News
Why specialty coffee brands are becoming more politically neutral
2+ week, 15+ hour ago (959+ words) Specialty coffee has historically positioned itself around progressive values, from sustainability to social issues and fair pay. Transparency, equity, and sustainability have not only shaped sourcing practices but also how brands communicate with consumers. Over time, this values-led approach became…...
Chinese coffee brands have European consumers in their sights
3+ week, 13+ hour ago (860+ words) Over recent decades, coffee retail has largely globalised through familiar formats: the coffee shop as a "third place, balancing convenience with atmosphere. But a new model is now expanding " one built not on experience, but on speed, scale, and price....
Coffee menus that require explanation are alienating consumers
4+ week, 14+ hour ago (948+ words) Over the past decade, the lexicon of the specialty coffee industry has changed and grown significantly. In addition to roast style and country of origin, coffee varietals, fermentation techniques, lot name, micro-regions, and detailed flavour descriptors have become common features…...
The drive for efficiency is creating a divide in specialty coffee
1+ mon, 4+ day ago (867+ words) Efficiency has moved from backstage to front and centre in specialty coffee " and is creating a divide between those who value craft over quality via any means. Tighter workflows, improved consistency, and better equipment are now openly discussed as a…...
Why more producers are focusing their marketing around authenticity
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (637+ words) Rather than signalling a retreat from professionalism, this shift may reflect something more structural. As more producers seek to build stronger connections to their global customer base, there is a generational and technological reset in how credibility is built, and…...
Alternative products: what do they mean for coffee?
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (1089+ words) WALK through any food trade show or scroll a few minutes on Linked In and a pattern emerges: coffee without coffee, chocolate without cocoa, dairy without cows, and sugar without sugar." Taglines read "healthy, "functional, "lab-grown, and "fermentation-derived "a futuristic…...
When shortages sell: do headlines boost commodities?
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (699+ words) FOR much of the past three years, commodities have been making headlines: coffee prices "soaring," cacao facing "structural collapse," and olive oil becoming "liquid gold." Each spike is framed as a crisis, with supermarket shelves turning into case studies in…...
Is coffee completely cashless?
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (1101+ words) For years, the coffee bar has been a testing ground for consumer habits. Plant milks, Wi Fi, iced drinks, matcha, drive-thru, and mobile ordering are just some of the trends we've seen. Now " and largely since the pandemic " caf's are…...
Starbucks, Mr Beast, and the race for Gen Alpha
3+ mon, 5+ day ago (939+ words) STARBUCKS started out selling coffee. Then it sold a "third place: sofas, playlists and the promise of belonging. Now, it is selling something stranger " screen time. In January 2026 Starbucks will power Beast Games: Strong vs. Smart, a Prime Video competition…...
Supporting local businesses is opportunistic as well
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (1063+ words) IN public discourse, "supporting local" is cast as a moral act. It conjures images of farmers" markets, family-run caf's and handmade bread purchased for the greater good. The implication is sacrifice: you pay a little more, convenience slips a little,…...