Sunday Coffee: Coffee News That Made The Headlines
In this weeks coffee news, we have picked our favorite headlines covering the industry from Maryland to Mexico. The topics include coffee trees, wood-fired roasting, new businesses and coffee karma!
If its your first time visiting SUNDAY Coffee, then Welcome! Each Sunday morning we publish the latest in coffee news from around the world, choose our favorites and put them in this convenient digest for your reading pleasure. News headlines about industry growth, new business, job openings, profiles and human interest make the list from week to week. Want Sunday Coffee+ delivered via email each weekend? Sign Up Here.
Back To Basics: Roasting With Wood!
Wood-fired coffee roasting the old way, by Matt Holden – goodfood
Melbourne, Australia has a long history with the artisan process of home-roasting coffee beans, going all the way back its Italian immigrants. This tradition has been revived recently by a group of friends, Adriano Pilati, Marcello D’Intini and Phill Haddad, at their artisan gelateria and cafe, Melograno. The adventurous trio attached a wood combustion stove to a 15-kilogram Ghibli roaster so they could serve wood-fire roasted coffee.
You won’t find any heat probes or profiling software analyzing the process. Adriano Pilati says the trio roasts with their senses only, using smell, sound and sight to produce the smoky flavored beans that have become a big hit as an espresso.
We don’t roast by profile, we watch and listen – Pill Haddad
Tale Of Two Trees: Arabica vs Robusta
A tale of two coffee trees in Mexico: one grows, another wilts, by David Alire Garcia – Reuters
Mexican coffee farmer Jorge Hernandez holds a arabica leaf infected by roya. REUTERS/David Alire Garcia
Its been a difficult season for Mexican coffee farmers who have been fighting a losing battle against the fungus known as roya (leaf rust), which strips the leaves from the coffee tree, starving it of sunlight.
To maintain production, farmers in the tropical east coast are switching from arabica to robusta coffee trees. Robusta has a lower value than arabica but is able to withstand roya. The roya outbreak has cost the industry in both Mexico and Central America 1000,s of jobs. Its projected that annual growth of robusta coffee in Mexico will reach 20% and fortunately the market is helping as the demand for robica (a bean with a much higher percentage of caffeine), has experienced growth since 2010.
Micro-Roasting In Baltimore
From basement blends to Baltimore staples, a look at coffee micro-roasters in Baltimore, by J.M. Giordano – CityPaper
Clifford Murphy recounts his first experience with coffee, while on a fishing trip with his stepfather at nine years old. That is where his passion
for coffee started and ultimately lead to his home-roasting hobby.
Home-roasting your own coffee is a growing sub-culture in Baltimore suburbs these days. According to copywriter and City Paper contributor Michael Shank, people turn to roasting for many of the same reasons they brew their own craft beer. The challenge and experience of the process is very appealing.
Its interesting that the largest commercial roasters in Baltimore both started with a single roaster in the basement. Just experimenting and working on flavors to produce quality coffee.
Coffee Karma: The Business Of Coffee
Coffee karma: Brewing strong business based on ethics, by Lawrence Powell – The Spectator
Sissiboo Coffee Roaster is a Canadian small-batch coffee roaster with an emphasis on the ethics of good business practices. Jonathan Welch, Sissiboo founder, strives to find a balance between running a successful business and making a difference both in the industry and his local community.
Jonathan sources his beans from six different countries and they are all single-origin. Single origin coffee is grown from a single geographical origin and bears the name of the farm or region is was grown in.
Start Your Career In Coffee Today!
Here are some helpful resources to help turn your passion for coffee into a career in 2015.
- Craft Coffee Jobs Listing
- How to Write an Irresistible Cover Letter (FREE E-BOOK)
- 7 Career Tips to Help You Land a Great Job in 2015
Featured photo credit: P2770046 via photopin (license)
