Each Friday, Excellent Day by day Grind rounds up the highest espresso trade information from the week. 

Editor’s be aware

Dubai’s Roasters Specialty Espresso Home has set a brand new Guinness World Report for the most costly cup of espresso.

At its flagship downtown retailer, Roasters’ is serving its record-breaking Gesha for AED 2,500 (roughly US$680) per cup. In August, on the Better of Panama 2025 public sale, Roasters (solely per week outdated on the time) bought the complete 20kg lot of washed Gesha from Hacienda La Esmeralda for US$604,000 – or US$30,204/kg. This makes it the most costly espresso on this planet, beating the earlier file by greater than half.

Brewed utilizing the V60 technique and served in a bespoke Edo Kiriko crystal glass, the BOP-winning Gesha is a strategic differentiator within the extremely aggressive and unique UAE market. The espresso’s extraordinary price ticket indicators how status and shortage can drive model attraction and publicity – however we must always anticipate to see even greater costs over the following few years.

Trying extra broadly, the European Fee has proposed one other one-year delay to the EUDR. The complexity of the laws implies that organising digital methods to deal with transaction-related information is taking longer than anticipated, in accordance with the Commissioner for Surroundings, Water Resilience, and a Aggressive Round Financial system.

If accepted, this may be the second postponement of the EUDR, initially scheduled for December 2024. Since its announcement in June 2023, producers, merchants, and roasters have been getting ready for the landmark regulation, which, even with delays, is already reshaping world commerce dynamics.

Nevertheless, as US tariffs proceed to drive market volatility, information of one other reprieve may present obligatory reduction. Conversely, those that have already invested closely in compliance procedures may really feel annoyed.

In the end, the additional time is simply worthwhile if the espresso sector makes use of it to construct strong, resilient, and sustainable methods.

High tales of the week

• Tue, 23 Sep – Bids for Costa Espresso fall in need of Coca-Cola’s expectations. A number of suitors submitted gives beneath Coca-Cola’s goal, sources say, prompting a recent spherical of outreach as advisers search improved proposals. Curiosity spans each non-public fairness and strategic bidders, however preliminary gives had been broadly thought to be “disappointing”. (Atlanta, Georgia, US)

• Wed, 24 Sep – European Fee proposes further one-year delay to EUDR. The Fee cites an absence of IT readiness, which might delay due diligence and traceability checks for forest-risk commodities, together with espresso. Exporters acquire respiration house whereas NGOs warn of reputational and environmental dangers. (Brussels, Belgium)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Joe Espresso provides a 1.5% surcharge to offset tariff prices. The New York specialty espresso chain has elevated its retail costs to cowl greater import tariffs on inexperienced and roasted beans, stating that it goals to guard employees pay and menu stability whereas passing a modest portion of the elevated provide prices onto prospects. (New York Metropolis, New York, US)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Arabica futures fall as Brazilian rains ease crop fears. Improved rainfall in Brazil has raised hopes for flowering and a stronger 2026 crop, prompting merchants to trim their lengthy positions and pushing New York arabica futures decrease after a current spike, as seen shares and export flows are reassessed. (New York Metropolis, New York, US)

Trade information

• Tue, 23 Sep – Blue Tokai to decrease costs following Indian authorities tax discount. The Indian specialty roaster will decrease costs on chosen packaged coffees and café menu objects to replicate a current GST discount, passing tax financial savings to customers throughout retail, on-line, and café channels whereas citing affordability and market entry. (New Delhi, India)

• Tue, 23 Sep – ICO requires collaboration on Worldwide Espresso Day. This 12 months’s marketing campaign theme, “Embracing Collaboration Extra Than Ever,” asks governments, trade, and civil society to register occasions, use #ICD2025, and share the ICO’s multilingual toolkit, aiming for sensible, provide chain-wide measures to enhance farmer incomes, resilience, and sustainability. (London, UK)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Bangladeshi roasters push specialty espresso progress. Specialty roasters and cafés in Dhaka and Chittagong are introducing single origin blends, in-house roasting, and barista coaching to reinforce cup high quality and attraction to customers, with a deal with native sourcing, schooling, and premium experiences. (Dhaka, Bangladesh)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Lavazza doubles UK income after value rises. Premium ranges and retail progress drove gross sales regardless of elevated enter and vitality prices. Margin restoration was achieved by pricing, effectivity measures, and a beneficial channel combine, enabling the UK enterprise to revive profitability and fund additional market funding. (London, UK)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Mokas appoints Christian Coleman to steer Midwest growth. Coleman signed a six-unit settlement overlaying Johnson, Douglas, and Shawnee counties, plans an Olathe opening in March 2026, and can oversee franchise recruitment, website improvement, and operations throughout the Kansas Metropolis metro. (Salina, Kansas, US)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Paulig’s enterprise capital arm invests €4mn in Scindo. Scindo, a Finnish producer of different substances derived from mycelium, has secured funding to scale sustainable protein and lipid options. The funding from PINC helps product improvement, pilot-scale manufacturing, and broader business partnerships. (Helsinki, Finland)

• Thu, 25 Sep – SCA and SCAJ signal MoU to increase CVA schooling in Japan. The settlement will broaden entry to the Espresso Worth Evaluation and “advanced” Q programme, set up a nationwide pool of CVA instructors, align Japanese practices with worldwide requirements, and promote joint coaching throughout the worth chain to reinforce high quality evaluation and market transparency. (Tokyo, Japan)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Klatch Espresso expands in California in partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. The specialty espresso roaster confirmed three new in-store cafés in Eastvale, Fullerton, and Rancho Cucamonga, following the profitable completion of a pilot in Fontana. Sprouts has outlined plans for a 20-café programme throughout Southern California, providing Klatch espresso, chilly brew, and a restricted meals menu inside grocery shops. (Rancho Cucamonga, California, US)

• Thu, 25 Sep – UK’s Butterwick bakery to shut 12 of 14 shops amid value pressures. House owners blamed unsustainable working prices and shifts in buyer spending. The enterprise will deal with its Rushden Lakes and St Giles’ Road websites, pursuing menu upgrades, handcrafted drinks, and an improved coffeehouse expertise following current refurbishments. (Kettering, UK)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Nespresso claims first Rainforest Alliance regenerative-certified espresso. Certification covers a espresso lot verified underneath the Rainforest Alliance’s new regenerative agriculture normal, aiming to reward on-farm practices that restore soil, improve biodiversity, and enhance farmer livelihoods. The corporate plans scaled rollouts and farmer coaching to fulfill demand. (Lausanne, Switzerland)

• Fri, 26 Sep – Starbucks to shut a whole bunch of underperforming North America shops, together with Seattle roastery. Restructuring will value US$1bn and is anticipated to cut back company-operated US and Canadian areas by roughly 1% by the top of the fiscal 12 months. Help crew job losses and hiring freezes are anticipated, whereas funding will shift to staffing, know-how, and in-store expertise. Some shops within the UK, Switzerland, and Austria may even shut. (Seattle, Washington, US)

Companies for Sale

• Thu, 25 Sep – Odeko acquires Six Levels Espresso to increase Northern California footprint. Six Levels’ prospects, together with impartial cafés, drive-thrus, bakeries, and campuses, will acquire entry to Odeko Provide cellular ordering, a nationwide product catalogue, 24/7 help, and financing and insurance coverage providers, bringing digital instruments to native operators. (Chico, California, US)

• Fri, 26 Sep – Maestroast acquires Whiteheads. Plans embody scaling Whiteheads’ roasting capability for personal label purchasers, defending present cafés from closure, and utilizing Maestroast’s provide chain and farmer community to assist the 167-year-old enterprise handle rising prices and market volatility. (Bristol, UK)

New launch

• Tue, 23 Sep – illy opens experiential pop-up cafe in New York. An interactive set up explores the corporate’s sourcing and roasting philosophy, that includes guided cuppings, chef collaborations, limited-edition blends, and retail pop-ups, with occasions and academic talks scheduled to run by late September. (New York Metropolis, New York, US)

• Wed, 24 Sep – NCA releases Spanish and Portuguese NCDT highlights. The Nationwide Espresso Affiliation has launched translated Fall 2025 NCDT Highlights reviews in Spanish and Portuguese, priced at US$499 every, with broader entry out there by its US$550 annual membership package deal. (New York, US)

• Wed, 24 Sep – El Mayor debuts a coffee-infused tequila. The Café Reposado tequila, aged in oak, options notes of darkish chocolate, caramel, and toasted oak. The launch features a restricted retail launch, tasting occasions, and direct on-line gross sales throughout the US. (Los Angeles, California, US)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Ciarra launches Bloombox moveable espresso machine. The compact 20-bar, self-heating unit delivers fast heat-up time with a snap-on brewing workflow, out there from 23 September through Ciarra on-line shops, concentrating on journey and concrete kitchens. (Hamburg, Germany)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Melitta opens new testing lab in North America. The corporate established a roast and high quality lab in Cherry Hill, with a capability for flavour profiling, ingredient trials, and prototype roasting. The lab acts as help for regional R&D and new product innovation. (Cherry Hill, New Jersey, US)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Bootlegger makes worldwide debut with two Namibian websites. A Cape City-based group goals to focus on 200 shops by 2028, positioning worldwide openings as the primary section of growth. The group prioritises grab-and-go codecs, quick-service operations, and native partnerships to help a fast regional roll-out. (Windhoek, Namibia)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Chick-fil-A to open Daybright beverage idea in Hiram. Crimson Wagon Ventures will function a standalone model providing specialty coffees, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and a restricted meals menu. It won’t serve core Chick-fil-A objects; additional particulars and a gap date might be introduced quickly. (Atlanta, Georgia, US)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Flavia unveils its new Aroma brewer. The compact Aroma system gives over 20 café-style drinks, utilising Freshpack know-how to forestall flavour crossover. Two finishes and a 12-oz Lavazza Momento vary have been launched for bigger pours, and the system is now out there on-line. (West Chester, Pennsylvania, US)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Black Rock Espresso Bar opens new Texas retailer. The outlet in Katy is the chain’s twenty third Larger Houston website and forty fifth in Texas. Launch promotions embody free 16-oz drinks, buy-one-get-one gives, and half-price meals. Friends can earn bolts through the Black Rock Rewards app throughout 160+ areas. (Katy, Texas, US)

• Fri, 26 Sep – illycaffè takes CoffeeB system to Italy. The patented brewing know-how utilises totally compostable espresso balls to ship single-serve high quality with out capsule waste, out there in choose illy shops and on-line. A partnership with Migros and Delica extends CoffeeB past Germany and France. (Trieste, Italy)

Milestone

• Tue, 23 Sep – Equal Origins celebrates ten years with a webinar. On 15 October, Equal Origins will host a webinar marking a decade of labor on gender fairness in agriculture, sharing key classes and exploring how empowering ladies’s participation is essential for attaining future sustainability targets. (Washington, DC, US)

Commerce & manufacturing

• Mon, 22 Sep – EUDR shapes Africa’s traceability push. At ACS2 in Addis Ababa, African governments, the non-public sector, and Staff Europe framed the EUDR as a instrument to safe markets and enhance governance. Uganda geo-mapped 1.5m farmers and Côte d’Ivoire makes use of funds for ecosystem providers. (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Mexico launches wellness espresso programme. The product is bought as instantaneous, labelled 100% Mexican, and sourced from 6,600 smallholders throughout Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, and Guerrero. The federal government paid roughly 59.4 million pesos to amass 913.6 tonnes and said that 60% of producers are ladies; nonetheless, some Veracruz growers have criticised the standard and pricing. (Mexico Metropolis, Mexico)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Expocacer celebrates first cargo of ECO-protocol espresso to UK. The ECO programme is a self-verification system for sustainable ESG practices, recognised by the World Espresso Platform. After delivery two containers to the UK in 2024, Expocacer has secured 4 pre-sold containers for 2025, and goals to achieve as much as six, successfully doubling volumes year-on-year. (Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil)

• Fri, 26 Sep – Kenya seeks US commerce deal to spice up espresso exports. President William Ruto will press the US to increase AGOA for 5 years, in search of tariff-free entry that would stabilise export routes for Kenyan espresso and tea, curb current tariff shocks, and entice purchaser funding. The end result stays unsure amid current US tariff measures. (Nairobi, Kenya)

Occasions & competitions

• Mon, 22 Sep – Ethiopian Embassy to host occasion on Worldwide Espresso Day in London. The occasion, beginning at 18:00 native time, will function a conventional Ethiopian espresso ceremony, participating discussions on espresso’s cultural and financial significance, and a chance to community with fellow espresso lovers and stakeholders within the espresso trade. (London, UK)

• Mon, 22 Sep – Accademia to host Longboard Gesha tasting in Florence. Accademia del Caffè Espresso will current Europe’s solely pattern field of 12 Longboard Panama Gesha tons, curated with Untold Espresso Lab and BWT, to preview a personal public sale on 1 October. The occasion features a tribute to Justin Boudeman and a Spirit of Longboard toast. (Florence, Italy)

• Mon, 22 Sep – Neuhaus Neotec to showcase NEOROAST 60 at HostMilano. The tools handles batches between 20 and 60 kg and may course of as much as 480 kg/h, operating on gasoline, hydrogen, or electrical energy, with a deal with decrease emissions and environment friendly mid-scale manufacturing. (Milan, Italy)

• Tue, 23 Sep – Porto Espresso Week explores tradition and innovation. Porto Espresso Week 2025 will happen from 6 to 12 October throughout town, that includes a mix of tastings, lectures, artwork exhibits, concert events, and enterprise networking occasions to highlight Portugal’s rising espresso scene and join professionals with customers. (Porto, Portugal)

• Tue, 23 Sep – La Marzocco to revive Out of the Field idea at HostMilano. Returning to Milan this October, the biennial present will host over 90 model activations; La Marzocco’s theme focuses on experimental roast profiles, stay extraction labs, and buyer touchpoints designed to highlight craftsmanship and product schooling. (Milan, Italy)

• Tue, 23 Sep – The eleventh annual Pittsburgh Espresso Week will run from 28 September to 4 October 2025. This 12 months’s theme, “Pittsburgh Pours”, celebrates town’s distinctive espresso scene, honouring native espresso manufacturers and the specialty espresso neighborhood. A full occasion schedule has been introduced, together with a latte artwork competitors hosted by Ghost Espresso Collab, Commonplace Espresso Farmer’s Market and Bloom Battles, KLVN Espresso pour over tasting, and lots of extra activations. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US)

• Wed, 24 Sep – SCAJ Convention 2025 runs at Tokyo Massive Sight till 27 September. The occasion contains 650 cubicles, 450 firms, and greater than 75,000 guests, that includes producer delegations, tools showcases, competitions, seminars, and public cuppings throughout the four-day schedule. (Tokyo, Japan)

• Wed, 24 Sep – Sluggish Espresso Pageant focuses on conscious brewing. The 2025 version, operating on 4 & 5 October, will spotlight sustainable practices and slower brewing strategies, combining workshops, panels, tastings, and music to advertise a relaxed and conscious espresso expertise. (Bucharest, Romania)

• Thu, 25 Sep – Spanish AeroPress Championship to be held in Barcelona on 11 October. The eighth nationwide contest brings 62 finalists from 14 areas collectively at Manhattan Studio on 11 October. Rivals will brew utilizing espresso from Familia Osorio, Spain’s 2025 Roasters Champion, and the winner advances to the world finals in December. (Barcelona, Spain)

• Thu, 25 Sep – The Barista League heads to Africa in October. The primary African version, scheduled for 18 October in Nairobi, will function an inclusive team-based barista problem that mixes espresso abilities with creativity and enjoyable, aiming to attach native professionals with the worldwide espresso neighborhood. (Nairobi, Kenya)

• Fri, 26 Sep – Highlight on innovation at World Espresso Summit. Scheduled for six & 7 November in London, the occasion will deliver collectively trade leaders to debate know-how, sustainability, and enterprise developments, highlighting options which are shaping the following decade of worldwide espresso manufacturing and consumption. (London, UK)

• Fri, 26 Sep – World Espresso Innovation Awards 2025 shortlist introduced. Classes embody greatest product, greatest innovation, and greatest enterprise. Shortlisted merchandise embody Hardtap by Hardtank, Misplaced Sheep Espresso Espresso Focus, and Collection 1 Espresso Machine by Fellow. The winners might be introduced at Caffe Tradition on 30 September 2025. (London, UK)

• Fri, 26 Sep – Iberital to exhibit at HostMilano. The espresso tools producer and provider will showcase its merchandise at stand B24 C23 on the occasion. (Milan, Italy)

Listed here are a couple of espresso information tales from earlier weeks that you just may discover fascinating. Have a look:

• Mon, 15 Sep – ofi’s local weather targets validated by Science Based mostly Goal initiative. SBTi validated ofi’s science-based targets, that are aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, together with a net-zero goal by 2050, a 50% discount in scope 1 and a pair of emissions, and a 30% discount in scope 3 and land-use emissions by 2030. The corporate cites 24 decarbonisation initiatives, a 7% discount in processing emissions in 2024, and farmer programmes. (Singapore)

• Wed, 17 Sep – Tariffs push up seasonal latte costs. Import tariffs on inexperienced and roasted beans have elevated wholesale prices for cafés, resulting in greater costs for seasonal lattes. Some outlets are passing the prices on to prospects, whereas others are trimming sizes or absorbing the margins, and operators warn that greater payments could persist by autumn. (Myrtle Seaside, South Carolina, US)

• Thu, 18 Sep – Slate Milk raises US$23mn led by Yasso Founders Fund. The plant-based milk firm will use the funding for brand new amenities, expanded flavour lineups, and enhanced R&D, addressing the rising demand amongst latte drinkers and specialty espresso retailers. (New York Metropolis, New York, US)

• Fri, 19 Sep – Gail’s opens airport outlet at Gatwick. The chain launched its first airport bakery in Gatwick North Terminal, providing recent breads, pastries, and low with a grab-and-go service designed for travellers, increasing the model’s UK travel-retail footprint. (Gatwick, UK)

• Fri, 19 Sep – Blue Bottle reintroduces studio tasting in Hong Kong. The reservation-only course runs from 1 to 26 October at Blue Bottle Wan Chai, that includes a 90-minute, six-drink tasting with two sweets curated by James Freeman and Benjamin Brewer. This expertise highlights the liberica and excelsa species, in addition to a house-made instantaneous espresso. (Hong Kong, China)

Picture credit: AeroPress

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