Teo Jo-Hann of Laika Coffee wins Western Australian AeroPress competition

Teo Jo-Hann of Laika Coffee Roasters has won the 2018 Western Australian AeroPress Championship, co-hosted by Laika and Micrology Coffee Roasters on 7 September. “I participated in the 2017 WA Regionals and that was my first AeroPress competition. It was such a fun event I decided to participate again this year,” Jo-Hann says. Gary Sawyer of Coffee Fusion was runner up and Phil Warnes placed third.
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Starbucks to open Reserve Roastery in Italy

The new Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan will open its doors for the first time on 7 September. The new roastery will operate out of a converted post office in Palazzo della Poste on the Piazza Cordusio. Howard Schultz, Founder of Starbucks, credits a trip to Milan in 1983 for inspiring the company that became Starbucks.
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World AeroPress Championship

2018 World AeroPress Championship announces November date

The 2018 World AeroPress Championship (WAC) will be held at Commune in Sydney on 17 November. Following the completion of 140 events across the globe, 61 national champions have emerged. Hosted by Sydney’s Single O, WAC says the competition will be one of its biggest to date.
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Industry Beans brings La Marzocco’s Linea Mini to Fitzroy

Industry Beans will host pop-up events to showcase the La Marzocco Linea Mini for Melbourne’s home baristas across three weekends in September. “We know that there are plenty of home baristas who care just as much about coffee as we do, so we wanted to give them a chance to experience the top of line equipment in a home-style pop up,” Industry Beans Co-Founder Trevor Simmons says. Visitors will be able to test drive the machine and chat with the La Marzocco experts.
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First 2019 ASCA Region Championships to take place in Queensland

The 2019 Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Northern Region Championships will be held at Veneziano Coffee West End in Queensland from 15 to 16 September. The event includes the 2019 Northern Region Barista, Latte Art, Cup Tasters and Brewers Cup Championships. Winners of the four Northern Region Championships will earn a spot in the respective ASCA Australian Championships taking place at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 7 – 9 February, 2019.
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Almond Breeze launches #BreezeTheWaves reporter competition

To celebrate their recent partnership, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze and professional surfer Sally Fitzgibbons have launched a competition to find a #BreezeTheWaves reporter to accompany Sally on the remainder of the World Surfing Championship Tour. “Globally, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is passionate about advocating an active and healthy lifestyle, and Sally absolutely personifies this image of wellness in everything she does, making her the perfect brand fit for us here in Australia,” says Michael McNulty, Blue Diamond Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand.
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Restaurant Brands sells Starbucks Coffee in New Zealand

Restaurant Brands New Zealand has announced it will not renew its licence agreement with Starbucks Coffee when it expires in October. The company, with the approval of Starbucks, sold the fixed assets and stock of its Starbucks business to Tahua Capital, a New Zealand-owned company for a total price of up to NZ$4.4 million (approximately AU$4.0 million).
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Dairy farmers expect conditions to worsen: Rabobank survey

The latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey has found that farmer confidence is at its lowest levels recorded since the depths of the millennium drought in 2006. The third quarter survey found 56 per cent of the nation’s farmers now expect conditions in the agricultural economy to deteriorate in the coming 12 months, significantly more than the 35 per cent with that expectation in the June quarter. Those expecting an improvement in conditions declined to 13 per cent, from 18 per cent in the June quarter. Twenty-five per cent expected similar conditions to last year.
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Tyro integrates Alipay to capitalise on Chinese market

Business-only bank Tyro has entered into an agreement with Alipay to offer the first all-in-one EFTPOS solution to assist Australian businesses’ access to the Chinese visitor market. “This is an exciting initiative for businesses in Australia, especially for those in the retail and hospitality sectors,” says Robbie Cooke, CEO of Tyro. “It sees Tyro continue to challenge the status quo, being the first Australian bank to give its merchants the opportunity to seamlessly integrate with Alipay, enabling them to better serve Chinese tourists and giving customers more choice in how they want to pay.”
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