It may come as little surprise that the Arab world is considered one of the fastest growing coffee markets in the world, with the UAE one of its most active centres.
Caffeine devotees across the UAE drink nearly twice as much of the popular beverage as anywhere else in the GCC, helping create a vibrant and diverse coffee and café scene, and providing the perfect marketplace for businesses looking to tap into the increasingly diverse and sophisticated tastes of their customers.
One such business is Coffee Planet – a UAE-grown and Dubai SME 100 ranked company which, according to managing director Robert Jones, will see the largest growth levels in its history this year.
“Last year we saw 35 percent overall growth,” he says. “At the end of Q1 this year we were up 38 percent compared to Q1 last year.”
Familiar to drivers across the emirates, Coffee Planet is well known as the brand of choice at petrol stations, but there’s much more to its success than that.
Since launching in 2005, Jones and his team have built something of an empire by stealth, gradually growing a business to be proud of, and one which many people might not even know they’ve interacted with.
“I like to say that we are like an iceberg,” continues Jones.
“Most people see us in the gas stations or supermarkets, but they don’t know that on the flight they are taking via Emirates or Etihad, they’ll be drinking our coffee. Or in the hotel where they have lunch, they’ll be drinking our coffee.”
Excerpt from –
The Daily Grind: Coffee Planet
source: http://www.elanthemag.com / Elan / Home> Innovation / August 01st, 2014
Scientists have created a new biofuel to get the cars running using ground coffee. The study by University of Bath found that different varieties of coffee, including Robusta and Arabica, have reasonably standard composition and relevant physical properties of fuel, suggesting that all coffee waste could be a “viable” way of producing biodiesel.
Chris Chuck, a research fellow at the university, said that around eight million tonnes of coffee are produced globally each year, and ground waste coffee contains up to 20% oil per unit weight. This oil also has similar properties to current feedstocks used to make biofuels. Spent coffee grounds are waste and there’s a real potential to produce a truly sustainable biofuel using these, he added.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Science / Agencies / June 18th, 2014
The ISS will soon get an espresso machine, allowing astronauts to enjoy hot, freshly brewed coffee in space. A pair of Italian companies in cooperation with the Italian Space Agency have announced plans to send an espresso machine to the ISS by November, which they are calling the ISSpresso machine.
Lavazza has joined forces with Italian aerospace engineering company to design an espresso machine.
The new machine will use a capsule system instead of a full ground system and will be capable of making not just espresso, but several other hot beverages. The plastic tube that usually conveys hot water inside a normal espresso machine has been replaced by steel tube, making the unit capable of withstanding very high pressure. They also added multiple redundant systems to ensure continued service for many years to come. The liquid product made by the machine is dispensed into a plastic bag.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Science / PTI / June 18th, 2014
Tata Coffee Limited, India’s coffee producer and exporter of gourmet coffee, announced its win at the Golden Peacock Awards 2014, for excellence in ‘Environment Management’ in the ‘Beverages’ category. Golden Peacock Environment Management Award (GPEMA) is the coveted recognition that organisations across India strive to achieve for environment management.
The award was presented as part of the two-day ‘ 16th World Congress on Environment Management’ in New Delhi on July 11 and 12, 2014. Tata Coffee was declared the winner amidst a distinguished gathering of business leaders, jurists, academics, environmentalists, economists, legislators and policy makers. Present as Guest of Honour was Atul Chaturvedi (IAS), Chairman – Public Enterprises Selection Board.
Hameed Huq, Managing Director, Tata Coffee Limited said, “It is a proud moment for the company to be applauded on a national platform such as the Golden Peacock Awards 2014. Tata Coffee has consistently been committed to environment protection and we rely and coexist with nature at our coffee plantations. We promote eco-tourism and sustainability. We are constantly improving the quality of coffee through sustainable practices and agronomy solutions.”
Tata Coffee has been revered for excellence in ‘Environment Management’ based on its system by conservation of water and energy resources and effective utilisation of renewable energy resources. Tata Coffee is also known as a carbon-negative company as it upholds its biodiversity conservation practices.
Tata Coffee has 19 coffee estates in India which produce varieties of Arabica and Robusta coffees. The plantations adopt sustainable practices in irrigation, water management, and pest control. The plantations have set up bee hives to increase the dwindling bee population and bee activity, which, in turn, will serve the purpose of cross pollination, especially for the Robusta coffee.
Sustainable practices have their benefits, including important certifications: among these, the Utz Kapeh certification, which validates that coffees from the Tata Coffee plantations have not been exposed to harmful chemicals and processes, and the Rainforest Alliance certification, which validates the company’s sourcing and growing practices. Tata Coffee was also the first plantation company in the world to get SA 8000 certification, which recognises a company’s fair employment practices.
This year’s awards were declared by the Awards Jury under the Chairmanship of Justice P. N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and Co-Chairmanship of Justice and UN Human Rights Commission and co-chaired by Justice (Dr.) Arijit Pasayat, Chairman, Authority for Advance Ruling (Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax) and former Judge, Supreme Court of India & former Chairman, Competition Appellate Tribunal of India & Authority for Advance Ruling (Customs, Central Excise & Service Tax) and Lt Gen J S Ahluwalia, PVSM (retd), President, Institute of Directors.The award for the Environment Management System (EMS) is a powerful tool to evaluate oneself in an ecological sphere.
source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com / Hospitality Biz India.com / Home> F&B Overview> F&B / by HBI Staff, Mumbai / Wednesday – July 16th, 2014
In the breathtaking experience of traveling across the remote highlands and lowlands of the south-western part of Ethiopia, one can, really, admire the country’s future in building a green economy.
The densely planted indigenous trees on both sides of the road seem to be the gate to a wonderful savanna land. A small town, Bonga, some 420 km south-west of Addis, provides a world-class center for research. The town hosts the first coffee museum of its kind, which many hope will unravel the mystery behind the birthplace of the mysterious green beans.
A goatherd named Kalid is linked with the story of coffee. Back then, Kalid saw his goats climbing the hills easily after eating what seemed to be a special leaf – a leaf that made them so spirited. His discovery encouraged him to be a guinea-pig to test the beans, which proved to be a source of great excitement. This is said to be the compelling story of the beans whose name reached out to every corner of the world.
Coffee has always been associated with Ethiopia’s longstanding tradition and hospitality. Indeed, it became a popular culture among many to grab coffee while discussing matters on the table. A few historians and anthropologists have also embarked on the task to find the birthplace of coffee.
The Kaffa people, located in the south-west of Ethiopia, have persisted with the strong argument that the name “coffee” is derived from their tribal name. They have kept their persuasive journey through historical and legendary accounts. They are, of course, known for their ancient history of self-governing dynasty that goes back thousands of years. They elected kings to ascend the throne, in which their dynasty structure is composed of defense, foreign affairs, justice and another four divisions that typify the modern government system. The last king of Kaffa, Akigo Shokru, was defeated in 1898 and arrested by the then powerful king, Menelik II, after a protracted conflict and several wars intended to include the region under a central administration. His crown is still kept in the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University.
In fact, coffee was found to be a treasure for the region some years ago when anthropologists dug out some of the materials that were supposed to have been used for drinking coffee. Moreover, the mother coffee tree in the so-called birthplace of coffee is still erected and preserved for tourists. Mankira, where a coffee bean was first discovered, has been a tourist attraction in the region. There is still a coffee forest in a wonderful natural setting which is placed to produce an organic wild forest honey that adds further fame for the area.
However, there is little to be said in favor of promoting the area or the entire nation as an original place of coffee due to several problems. Nevertheless, the man who is now becoming an icon for the area and has played a significant role in forwarding the idea of portraying the coffee bean as a trademark of the Ethiopian millennium, celebrated five years ago and also laid the foundation for the museum. Hassen Said (Ph.d.), from the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University, took the initiative to realize the construction of the museum when he found interesting and strong evidence about the association between coffee and the people of Kaffa.
The museum, which is on the verge of completion, rests on 2,800 sq.m. of land and hosted World Museum Day for the third time last May. “It has been quite an impressive journey to reach here,” he said. From the design of the complex to the construction cost, his insightful vision for the museum was the one guiding everything until it became a reality. “It is a simple love; a love that paid for my little involvement,” he said, describing its prominence among the people. Apart from a 10 million birr contribution from the wealthy businessman Sheik Mahamud Ali Alamoudin, the entire cost of the building was borne by the local people who have paid with the last cent from their pocket. “It feels like a blood-built heritage for the people,” he says.
The museum is expected to have rooms for laboratory purpose, research and documentation. Moreover, it will have a coffee park that brings all types of coffee beans from other parts of the country. “The most important role of the museum will be to promote the area as the original birthplace of coffee, in that we failed to do so thus far,” Kifle Hilemariam, chief administrator of the zone noted. In addition to this, it will also have a bigger impact in the promotion of other tourist sites found in the surrounding areas.
With the kind of personality in which Hassen has built, the realization of having a classy museum that promotes the area’s precious treasure to the rest of the world will indeed be an asset. The zone that comprises 30 percent of the country’s forest is on the verge of being registered as a world heritage site by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO). “This will, of course, boost the country’s image,” Mamait Yilma, director of the national museum, argued.
Aseffa Hailemariam, who is in charge of the museum, notes that it is intended to promote coffee and will also accommodate a number of heritage pieces and artifacts of the people that have been preserved for centuries. “Quite soon the world will confirm Kaffa as a place where coffee was born,” he concluded. The people that realized the importance of environmental conservation a thousand years ago, and kept themselves in the forest planting coffee and hiving bees want to be recognized as “a coffee people”, and this seems be the time to reach out for that.
source: http://www.thereporterethiopia.com / The Reporter / Home> Living & the Arts / by Henok Reta / June 15th, 2013
Despite widespread attack of the White Stem Borer (WSB) pest in all growing regions, the Coffee Board, a estimates India’s coffee production for 2014-15 at a record 344,750 tonnes – an increase of 13.2 per cent over the final estimate for 2013-14.
Although the Board projected an all-time high output of 347,000 tonnes for 2013-14, the final production came down to 304,500 tonnes, with 102,200 tonnes of Arabica and 202,300 tonnes of Robusta beans. Compared to 315,500 tonnes in 2012-13, the production was down by 3.5 per cent. For the current year, the pest has already affected 50 per cent of the Arabica plantations and the production loss could be the worst ever, if the monsoon continues to play truant. The Board has projected Arabica output at 105,500 tonnes and Robusta at 239,250 tonnes for 2014-15 crop.
“Our estimates are based on the conditions that prevailed during post-blossom period in April. The blossom showers were adequate this year, though the distribution was not uniform and there was a slight delay in receiving the backing showers in certain pockets. This year is an “on-year” for Robusta crop and the conditions are very good for the crop presently. The pest could come under control if there is a very good shower in the remaining months of monsoon. However, it will be known only in September, when we come out with post-monsoon estimates,” Jawaid Akhtar, chairman, Coffee Board, told Business Standard. He said last year, the Robusta crop suffered losses due to a heavy monsoon between July and September, after two months of drought earlier in the year. However, this year, the conditions might change with the monsoon rains in July and August.
Akhtar said coffee areas were facing long dry spell, followed by blossom showers. Agreeing with the Board, Ramesh Rajah, president, Coffee Exporters’ Association, said the Robusta crop has in excellent condition and depending on how the rains continue in the remaining days, the final production would vary. As WSB is rampant this year, the production of Arabica could come down by 10,000-15,000 tonnes, he said.
Planters have expressed surprise over the estimates for the current year. “Last year was an ‘on-year’ for Arabica and still it suffered losses due to WSB initially and later with heavy monsoons. This year, it is an ‘on-year’ for Robusta. With WSB surfacing, the Arabica production at the most could be in the range of 60,000 tonnes,” said Nishant R Gurjer, former chairman, Karnataka Planters Association.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Markets> Commodities> Food & Edible Oils / Mahesh Kulkarni / Bangalore – July 14th, 2014
Growers sceptical due to prolonged dry period, borer menace
Chennai :
The Coffee Board has projected a record crop of 3.44 lakh tonnes (lt) for the new season beginning October, but growers are sceptical about the estimates.
According to the Coffee Board’s post-blossom estimate, Arabica output will be 1.05 lt and Robusta 2.34 lt. (The estimate of crop made after the coffee plant blossoms and spikes develop on the plant is the post-blossom estimate.)
This is against a revised estimate of 3.04 lt this season ending September (1.02 lt Arabica and 2.02 lt Robusta).
“I think this output could be difficult to achieve, especially with regard to Arabica. This is because even in best-maintained plantations, there is heavy infestation of the white stem borer,” said Anil K Bhandari, former president of the United Planters’ Association of Southern India, and an exporter.
Other opinions
“Such levels of production cannot come from the original area under coffee in the country. This year, most planters are complaining that their output will be down by at least 40 per cent as far as Arabica is concerned. In my own estates, the output will drop to 10 tonnes from 40 tonnes,” said Bose Mandanna, former Coffee Board Vice-Chairman and a planter in Kodagu, Karnataka.
Due to a prolonged dry season, the menace of the white stem borer, which has been wreaking havoc in coffee plantations over the past decade, is a serious threat this year.
“Maybe, the estimate put out by the Coffee Board was the situation prevalent during blossom. After that, there has been a tremendous loss in the estates due to the borer menace,” said Bhandari.
This year, coffee estates are reported to have received timely showers for blossoming of the coffee flower. Follow-up showers, required for growth of the plant, were also good before the borer menace spread panic.
According to the Board estimate, Karnataka will contribute 72 per cent of the coffee production next season, up from nearly 70 per cent this season. Output in Karnataka will be 2.48 lt (80,700 tonnes Arabica and 1.67 lt robusta) against 2.11 lt this season (78,440 tonnes Arabica and 1.32 lt Robusta).
Kodagu’s contribution will be 43 per cent with 20,150 tonnes of Arabica and 1.13 lt of Robusta (21,040 tonnes Arabica and 90,820 tonnes of Robusta). Last year, its contribution to the country’s coffee production was 36 per cent.
Fears of drought
“It is almost like a drought situation in Kodagu. It is unlikely that the district will provide so much coffee this year,” Mandanna said.
“It is likely that the Coffee Board could revise the estimate downwards after taking into account the effect of monsoon and other things. It should carry out another estimate later and put it out during October-November. That could perhaps reflect a correct picture,” Bhandari said.
According to plantation industry sources, for the last few years, the Coffee Board has been putting out a higher projection of the crop in its post-blossom estimate.
“This has been happening for sometime now. They come out with a higher figure and then revise it. Who gains from such estimates,?” a source wondered.
Last year, the Coffee Board initially estimated the crop at a record 3.47 lakh tonnes before pegging it finally at 3.04 lakh tonnes.
This season’s production estimate was lowered after heavy rains in the growing areas led to wet feet in coffee plants resulting in the roots growth freezing. This led to coffee berries falling off the plant, leading to loss.
“The Board has to revise its methodology in estimating the crop. Then, perhaps it could be nearer to reality,” the source said.
source: http://ww.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Markets> Commodities / by MR Subramani / Chennai – July 08th, 2014
The Pera Museum in İstanbul has rearranged part of its permanent collection for the summer season, offering its visitors a fresh exhibition that focuses on Turkish coffee rituals and ceremonies from its vast collection of Kütahya ceramics and tiles.
“Coffee Break: The Adventure of Coffee in Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics” features 105 pieces from the museum’s Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection. The collection dates back to the 1980s and originally consisted of over 800 artifacts representing various periods. A majority of the items in the collection are from the period between the 18th and 20th centuries.
The renewed concept of the show not only looks at routines and rituals centered on coffee, but also offers insight into Ottoman coffeehouses, which constituted an important element of the public sphere in Ottoman daily life. After the 16th century, coffeehouses increasingly functioned like the “social media” spaces of their times.
The Pera Museum is located on Meşrutiyet Caddesi, No. 65, in Tepebaşı. The museum is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 12 p.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Friday. İstanbul Today’s Zaman .
source: http://www.todayszaman.com / Today’s Zaman / Home / Istanbul – Sunday, June 29th, 2014
Indian Coffee Board is set to launch a program to train people to be coffee makers or baristas. (Thinkstock)
In an effort to make coffee available and more popular across the country, especially in tea dominated northern India, the Indian Coffee Board is set to launch a program to train people around the country to be coffee makers or baristas. The ‘Barista training program’ of the Indian Coffee Board, involving a specially crafted syllabus will guide aspirants interested in coffee on the various aspects of coffee making, and will be launched in July according to the chairman of the Coffee Board Jawaid Akhtar.
Trainees will study the different types of coffee seeds, the right temperatures for roasting them, the best ways of grinding, and the right chemistry for a good coffee, says Akhtar who is also Chairman of the International Coffee Council. Trainees will be taken on a study tour to research centers of the coffee board, its coffee estates and will be given an internship opening at coffee chains. When they graduate from the program the coffee board with certify its trainees as qualified coffee makers, the Coffee Board chief said.
“Youngsters, especially those who have stayed abroad and have imbibed the global work culture are drawn to coffee in a significant way. Many see coffee making as a trendy thing to do. With coffee being affordable we want to create more interest in coffee making at home,” Akhtar said. In offering coffee courses for amateurs the coffee board is following in the footsteps of similar initiatives seen in emerging markets like China, Brazil, Russia and South Korea where coffee drinking has received huge impetus in recent times including home brewing.
The Indian Coffee Board’s Barista training program will allow aspiring coffee makers to train at its headquarters in Bangalore or the coffee board will depute its staff to conduct group classes in any part of the country, the head of quality control at the coffee board K Basavaraj said.
While the fee for the four-week training program has not been fixed the coffee board claims that it will run the program on a not-for-profit basis aimed purely at skill development and employment generation. “A similar program in a private institution will cost nothing less than a lakh,” a member of the coffee board faculty for the program said
“Indian coffee beans like Robusta and Arabica have earned fame the world over but very little is known about it in the Indian market. Consumers in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and other parts.
source: http://www.financialexpress.com / The Financial Express / Home> Commodities / by Harsha Raj Gatty, Bangalore / June 17th, 2014
The hunt for the perfect cup of coffee drove sales at Benugo, the upmarket delicatessen that serves visitors to London’s V&A museum, the BFI Southbank and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, 24 per cent higher in the year to December.
The company, which started as a bar in the capital’s fashionable Clerkenwell district in 1998, has 15 cafés in London railway stations and high streets in addition to its concessions in museums, galleries and historic buildings.
It has plans to expand further, opening six more of its New York-style delicatessens on the high street each year in London, Edinburgh and Oxford. It is also bidding for more museum and art gallery contracts, looking to sell its sandwiches throughout the UK and Europe.
Alastair Storey, chief executive and chairman of Westbury Street Holdings, the parent company of Benugo, said that the business was doing well from rare, “single-sourced bespoke coffee blends” in an increasingly competitive café market. The company’s emphasis on locally sourced food has also helped, he added.
“We’re seeing people looking for a simpler, less complicated dining experience. Five years ago 25 per cent of sales were sandwiches, and 15 per cent were salads and wraps,” he said. “Now that has completely reversed. People are wanting to eat less bread; fewer carbohydrates.”
The growth helped WSH to hire at its fastest rate since it was formed in 2000. The company created 1,800 new jobs, taking total employment at the company, which runs an extensive range of training and apprenticeship schemes, to nearly 14,400 staff.
Sales at Benugo grew from £56.5m to £70m in the year to December. WSH also owns catering brands Baxter Storey, Caterlink, Holroyd Howe and Portico. This week the company will report that operating profits rose 36 per cent from £18.2m to £24.6m on sales that grew 15 per cent to £530m in the year ended 27 December. Pre-tax profits fell from £6.2m to £2m due to an exceptional charge of £15m as a result of a debt restructuring in November.
WSH is the third biggest player by sales in the British catering league table, behind Compass and Sodexo.
Caterlink, its state schools catering division, which accounts for 12.5 per cent of WSH revenues, saw sales rise 20 per cent in the past year, as take-up of school meals became more popular amid a renewed focus on health.
The British government is committed to spending £600m a year on free school meals from September – increasing the market from 3.5m school meals a day to 5m a day – and Mr Storey said he expected to “mop up” some of this growth in business.
Sales at its main Baxter Storey contract catering brand, which accounts for nearly three-fifths of sales grew 12 per cent underpinned by 44 new client wins, including Reed Smith, Shell UK, Verizon and BAE Systems. But Mr Storey added that the corporate hospitality market had not yet recovered to pre-recession levels.
“It’s interesting just how severe the reduction in corporate hospitality has been,” he said. “It’s improved but its still not back to precession levels.”
Mr Storey set up the company in 2000 after 25 years at Sutcliffe Catering, later part of Granada Food Services. Since going it alone, he has expanded his business rapidly, acquiring independent rivals including Halliday Catering, BaxterSmith and Holroyd Howe.
