less travelled. Riff does that and then some,” said Davis. “I engaged with Riff after being inspired by the company’s strong sense of purpose, aligned values, and commitment to positive and social environmental impact. I’m incredibly excited to have joined Riff ’s advisory board and look forward to helping the brand continue to realize its vision.” For More Information: heyjulie@riffcoldbrewed.com Coffee is the New Specialty Crop for California Farmers Jay Ruskey introduced the FRINJ Coffee brand in 2017, which is grown at his familyowned and operated Good Land Organics farm, just north of Santa Barbara, CA, after a dozen years of research with the Coffee Center at UC Davis. FRINJ Coffee has since developed its “whole systems solution” to coffee production and is working with 60 farms in Central and Southern California, who are currently growing their coffee. Ruskey sees plenty of return on investment for the California farmer as the specialty coffee market is valued at $125 billion and predicted to double in the coming years.The FRINJ whole systems solution is helping growers to play in a new market with the tools they need. FRINJ consults with each farmer to assess their land and recommend appropriate plant materials and infrastructure while consulting on cultivation, sustainability, culture, research, and turning a profit. For More Information: christina@christieand.co Vancouver’s Most Notable Coffee Experts Launch Their New Venture: Harken Coffee Roasting Company Harken Coffee has officially opened its doors in Japantown, offering ethically sourced specialty coffee procured by some of Vancouver’s most notable coffee experts - alongside a Japanese-inspired, fully plantbased food menu. “At Harken, our concept was to take the ideas and structures that already exist in coffee shops but to bring an element of refined elegance, thoughtful design and engaging experience that is often absent in most North American coffee shops,” says Eldric Stuart, who leads operations. Naturally, the ongoing pandemic presents a challenge to create an intimate experience. Stuart’s solution? Staying focused on providing an outstanding cup of coffee, whether it’s fresh from the cafe, or brewed at home through their direct-to-consumer retail program. For More Information: connect@harkencoffee.com
Gaggia Releases New Automatic Espresso Machines, the Cadorna Series “Whole Latte Love will now be featuring Gaggia’s latest Cadorna Series espresso machines including the Cadorna Barista Plus, the Cadorna Milk, and the Cadorna Prestige. Named after Piazzale Cadorna in Milan, Italy, the inspiration for the Cadorna series was conceptualized by Gaggia after the team transferred their production from Romania back to Italy. The Cadornas serve as a convenient bean-to-cup machine that tailors your home brewing experience to your needs. The Cadorna series delivers the most popular cafe-style beverages at your fingertips with no barista experience necessary. If you’re excited for the next generation of Gaggia’s automatic espresso machines, then you can get your hands on any of the Cadorna machines at Whole Latte Love. For More Information: wholelattelove.com
Hawaii Coffee Association Webinar Series The Hawaii Coffee Association Webinar Series is provided June 24-25 as a free resource for its association members and broader community. Each session is designed to provide important updates on the effects of the pandemic on the Hawaii coffee industry and on the coffee industry at large. In addition, the series addresses other useful topics to inform coffee professionals of changing trends and regulations. For More Information: www.hawaiicoffeeassoc.org ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (August 27, 2020) The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and Falcon Coffees announced a new approach resulting in ongoing financial support. Falcon Coffees will donate five cents of the sales price of every pound of specialty green coffee through its North American sales unit. “To be clear, this isn’t Falcon raising prices, we’re taking a portion of our revenue and investing it back into the Coffee Quality Institute,” said Konrad Brits, Falcon Coffees Founder. “CQI is a legacy organization that provides enormous value to the global coffee community through the Q lexicon of language and the Q Grader program. It is a living ecosystem that provides value recognition through the hierarchy of coffee quality and professional qualification. Specialty coffee relies on CQI, and without it we would return to the days of commodity trading where quality is subjective and price premiums to origin are eroded.” For More Information: kschrader@coffeeinstitute.org SONOMA, CA (August 5, 2020): Leatherhead Coffee, today officially launches its new line of specialty coffee in partnership with First Responders Resiliency, Inc. (FRRI). Founded by Petaluma Fire Battalion Chief Mike Medeiros and globally recognized coffee authority Willard “Dub” Hay, Leatherhead Coffee is the blend of a love for good coffee, and a passion for giving back to firefighters and first responders struggling with PTSD. A portion of the profits from the sale of coffee and related merchandise will go directly toward FRRI’s successful programming designed to address the rising crisis of PostTraumatic Stress Disorder in first responders nationwide. For More Information: : leatherheadcoffee.com
Advertisers Index Company....................................................... Phone......................................................... Website............................... Page Add A Scoop / Juice Bar Solutions Inc...................................... (415) 382-6535................................................................addascoop.com..................................................... 17 Bühler Inc................................................................................... (763) 847-9900...........................................................buhlergroup.com..................................................... 13 Cablevey Conveyors................................................................... (641) 673-8451................................................................... cablevey.com...................................................... 5 Costellini’s................................................................................... (877) 889-1866................................................................ costellinis.com..................................................... 17 Don Pablo Coffee Roasting Company...................................... (305) 249-5628..................................................... donpablocoffee.com..................................................... 13 Fres-co System USA Inc............................................................. (215) 721-4600.......................................................................fresco.com...................................................... 2 Grounds for Health.................................................................... (802) 876-7835.....................................................groundsforhealth.org.....................................................15 Huhtamaki.................................................................................. see web................................................us.huhtamaki.com/comfortcup.....................................................18 International Coffee Consulting................................................ (818) 347-1378................................................. intlcoffeeconsulting.com..................................................... 13 Java Jacket................................................................................. (800) 208-4128...............................................................javajacket.com..................................................... 13 Leatherhead Coffee................................................................... (707) 696-1853..................................................leatherheadcoffee.com.......................................................7 Primera Technology Inc............................................................. (800) 797-2772...........................................................primeralabel.com..................................................... 17 Texpak Inc | Scolari Engineering............................................... (856) 988-5533................................................................scolarieng.net.....................................................19
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