You may have seen the headlines, and we hate to say it, but the mass media weren't being sensational. There's a lot going on in the world of coffee right now. It's not all bad news though! Coffee remains a force for bringing people together. And we bring you all the in-depth investigations, interview with World Champions and ways to party with coffee in this edition!
Cover Story: Price Pressure
Record-High Coffee Futures Prices will impact the price of your daily cup, if they haven’t already. South Africa’s Specialty Coffee Industry is no different. José Fernandez, founder of importing company Sabores Coffee, investigates what this means at each level of the supply chain that is necessary to feed our coffee obsession. He speaks to coffee professionals in each sector in an in-depth look at the challenges facing our daily cup.
Brew: Brewing Excellence with Martin Wölfl
Blending coffee, music and the discipline of a sporting mindset, Martin Wölfl, rose to the challenge and won the 2024 World Brewers Cup Title. Martin shares his inspirational story with us as he embarks on a journey as one of the leaders in the coffee industry globally.
Origin: Habari, Kenya!
Kenyan coffee rates highly on many coffee professionals ‘Favourite Origins’ list! Known for their sweet and clean washed coffees of excellent quality, Kenya is a culturally vibrant place with so much to offer. Say hello (habari!) to this unique coffee producing country!
Roast: A Reason for Being
Bringing sunshine into the world of specialty coffee roasting, Yellow Jacket Coffee have quickly made their presence felt. Through their authenticity and determination to have fun in the process of learning, they are respected and revered by their peers. Here’s a look inside Yellow Jacket Coffee...
Discover: A New Normal - The Case for Decaffeinated Coffee
Decaffeinated coffee has had a wild ride. I don’t know if there has ever been a topic in coffee (ok, putting the current price increases aside) that has inspired such strong or polarising feelings. Coffee connoisseurs have in the past cultivated a deep dislike of anything associated with decaf and coffee professionals have had an almost ‘only because we have to’ attitude to having a decaf coffee in stock. But what does the future look like?
Opinion: The “No A$$holes” Rules for buying or selling a cup of coffee
Reeling from steep increases, you may feel the need to make your opinions known to your local barista. Here are some pointers on how to go about that from industry veteran and cafe owner, David Donde. Always an entertaining read!
Kick: The Dance Generation
We’ve always said that coffee is a lifestyle and there’s a new generation of coffee drinkers that are partying up a storm around the world. With a focus on good, clean fun, these coffee gatherings are inspiring a whole new section of the coffee market. Indian Barista Champion Mithilesh Vazalwar is one of the mavericks behind this culture shift. Welcome to the Dance Generation!
