Roz Cattell from Beverage Services was elected President of the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) at the 2020 NZSCA Annual General Meeting on 22 May.
David Burton has stepped down from the role to become the Immediate Past President. The NZSCA thanked him for two years of steering the ship, fronting the media, and emceeing events. Read more
Espresso machine manufacturer Nuova Simonelli has shared advice on how baristas can control the temperature of their coffee to achieve better consistency.
Nuova Simonelli says consistency is critical: “Without it, espresso quality will fluctuate, recipes will be hard to refine, and returning customers looking for another one of those ‘amazing coffees’ they drank last time will end up leaving disappointed.” Read more
Riverina Fresh has launched the Home Barista Challenge to see how people have been enjoying their coffee at home during isolation.
All entries go in the running to win a La Marzocco Linea Mini or one of two Mahlkonig Grinders, courtesy of La Marzocco and AMC Roastery Supply respectfully. Read more
While many cafés across Australia have been holding off serving coffee in reusable cups for fear of spreading coronavirus, state and territory health departments advise this may be unnecessary. Read more
From 1 June, cafés, restaurants, and pubs in Victoria will be able to reopen their doors for dining service for up to 20 customers at a time per enclosed space.
The announcement came from Premier Daniel Andrews on 17 May, following an extensive testing blitz assuring the government of transmission rates. Read more
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has published a summary of work by its Price Crisis Response (PCR) Initiative, first commissioned in December 2018.
Aimed at understanding and addressing the price crisis affecting coffee farmers and threatening the supply chain, the project focused on identifying interventions with the most potential for long-term, systemic change, rather than a short-term fix. Read more
Niguse Gemeda Mude has won the first Cup of Excellence (COE) Ethiopia with his Sidama sun-dried natural coffee, which scored 91.04 in the competition.
This was one of three coffees to score more than 90 points in the competition, each receiving the Presidential Award. Rumudamo Coffee Industry Trade scored 90.89 and RumuDamo scored 90.25 with 74110 varietal washed coffees, both from Sidamo. Read more
Grocery chain Aldi has reported a 50 per cent increase in sales of its locally roasted Lazzio Coffee range since mid-February.
Aldi says this surge in coffee sales has made it able increase support to the local business behind the product, Black Bag Roasters, the contract roasting arm of the Nomad Coffee Group. Read more
Prime Creative Media continues its Engine Room series, offering complimentary resources to companies to help navigate the COVID-19 crisis.
John Murphy, CEO Prime Creative Media, offers this guide on the dangers of ‘going dark’ in times of crisis, and how to drive a strategy to maintain or even increase market share as the economy recovers.
Australian dairy brand Riverina Fresh is hosting a virtual coffee chat with some of Australia’s most iconic roasters on 13 May.
Titled Home-ground: Live with Australia’s Specialty Coffee Experts, the virtual event will take place on Zoom from 12pm to 1pm discussing the state of the coffee industry, and tips to making cafe-quality coffee at home. Read more