Coffee News

Bureaux Collective to host Taste of: Copenhagen 

Bureaux Collective will bring a taste of Denmark to Melbourne when it hosts Taste of: Copenhagen on 9 August. The event will revisit Scandinavia and feature some of the region’s trailblazers in coffee roasting, including samples from The Coffee Collective, April Coffee Roasters, The Factory, Andersen & Maillard and Prolog.  Copenhagen is home to one of the most progressive food scenes in the world, with many starred restaurants serving up top-shelf coffee programs. 
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Drink coffee, do good on 3 August for CaféSmart

On 3 August, the coffee community will unite to support CaféSmart 2018 and help fight homelessness. More than 600 cafes have registered to participate in CaféSmart 2018 next week, with $1 from every coffee sold at participating cafés directed to support grassroots homeless charities. Last year CaféSmart raised $285,500, including matched funding from partner philanthropists, and supported 156 homelessness projects across Australia. This year, CaféSmart is aiming to beat that total and raise $300,000 for critically underfunded services.
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St Ali to host Wide Awake latte art smackdown

St Ali and La Marzocco will host a Wide Awake Coffee Latte Art Smackdown in Ballarat on 9 August. The competition, taking place at Mitchell Harris Wines, next to Fika Coffee Brewers, invites regional Victorians to share their best latte art talent. Entry is $10 to compete, viewing is free, and winner takes all. 
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McCafé launches new coffee blend with Kenyan hit

McCafé has released a new coffee blend nationwide with complex flavours to keep up with Australia’s evolving coffee palate. “For 25 years, McCafé has been part of the daily ritual for many Aussies. As coffee tastes evolve, so does our blend,” says Jo Feeney, Director of Marketing McDonald’s Australia. The last significant recipe change to the McCafé blend was in 2016, following the introduction of group handle espresso machines in 2015, and the launch of McCafé Drive-Thru in 2014, an extension that is said to have transformed the accessibility and convenience of barista-made coffee in Australia.
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Aussies buy up big at record breaking Best of Panama auction

Australian buyers have secured nine of the 39 coffee lots on offer at the Best of Panama (BoP) auction on 19 July. “The two best Geisha Washed coffees are coming to Australia,” Coffee Treasures CEO Gavin Gam says. Gavin won a share of the top-ranked Elida Estate Geisha Green Tip Washed from producer Wilford Lamastus for his new green bean sourcing company, and on behalf of roaster D’Angelo Coffee. Kew Specialty Coffee also won a stake in this top palced BoP coffee, which scored 94.66 points in the international judging and was sold for US$661.00 per pound (about $886.33 per pound). Coffee Treasures secured four other top BoP coffees, including the record breaking Elida Estate’s Geisha Green Tip Natural, which received the highest bid of a green coffee sold at auction at US$803 per pound (about $1088 per pound).
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Veneziano Coffee Roasters to open Melbourne café

Veneziano Coffee Roasters will open its new Melbourne café to the public on Monday 30 July. Located on River Street in Richmond, coffee lovers and enthusiasts will be treated to a brand-new 80 seat dining space within Veneziano’s headquarters, roastery and barista training studio all under the one roof. “Our new flagship store will push the boundaries of coffee and hospitality, as a testing ground for our new products,” Managing Director Craig Dickson says. “It presents the perfect opportunity to showcase the brand as an end-to-end specialty experience for coffee lovers and those keen to learn more.”
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Grinders Coffee to support farmers this Fairtrade Fortnight

Grinders Coffee Roasters, Australia’s largest branded roaster of Fairtrade green beans, has partnered with Woolworths to support coffee farmers and raise consumer awareness this Fairtrade Fortnight, taking place from 3 to 16 August. “Our close relationship with Fairtrade is very important to our commitment to leading a sustainable future for the coffee industry, and delivering better outcomes for coffee communities,” says Grinders General Manager Neale Wood. Fairtrade is an independent certification system that provides farmers and workers in developing countries with practical and technical support to grow their businesses and support their local communities.
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BioPak partners with Open Canvas to break stigma around homelessness

BioPak has partnered with Melbourne-based social enterprise Open Canvas to launch a new compostable coffee cups range. The BioCup Art Series will feature artwork on its cups from Australian artists facing homelessness in an effort to combat the stigma surrounding homelessness. Open Canvas Founder Dan Rath says the artwork featured on the cups depicts the beauty of nature and the environment. 
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MICE moves dates to February to accommodate Australian Coffee Championships

The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) has announced it is changing dates from April to February to accommodate the 2019 Australian Coffee Championships. After MICE confirmed its relocation to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and April dates in May, a week later World Coffee Events (WCE) established the 2019 World Barista Championship (WBC) and World Brewers Cup (WBrC) would take place mid-April 2019, leaving little time for an Australian competitor to prepare for the world competitions in Boston.  Due the unfortunate timing and MICE’s partnership with the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) to host the Australian Coffee Championships each year within the trade expo, the official decision has been made to change the dates to 7 – 9 February, 2019. 
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Brisbane farewells Dandelion & Driftwood

Queensland institution Dandelion & Driftwood has closed its doors after eight years of service to the Brisbane community. Owners Peter and Penny Wolff believe it was time for their beloved Dandelion & Driftwood café to “pivot and change” and made their last coffee on 10 June. Penny says the heartfelt messages that poured in after the announcement of closure was a testament of the impact this little café had on the coffee community near and far.
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