Issue 18www.coffee-magazine.co.uk

Coffee BeanMerry Christmas

From All AtCoffeebean Magazine

in this issue....

World’s Cruellest Cup of Coffee

Starbucks Launches “Tweet-a-Coffee” encourages spontaneous gifting on Twitter

Buckingham cafe owner reports Waitrose to OFT

Beaminster coffee morning raises £1,000 for Cancer Research Kuppa Coffee brewing up coffee and promote Newcastle shop

China’s Coffee Culture p

Editor: Jay Cee jaycee@coffee-magazine.co.uk

Design: The Coffee Bean Team jaycee@coffee-magazine.co.uk

www.coffee-magazine.co.uk

Contributors: Briancee - Poet

Josh Bateman

EditorialWell in this issue first of all From across the pond is all about the caged civets who produce coffee for some UK famous shops, Say no more.

Starbucks launches “ Tweet-a-Coffee”.This is interesting and a good idea from Starbucks in the US, maybe the UK will get the idea soon you never know.

China’s Coffee Culture writen and sent to us from Josh Bateman who is a freelance writer based in Asia.

Coffee can increase physical, mental performance and apparently a study also found that coffee consumption reduced the risk of liver cancer.

Coffee waste is grounds for celebration

at a mushroom farm, as they grow mushrooms in the waste coffee grounds. innovative that’s what I think.

Coffee futures drop and there is apparently a slump, the worst one for eleven years. Well I am still buying my coffee maybe I will make a small difference.

Then the story about the 2013 Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championships, really bring home the importance of being able to produce the perfect espresso, cappuccino or latte and gives the young and old Baristas a chance to create and show off their work that they can create with their dark espresso and frothed milk which is quite amazing.

Anyway that’s it for this issue I wiill wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Till next time

The Ed

Coffee Bean magazine Visit our website

www.coffee-magazine.co.uk

From Across The PondWorld’s Cruellest Cup of Coffee

The world’s most expensive cup of coffee is also the cruellest, with tiny mammals kept in tiny filthy cages to produce beans for trade.Civet coffee, also known as kopi luwak, is made from beans of coffee berries that have been eaten and excreted by Asian palm civets.

Civet beans sell for over £140 per lb and can cost up to £60 per cup. It is included in Harrods’ The Decadence Hamper.

An investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has found that animals at civet coffee farms in Indonesia and the Philippines are kept in awful conditions and often go insane from being locked in tiny cages.

They showed neurotic behaviour, such as pacing, spinning and head-bobbing, all of which suggest the animals, which were caught in the wild, are under extreme stress from boredom and depression.

Despite these conditions, the farms also advertise their beans as being “wild-sourced.”At two of the farms, the investigator was told those running the business have no problem labelling their product as “100% wild-sourced”,despite relying on caged animals.

A farmer explained that they are caged for around three years but when they are released, they rarely survive.

In the wild, civets are able to climb trees to reach coffee berries. In farms, they are fed more fruit than they would normally eat, which harms their health. The civets also become ill from a lack of vitamins and nutrition.

Mimi Bekhechi, Peta’s UK associate director, said: “Drinking coffee made from beans that were plucked from faeces isn’t the most unappetising aspect of civet coffee. Confining civet cats for years - as they go mad and lose their fur from the stress

for an expensive cup of Joe would turn the stomach of any compassionate person.” A BBC report from earlier this month also found evidence of animal cruelty on civet coffee farms.

An expert said he was “totally convinced” coffee from these farms end up being consumed on the London market. Tony Wild, former coffee trader and author of Coffee: A Dark History, said: “The whole reason everybody regurgitates that story is that by being incredibly rare, you can keep a ridiculously high price.”

A spokesperson for Harrods said: “Harrods works closely with all its suppliers to ensure the highest standards of ethical sourcing, production and trade are maintained. This is carried out through strict auditing procedures.

“Our exclusive supplier ... has given Harrods every assurance the coffee we are provided with is organic, and comes from wild palm civets.”

First 100,000 customers who tweet the gift of Starbucks coffee using their Visa(R) cards receive one free for themselves.

Starbucks have launched a new way for customers to send the thoughtful gift of Starbucks coffee through the tweet-a-coffee program. Customers in the U.S. can now simply sync their Starbucks account to their Twitter account and tweet to @tweetacoffee and the Twitter handle of the gift recipient, which will then send the recipient a $5 digital eGift. Customers can them redeem the $5 Starbucks Card e-gift at participating Starbucks stores in the U.S. either by printing out the e-gift, showing it directly on their mobile device, or by loading it to their Starbucks mobile app.Building upon

Starbucks digital gifting and engagement offerings, tweet-a-coffee has launched in Beta mode and will be an ongoing platform that will allow customers to engage with one another online to gift a Starbucks beverage spontaneously and respond proactively with gestures of encouragement, kindness on and “just because.” Starbucks first launched its eGifting platform in 2011 on Starbucks.com and has extended that offering to Facebook, its iPhone mobile app and now through Twitter.

The Twitter platform started previously and the first 100,000 customers who tweet - a - coffee using a Visa card will also receive a $5 Starbucks Card e-gift for themselves, courtesy of Visa and Starbucks.

“What’s so exciting about

extending our eGifting platform to Twitter is the open and real time nature of the platform. Tweet-a-coffee allows us to do something quite different in eGifting in that people can now give the gift of Starbucks to anyone on Twitter in the moment. This can be between the closest of friends, the most distant of colleagues, or even between people who have not even had the chance to meet yet in person, but have connected in some way on Twitter,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer, Starbucks. “We love the possibilities that the Twitter community can unlock to share acts of kindness with one another. Tweet-a-coffee is a key next step as we innovate our social digital gifting offering.”

Coffee Bean Research /Starbucks Press

Starbucks Launches “Tweet-a-Coffee”

encourages spontaneous gifting on Twitter

Never Worry about Forgotten Gifts or Souvenirs Again Never Worry about Being Over Weight

Gift ideas from Portugal, Spain, USA and the UK and other European Countries

http://www.forgotyoursouvenir.com

A CARD and coffee morning held in Beaminster has seen more than £1,000 raised for Cancer Research UK.The morning was held at the Skyrme Room on Saturday, October 19 and featured handmade

cards by Mrs Julia McKinlay, which had been recycled from older cards.

Mrs McKinlay has been making the cards for the past 20 years and has raised £23,000 so far.

Out of the £1,000 raised, £700 was made from the sale of the cards. The organising committee would like to thank everyone who helped during the meeting and everyone who attended for their support.

Buckingham cafe owner reports Waitrose to OFTGarry Sutherland said he is losing £200 in sales a week

A coffee shop owner has reported Waitrose to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), claiming the supermarket’s free drinks offer is damaging his business.

Garry Sutherland runs the Gelateria Gazzeria in Meadow Lane, Buckingham, 20 yards (18m) from the supermarket.

He said his coffee sales had fallen by 40% since Waitrose started giving free hot drinks to loyalty card-holders, and says the offer is “unfair trading.”

Waitrose said the promotion allowed it to compete against larger supermarkets.

The supermarket’s UK customers receive a free hot takeaway drink if they present a myWaitrose Card.

Mr Sutherland, who charges £2.05 for a regular and £2.45 for a large white coffee, said he had lost £200 of sales a week since the offer started, six weeks ago.

‘Positive contribution’“I don’t mind competition with anyone on a level playing field, but free coffee is not a level playing field,” he said.

Using free coffee as a loss leader “amounts to aggressive marketing and unfair trading.” he added.

Mr Sutherland said he had not yet received a reply to his complaint to Waitrose’s chief executive so had referred the

matter to the OFT under Article 102 of the Competition Act.

A Waitrose spokesman said its card was designed to help it compete against the major supermarket chains that are “very much bigger.”

“Instead of the standard loyalty card that typically gives 1% discount, we’ve chosen to give our loyal customers coffee, newspapers and other offers that are immediate, relevant and appreciated,” he said.

He added that the store made a “positive contribution to the Buckingham community.”

“We give £1,000 per month to good causes through our Community Matters green tokens scheme,” he said.

An OFT spokesman confirmed the organisation had received Mr Sutherland’s complaint.

Beaminster coffee morning raises £1,000 for Cancer Research

The Cup is there waitingThe cup is there waiting

for the liquid to pour

Then friends come there,knocking at the door

The aroma of the coffeethey say was the draw

Then the taste of the javais as it was before

That is not just coffee it’s a growers passion.

It is the roasters dreamand the barrista’s craft

Poem by Briancee

China's Coffee Culture

According to a study by SPR Coffee, the average annual coffee cup consumption per capita in Finland is 1,459. In the U.S., it is 400. In China, it is five.

There is significant potential market growth in China, but companies need to understand the coffee culture and adapt their strategies in order to capitalize on this.

Symbol of Success:

On a sweltering summer day at Starbucks on renowned Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, a comfortable seating environment hosts a mix of tourists, business people, families, and students who rest, work, converse, and study.

Coffee in China is less about drinking the coffee and more about the lifestyle. Coffee shops offer places to relax and access wifi. Purchasing coffee in China is not simply a transaction; it is an event.

James Roy, Senior Analyst at the China Market Research Group, stated: “what coffee chains like Starbucks did successfully was to really promote drinking in coffee shops and cafe culture as a premium lifestyle experience...For [Chinese consumers], a cup of coffee or a cappuccino is a relaxing experience to be savoured in-store, not a morning pick-me-up.”

Adapting Corporate Strategies:Companies doing business in China need to tailor their corporate strategies accordingly. For many, this means changing not only their store layout to accommodate customers who prefer consuming their purchases at

the coffee house, but it also means altering their product offering.

Starbucks China menu offers many sweet drinks including juices and teas. Green tea latte, black tea, Chinese tea, raspberry juiced tea, and mango passion fruit are examples of localized offerings in China. 85° Bakery Cafe, a Korean chain with a significant presence in China, offers pudding milk tea, red bean and tapioca pearl milk tea, kumquat lemon tea, and sea salt green tea.

Bubble tea is another very popular coffee substitute in China. It is a tea drink with tapioca balls and typically includes juice, syrup or milk. Many coffee shops offer this and other milk tea options.

Data from Euromonitor International, a market intelligence firm, show that coffee still only represents 7% of the hot drink market in China compared to 62% for tea.

However, there is more to adapting to a country than just changing the menu or the layout of a store. Companies need to appreciate and respect the cultural sensitives and differences when doing business in China.

Although Starbucks has achieved meaningful success in China, they did encounter challenges along the way. In 2007, they closed a coffee shop in the Forbidden City due to protests and online petitions. Many people felt the store did not enhance the Chinese cultural experience at the Forbidden City.

East Meets West:The fledgling coffee industry in

China is an example of Western culture having an influence on the East. In a country with a robust tea industry, many coffee consumers in China have acquired the taste while living overseas.

Most coffee stores have a mix of expatriates, who are working or studying in China, and locals, many of whom have lived abroad. Jessie Tsai, a representative for Emma's Brew House, a boutique coffee shop in Xiamen, said: “most of our customers are aliens, or people who have lived or studied in western countries.” The local coffee industry will benefit as more foreigners move to China and as more Chinese return home.

The coffee industry in China has material upside, but simply replicating what has worked in other countries and attempting it in China is a certain recipe for failure. Companies need to truly understand the consumer in China and adapt their strategies to be successful.

About the pictures: the Ai Zheng Cafe Bar in Dalian is not only a coffee shop, but also a tea house, bookstore and jewelry store.

Josh Bateman is a freelance based in Asia.

Drinking three cups of coffee every day could lower the risk of liver cancer by 50 per cent, a new research has found.

Previously coffee has been proven to prevent diabetes too which is among one of the known risk factors for liver cancer.

Another study also found that the coffee consumption reduced the risk of most common type of liver cancer known as

hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

“Our research confirms past claims that coffee is good for your health, and particularly the liver,” said study author Dr Carlo La Vecchia. “The favorable effect of coffee on liver cancer might be mediated by coffee’s proven prevention of diabetes, a known risk factor for the disease, or for its beneficial effects on cirrhosis and liver enzymes,” added Dr Carlo.The research involved a meta-analysis of articles that were published of the duration between 1996 and September 2012. This involved 16 high

quality studies which consisted of a total of 3,153 cases.

It is relatively unclear whether coffee drinking has an additional role in liver cancer prevention.

Liver cancer is the third most common cause of deaths from cancer and sixth most common cancer worldwide.

The research has been published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Coffee Bean Research

Coffee Consumption Linked to Reduced Risk of Liver Cancer

Coffee Extends Longest Slump in 11 Years Coffee Prices(Futures) fell, heading for the longest slump in more than 11 years, on the forcasts that wet weather will boost the crop outlook in Brazil, the world’s top coffee bean producer.

A cold front will bring rain to the entire Brazilian coffee belt from Nov. 2-6, according to Somar

Meteorologia. Ample precipitation spurred multiple crop flowerings, while alternating dry periods allowed farmers to apply fertilizers and fungicides,

An agronomist at the Sao Paulo-based forecaster Marco Antonio dos Santos, is said to have quoted The weather this season has been perfect,We have everything in place to have output climb close to a record.

Arabica coffee for December delivery dropped 1.5 percent to $1.075 a pound at 12:32 p.m. on ICE Futures U.S. in New York,

after touching $1.07, the lowest for a most-active contract since March 2009. Prices heading for a 10th consecutive decline, the longest slump since January 2002. Brazil’s output may reach as high as 60 million bags next year, Rio de Janeiro-based broker Flavour Coffee said in a report on Oct. 24. That compares with production of 47.5 million bags this season, according to Conab, the government’s crop-forecasting agency. A bag weighs 60 kilograms, or 132 pounds.

Prices may drop to $1 by the end of the year.Coffee Bean Research

Coffee can increase physical, mental performance

Caffeine found in coffee leads to an increased production of adrenaline which stimulates energy production and improves blood flow to the muscles and the heart, says an expert.

According to John Stanley, lecturer in biochemistry, Trinity College, caffeine could modulate fatigue and influence

ratings of exertion, perceived pain and energy levels, all of which are likely to lead to improvement in performance. “The ability of caffeine in coffee to improve physical performance during aerobic exercise and to restore mental performance when it has been impaired by fatigue deserves wider recognition,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Stanley as saying. Drinking a cup of coffee about 20-30 minutes before you exercise can allow you to exercise for up to 30 per cent longer.

The most notable impact of caffeine on performance is in sports such as swimming, cycling and tennis. Moderate coffee intake can also help improve alertness and concentration due to its caffeine content. Caffeine is well-known for its stimulating effects which have proven benefits for mental performance.

Coffee Bean News Team

The “will they, won’t they” relationship features in a series of videos from Kuppa Coffee.

My Special Place is a mini-soap opera that has been produced by HT Media to follow the unfolding romance of a young man and woman who frequent the city-centre cafe.

The videos are the brainchild of entrepreneur Yulei Li, who has just opened Kuppa Coffee in St

Mary’s Place near Newcastle Civic Centre.

Yulei came to the UK five years ago from China to study for a Masters degree at Newcastle University, and has created a coffee shop for connoisseurs.

He said: “I‘m told that people loved the Gold Blend couple in the 1980s and 90s, so we’ve created a modern take on the

classic ‘will they, won’t they?’ story, based on a couple who meet in Kuppa Coffee.

“The world has moved on since ‘posh’ instant coffee was a sign of your sophistication, and we reckon today’s coffee lovers are more likely to meet their perfect match over a proper cup of quality coffee.”

Based below ground in a

former cafe, Yulei has invested around £40,000 in refurbishing Kuppa Coffee with furniture and decorations imported from China. He said: “We have an ethos here, of quality and passion, and we consider making coffee is an art form but it’s mostly a science.

“Every batch that we get in has its own character and has to be treated as such, there’s a lot of fine tuning behind the scenes.”

Kuppa Coffee is near to the Civic Centre and Newcastle and Northumbria Universities and aims to become an upmarket meeting place for businesses and friends.

Kuppa Coffee brewing up coffee and love to promote Newcastle shop

Meet Eric Jong and Adam Sayner the men who are putting our hot drink obsession to good use in a tasty, ecologically-sound way.

The streets of Exeter throng with shoppers clutching designer bags and cappuccinos, little knowing that in the offices above them a revolutionary concept in farming is taking place – and they are fuelling it.

That’s the vision of mushroom farmers Adam Sayner and Eric Jong who run GroCycle. They believe that all the energy that goes into those countless cups of coffee made every day in the high street can be harnessed to grow food.

They have designed a process that uses “spent” coffee grounds, many of which would otherwise end up in landfill, to grow

mushrooms. Unused offices in Sidwell Street in Exeter will become home to one of Britain’s first urban mushroom farms.

Adam says: “I saw the beauty in the whole process. It’s so simple and with so much coffee-waste generated in a city centre it is a perfect match.

“What is even better is that most

Coffee waste is grounds for celebration at a mushroom farm.

mushrooms are normally grown entirely on sawdust which has to be sterilised and which is obviously an expensive process and uses more energy. But coffee is sterile for 24 hours as a result of the coffee-making process so it’s perfect.”

Eric adds: “When you think of all the energy that has gone into growing the crop of coffee, importing it, grinding it and then putting it through a machine, that’s quite a lot. This way we are making that energy go further.”

In addition, many mushrooms are transported by refrigerated trucks. However, the GroCycle crop of fresh oyster mushrooms will be on the plates of city diners and in the racks of vegetable shops within hours of being picked.

Coffee Bean Research

Radio 1’s Huw Stephens brings acoustic music to a coffee shop in Southampton

His voice is a regular listen to thousands of young radio listeners.

Radio One DJ Huw Stephens is launching a new initiative encouraging students to enjoy new music in a non-alcohol environment in time for the academic year at the University of Southampton.

The Coffee House Sessions will see breaking and established UK

music talent give daytime acoustic performances in university coffee shops around the country.

Students at the university had the chance to see singersongwriters Al Lewis and Lucy Mason last month.

Its aim to change drinking habits among students where many are opting to avoid student bars to drink at home, but regularly go to campus coffee houses during the day.

The sessions aim to support students’ unions and record labels,

as well as providing students with live music where the focus is away from alcohol.

Guy Robinson, managing director of Nice Curve, which is behind Coffee House Sessions, said: “Coffee House Sessions has toured the UK over a ten day period, with performances at two different campuses a day.

We’re looking for a chance to discover the next Ed Sheeran or the next Adele.

Coffee Bean Research

Radio 1 Bring Acoustic Music to a Coffee Shop

Louise Olsson from Sweden emerged the winner of the 2013 Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship.

This is the third year that Olsson, who works at Stockholm Central Station, has entered the competition. To compete, she had to demonstrate her coffee-making talent in serving four espressos, four cappuccinos and a personalised coffee-based drink. For this signature drink, Louise took inspiration from her grandmother’s raspberry lemonade recipe.

The United Kingdom’s Matteo Pavoni from Caffè Ritazza of Euston Station in London won second place, while Ireland’s Kate Crozier from the International Airport of Belfast won third.

Special recognition for the best signature drink went to Miko Au from Hong Kong, who won a visit the headquarters of the syrups producer Monin in

Bourges, France. This was the first year the competition included a segment dedicated to Latte Art, which saw Cyprus’ Christodoulous Christodoulou emerge as a winner.

“Every year there is improvement in terms of the preparation of the drinks, in the coffee knowledge and in the creativity that goes into producing the signature drinks,” said Stuart Coombes, International Operations Director for Caffè Ritazza, in a statement. “This is proof of the dedication and of the enthusiasm of our team and of the commitment of Caffè Ritazza to quality training for its baristas at all stages of their careers.”

Paul Meikle-Janney, Head Judge and Director of barista trainers and coffee consultancy Coffee Community, said he has witnessed the evolution of trends in the competition.

“Within the world of barista competitions, the emphasis has changed over the

years,” said Meikle-Janney in a statement “A few years ago the focus was more on the improvement of Latte Art techniques whereas, more recently, we are seeing greater appreciation of coffee itself, including the knowledge of its origins, of the different varieties and processing techniques.”

Maurizio Maccagnani of La Spaziale, who hosted the Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship and supplied the S5 TA professional espresso coffee machines, noted the importance of the competition to the industry at large.

“Every year the Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship is a rewarding opportunity for all of us at La Spaziale,” said Maccagnani in a statement. “It keeps reinforcing the close relationship with Caffè Ritazza and with SSP Group with the common goal to develop the philosophy we both share.”

2013 Caffè Ritazza World Barista Championship

Coffee BeanGadget Section

Design team channels BMW, Apple, Tesla, and NASA experience to create advanced coffee machine that delivers unparalleled brew precision and quality.

San Fransisco – September last year – Blossom Coffee (www.blossomcoffee.com) unveils its first product, Blossom One Limited. Designed to combine the

best parts of immersion brewing with the ease of a standard coffeemaker, the revolutionary Blossom One Limited makes the perfect cup of coffee every time by allowing precise control of every

aspect of the brewing process.

Available for a brief time only, buyers can select custom materials for their handcrafted machines. Additionally, Blossom One Limited customers will receive personal support and no-cost maintenance for one year. All limited units come with an official signed build placard, and will be hand-delivered by the Blossom team.

“The world is ready for truly great-tasting coffee,” said Jeremy Kuempel, president and founder, Blossom Coffee. “To achieve this, our Blossom One Limited machine employs a novel brewing process

that perfectly controls important brewing variables independently of environmental influences, empowering baristas with the right tools to make truly great-tasting coffee.”

Intended for café, hotel, and restaurant clientele, the premium Blossom One Limited machine requires little

instruction to operate, enabling brewers of all experience levels to create the absolute best cup of coffee for the most discerning coffee aficionados. To create their revolutionary

machine, Blossom Coffee assembled a team with specialized experience and scientific know-how:Jeremy Kuempel, founder and president, is a mechanical engineer from MIT. He previously worked for Apple, specializing in iPad product design, and Tesla, designing the 17-inch touchscreen in the company’s new fleet of Model S vehicles.

His research in coffee brewing science led to MIT backing him on his first patent in 2011.

Matt Walliser, chief engineer at Blossom, is a mechanical

engineering graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who joined Blossom from the NASA Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.Joey Roth, lead designer, is the owner of the Joey Roth Design Studio in Los Angeles. Roth received industry accolades for his “Sorapot” design and won the Red Dot Award in 2005 for his “Totemo”

computer concept.

The machine features paper filters and is compatible with standard E61 espresso portafilter baskets, a first for high precision

coffee brewing technology and a critical step for proper control of coffee quality. Included WiFi also allows users to connect directly to a roaster’s preparation recommendations making it easy to share complex coffee brewing recipes direc from the coffee roaster to the final customer. The small, easily-portable machine grants complete control of the brewing process—including temperature, pressure and volume, and time—allowing the brewer to create drastically different cups of coffee from the same beans.

Coffee Bean Research

Blossom Coffee Unveils Blossom one