Coffee News

Veneziano Richmond makes world’s best coffee shop design list

Design and architecture magazine Wallpaper has included Veneziano Coffee Richmond in it’s The world’s best coffee shops for design lovers list. Veneziano opened the Melbourne café to the public on 30 July. Located on River Street in Richmond, the venue features an 80-seat dining space, roastery and barista training studio all under the one roof.
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ASCA Southern Region Coffee Championships on next weekend

The 2019 Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Southern Region Championship will take place from 13 to 14 October. Held at Criteria Coffee in Port Melbourne, Victoria, this is the second regional of the 2019 competition season. The Southern Region Coffee Championships will see the best baristas from VIC and Tasmania combine to compete in the Barista, Latte Art, Brewers Cup and Cup Tasters competitions.
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Sunbeam study reveals consumer turn offs

On 1 October, Sunbeam, in collaboration with Lonergan Research, released a study revealing that 98 per cent of Australians have at least one pet peeve that ruins a coffee experience. Topping the list is temperature at 65 per cent, burnt coffee at 58 per cent, strength at 56 per cent, foam inconsistencies at 39 per cent, and curdled soy milk at 27 per cent. According to the research, Australians are impatient too. Two in five of the 501 people surveyed say a long wait makes for a bad coffee experience, with men, at 44 per cent, and Baby Boomers, at 45 per cent, being the least patient.
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ICO honours women on International Coffee Day

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) has chosen the theme of ‘Women in Coffee’ for International Coffee Day (ICD) 2018. “The idea for the 2018 campaign goes beyond paying homage to women,” the ICO says on the ICD website. “We want to highlight the need for equity and equality in the coffee sector, from bean to cup, and that can only be achieved by empowering women to the benefit of the whole coffee sector.”
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Starbucks opens café built from recycled shipping containers in Taiwan

Starbucks has opened a 320-square-metre, two-story store in Taiwan built that uses 29 shipping containers to form its structure. It is the first retailer to open a storefront in the yet-to-be launched Hualien Bay Mall. “This drive thru location is built to meet customer needs, both today and in the long-term,” Starbucks says in a press release.
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Product Innovation Awards

Entries open for MICE2019 Product Innovation Awards

The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) Product Innovation Awards will return in 2019, and entries are now open. The Product Innovation Awards recognise MICE exhibitors and the contributions they make to the coffee industry each year. The awards will include two categories: People’s Choice, judged by visitors to MICE, and Judges’ Choice, judged by an independent panel.
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Tia Maria to attempt world’s largest espresso martini record

On October 1, Tia Maria will attempt to create the world’s largest espresso martini as part of a Guinness World Record attempt to celebrate International Coffee Day. “The espresso martini is fast becoming the signature cocktail of Australia so where better to celebrate our commitment to making the world’s best, than overlooking the iconic Sydney Opera House,” Tia Maria Brand Ambassador Mark Hickey says. “As a coffee loving nation, craft cocktail culture is taking many of its cues from coffee culture and vice versa, so it’s no wonder drinkers are looking to what’s next as they demand new and exciting flavour profiles.”
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WCE to host judge certification ahead of World Coffee Championships in Brazil

World Coffee Events (WCE) will host a WCE Judge Certification in São Paulo, Brazil, from 2 to 3 November. Participants will demonstrate their skill and knowledge during a two-day test.  WCE Committee Leadership will guide participants through a series of performance-based and written tests that measure a judge’s ability to perform successfully in a WCE competition.
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DineSmart

Help DineSmart2018 fight homelessness this Christmas

Cafés and restaurants can now sign up for DineSmart 2018, a campaign that sees venues ask diners to leave a small donation to fight homelessness on their bill. Since 2003, the annual DineSmart campaign has seen restauranteurs partner with their diners in the lead up to Christmas to raise funds and support their local community. Together, DineSmart and its partners have helped StreetSmart raise more than $5 million for 569 grassroots homeless organisations, sparking a number of innovative projects that are leading local responses to homelessness.
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Cumaral wins Colombia Cup of Excellence

On 20 September, the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) concluded its 15thedition of the Cup of Excellence (COE) in Colombia with a historic result. Andres Londoño Montoya placed first, scoring 91.35 for a washed Gesha Bourbón blend from the farm Cumaral. This marks the first time a coffee from the Quindío region has won the competition.
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