Moonhead Coffee News

23/02/2024

Starbucks faces lawsuit from US consumer group over claims its tea and coffee is ethically sourced

LINK: https://buff.ly/49yTrLY

22/02/2024

Seth Rogan launching a coffee brand why LORD why?

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Houseplant Coffee is the latest addition to Seth Rogen's cannabis-focused lifestyle brand.

21/02/2024

Black Rifle Coffee Company kicks off UFC marketing partnership via World Coffee Portal

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As the Official Coffee of UFC, the veteran-owned coffee chain will have branding at the mixed martial arts organisation’s US competitions, as well as on its digital content and social media

20/02/2024

Agonising superbowl coffee adverts

LINK: https://buff.ly/42NsmT5

Yet again, I am tortured by American subjects using undersea cables to hurtle towards me at lightspeed and then being shone directly into my innocent pupils.

I am reliably informed by my richer cousins from across the pond, that the "Super Bowl" is a regional religious and cultural ceremony including traditional sporting activities and dancing combined with food and entertainment from the area. Modern European historians think that there was never any bowl (super or otherwise) and that the name refers to a local deity. Very confusing.

Anyway, as part of the ceremonies, Americans like to watch adverts and many of these adverts are for coffee. Now this I can support!

There were two adverts for two fairly established US coffee brands: Dunkin Donuts and SToK Coffee.

The Dunkin Donuts advert was far beyond what my simple European mind could comprehend but Anthony Hopkins starring as a football mascot in a cold brew commercial was quite enjoyable.

If you'd like to torture yourself with the Dunkin Donut's commercial, you can do so on this link https://buff.ly/49g2t0H

19/02/2024

Blank Street Coffee auditors warn account figures may be ‘misstated’

LINK: https://buff.ly/49ndnC4

Super interesting article and I recommend you read the whole thing but there are a couple of highlights.

Firstly, the accounts show that it costs Blank Street Coffee more to make and serve a cup of the brown stuff than they charge you for it! Your daily coffee is being subsidised by West Coast investors.

This isn't uncommon for venture-backed businesses but you should expect in the future Blank Street will become increasingly expensive as they gain market share.

Second, it seems that the auditors are trying to distance themselves from the numbers because they were appointed too late to be able to evidence some of the figures. In particular, they weren't able to perform the stock checks necessary to properly access the value of Blank Street's inventory.

I think that isn't a big problem aside from the screw-up of just appointing your auditor so late in the process. But, keep your ears to the ground...

18/02/2024

New Marzocco Mini Released

LINK: https://buff.ly/49ndnC4

In the last few hours, Marzocco has gone live with their Linear Mini updated for 2024 including a suite of feature and aesthetic upgrades.

The Mini was already a punchy machine at an even-punchier price point and these improvements aren't exactly groundbreaking - but the Mini continues to be a remarkably desirable home machine.

Alongside four new colours, LM has updated the pre-infusion and pump-adjustment systems and added compatibility for brew-by-weight scales. The brew-by-weight will now bring the Mini in line with the Micra which had this functionality since launch.

16/02/2024

Australia's Richest Barista applications released

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2024 Australia’s Richest Barista rules and regulations are included in the application form. Please note there have been some changes and updates to 2023’s rules. Each competitor must read these rules and regulations carefully before submitting their application to compete in the Australia’s R...

15/02/2024

Starbucks revenue is up but operating costs are up too

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Q1 Consolidated Net Revenues Up 8% to a Record $9.4 Billion Q1 Comparable Store Sales Up 5% Globally; Up 5% in North America; Up 7% in International Q1 GAAP EPS Up 22% to $0.90; Non-GAAP EPS Up 20% to $0.90 as Reinvention Unlocks Continued Efficiency Q1 Active U.S. Starbucks ® Rewards Membership Re...

14/02/2024

Great article from Sprudge on Robert Downey Jr's new coffee

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Robert Downey Jr. and Craig Dubitsky team up for Happy Coffee.

13/02/2024

"A chromosome-scale assembly reveals chromosomal aberrations and exchanges generating genetic diversity in Coffea arabica germplasm"

Link: https://buff.ly/3SE6iFQ

This study delves into the genetic diversity of Coffea arabica, a key coffee species, using advanced long-read sequencing technology. Despite its origins from a hybrid between C. eugenioides and C. canephora (Robusta), resulting in a mostly genetically uniform species, researchers have uncovered significant diversity in certain cultivated strains due to genetic introgression from the Timor hybrid.

The analysis reveals extensive chromosomal aberrations, including aneuploidies and exchanges, contributing to genetic variation. These findings challenge the prevailing view of C. arabica's genetic makeup, highlighting the importance of these variations for breeding more adaptable and resilient coffee varieties. The study underscores the role of Ethiopian and Yemeni accessions in C. arabica's history, emphasizing hybridization's impact on expanding its genetic base

12/02/2024

Pink Aeropress released in time for Valentine's Day

Link: https://buff.ly/3SyLxeD

11/02/2024

AMG and ECM release collab
Link: https://buff.ly/3SSP09n

There is an inexplicable and longstanding crossover between car-fanatic and coffee-lovers. A certain type of espresso-enjoyer can appreciate a gasket or pressure valve as long it's making something go fast - your car or your heart rate (or both).

Since Sprecht partnered with Spring (a preeminent Porsche modification company) I've been waiting for the next collaboration and here it is.

The good news is that it's a thing of beauty and that the existing ECM machine is already a high-quality piece of kit. The bad news it that sadly it's a superficial body-kit and they haven't been able to find areas of technical collaboration.

25/01/2024

Luckin Coffee sponsors the Australian Open

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SINGAPORE, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- luckin coffee and the Australian Open have announced their multi-year partnership with luckin coffee to become the Official Coffee Partner for the Australian Open in China and Southeast Asia. This partnership between luckin coffee and the Australian Open trans...

24/01/2024

Roast Summit 2024 lineup announced

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Cheers to the new Drew Barrymore coffee maker, a single-serve, customizable experience with great features and good looks

23/01/2024

Rules changes at the SCA

LINK: https://buff.ly/3vJEdFq

With the 2024 World Coffee Championship around the corner in Copenhagen - new rules have been released for four of the underlying competitions; World Latte Art Championship (WLAC), World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (WCIGS), World Coffee Roasting Championship (WCRC), and Cezve/Ibrik Championship (CIC).

Having read through the rules changes, the news is that there is no news. No substantial changes have been made apart from within the WLAC.

Here competitors will now have a choice of different milk options for the championship and will have the option of bringing battery-operated electrical equipment onto the stage.

22/01/2024

Redemption Roasters secure £1.3m in funding

LINK: https://buff.ly/424vMQW

Redemption Roasters have successful closed out a round of crowdfunding - well exceeding their goal. Redemption does tremendous work in the UK with a number of coffee shops plus a Roastary behind bars at HMP The Mount.

This investment will go into building their e-commerce operation and streamlining existing operations.

21/01/2024

Better margins attract VCs to specialty coffee startups

LINK: https://buff.ly/47JC6yw

We've been reporting on coffee investment here at Moonhead throughout 2023 and it's been an impressive 12 months. However, during this period I wasn't aware of what a chance in tempo these investments where. 2023 saw almost double the funding that 2022 did.

The explanation for this is not immediately obvious in the context of plateaued overall coffee consumption and a mature, stable market in Europe and North America.

On inspection, the theme driving this investment is specialist coffee in two specific countries: India and China. I'd recommend you read the above article to see the details.

16/01/2024

Shipping Lines Raise Freight Prices For Some Coffee Routes

LINK: https://buff.ly/47zDXWO

As you may know, over the past months rebels in Yemen (known as The Houthis) have been targeting container ships at the south end of the Suez passage in response to the violence in Gaza. These attacks have led both individual ships and shipping firms to reroute their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

This is an extremely costly exercise for everyone involved affecting the amount of shipping available to the industry and pushing up the price of fuel and insurance. These costs will inevitably filter through onto the consumer.

The ICO has sensibly warned that the biggest impact will be on East African and SE Asian coffee being shipped into Europe and the Middle East. Expect some price instability in the coming weeks as the US prepares an 'intervention'...

15/01/2024

Flush App launches at CES to commodify your bathroom

LINK: https://buff.ly/3TTJu7r

What man-made horror beyond my comprehension is up next?

It's paying to use a toilet - but in an app. Perfect.

Launched at CES, Flush promises cafes a trickle of cash in return for stopping customers performing a natural bodily function in their toilet without permission. Truly a win-win!

In good news for me, this is fully against the law in a cafe in the UK. Fellow bris, rejoice in elf-n-safety gone mad.

14/01/2024

Robot Barista at CES 24

LINK: https://buff.ly/3HhA8L2

I don't make the rules - robots are cool.

Let's not look too closely at how this lovely-looking chap makes no sense and all this startup has done is invent an automatic machine with extra steps. Robots are cool and Richtech (literally their name) should sponsor this newsletter and send me one of these things.

A tech firm unveiled its latest creation at CES -- a robot barista that can make a mean cup of coffee and much more.SUBSCRIBE to ABC NEWS: https://bit.ly/2vZ...

08/01/2024

Compose Coffee signs advertising deal with K-pop star Kim Taehyung via World Coffee Portal

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The South Korean coffee chain will mark its tenth anniversary with a series of promotions featuring the BTS star as its brand ambassador

07/01/2024

China's new thirst for coffee spurs cut-throat cafe competition via Market Screener

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Chinese coffee consumption is growing quickly, spurring cut-throat competition between local and foreign coffee chains that have opened thousands of branded shops in recent months and surpassed...

05/01/2024

SCA Begins Accepting Nominations for 2024 Sustainability Awards via SCA

LINK: https://buff.ly/3NKOXcG

04/01/2024

Strauss replaces ‘Turkish coffee’ branding with patriotic slogans

LINK:https://buff.ly/4aIkbLl

Yet more evidence that nothing in life can escape the gravitational pull of current affairs and politics as Strauss adds Israeli Flags and pro-Israel slogans to their branding amid boycott fears.

Since the beginning of the most recent war in Gaza, there have been attempts in Israel to boycott Turkish goods over comments from the Turkish president.

It matters not that the ground coffee has almost nothing to do with the country of Turkey (including ownership and provenance) but understandable the company felt it had to head off any criticism.

03/01/2024

WatchHouse raises for £7.9m for UK/US expansion

LINK: https://buff.ly/3RB7edE

Whoever said you can't make money running a coffee shop has never spoken to WatchHouse founder Roland Horne.

WatchHouse has gone from strength to strength in 2023 with award-winning Baristas and superb London locations. This round of funding will be spent on 'rapid' expansion in the UK and their first NYC location on 5th Avenue.

02/01/2024

The Weber BIRD Lists On Website

LINK: https://buff.ly/48fXwEK

The BIRD is the latest beautiful, innovative and (inevitably) extortionate offering from Weber Workshops in the US. Claims about 'espresso style' are certainly misguided but the BIRD does solve the principal issue with a traditional French Press - the grounds sitting in the water for far longer than is intended.

In order to stop fine particles slipping past the mesh of a traditional French Press, the handle needs to be depressed far slowly than people expect. Then the brew needs to be immediately decanted to halt any further extraction occurring. However, rapid decanting can dislodge those fine particles again and mix them back into the brew. This means that it's extremely hard to get proper, repeatable extraction times and the BIRD solves this problem elegantly.

Plus it looks sexy and people will think your cool...

28/12/2023

Third Wave Coffee Makes Workforce Reductions, Fires 120 Employees via News18

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Third Wave Coffee Roasters competes with Blue Tokai, Slay Coffee, Sleepy Owl Coffee, Hatti Kaapi and traditional chains such as Cafe Coffee Day, among others.

27/12/2023

Registrations Open for the Coffee Technician Summit

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The highly anticipated Coffee Technicians Guild Summit returns for two days of networking, learning, and activities. Our next event, planned for February 15-16, 2024, will see coffee technicians, machinists, designers, engineers, and specialists travel from across the globe to the state-of-the-art M...

26/12/2023

Sale hope for bankrupt coffee trader Mercon via GTR

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Potential buyers are eyeing stricken coffee trader Mercon, which filed for bankruptcy protection last week after Rabobank called in a US$325mn credit line. Netherlands-headquartered Mercon specialises in sourcing and trading green coffee and has operations across Asia, Africa and Latin America. The....

25/12/2023

Specht show off their latest commission for Peter Singer

LINK: https://buff.ly/3TD1O4u

I just adore everything that Dan from Specht does and my personal life goal is to own a Singer Porsche. So, when they posted pictures of this collaboration it made my week.

The finished set was a Marzoccoo Linear Mini and a Weber "The Key" both in the famous Porsche Gulf Livery made famous by classic Singer Restorations. There are custom CNCed aluminum panels on the side which I think are an homage to the rear air outlets on the 911 - regardless they're a lovely novel touch alongside the fuchs wheel icons on the k***s.