SCAE

Speciality Coffee Association of Europe

Archive for category SCAE

The speciality sector shows itself off at the London Event at Caffè Culture

Jun 21

Posted by admin in Caffè Culture 2010, SCAE, SCAE Conference, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, World Barista Championships | 1 Comment

I’m really excited—because we are about to launch the Association’s largest-ever event: our 2010 London Event at Caffè Culture.

All the planning and work of dozens of different people from every part of the sector comes together in the next few days, and we will be seeing the results with a busy Conference programme, four tracks of practical Workshops, and of course our five much-anticipated World Championships. (Even those who are not actually able to be here with us for these thrilling contests can plan to get in on the action by joining the live feed on both www.scae.com and on www.worldbaristachampionship.com).

Speaking of planning, this year visitors to Caffè Culture will need to do a bit of that themselves, because there are so many exhibitors that we have filled both the Grand and National Halls at Olympia. I would recommend looking at www.caffeculture.com to see the floor plan and plot your route around the show, because the latest innovations will be everywhere, and every important company in the sector will be represented. Want to see an Aeropress in action or taste an exquisite Indian speciality coffee? Caffè Culture will be the place!

It’s not only in the Championships where you’ll find the world’s top baristas. You can meet a number of world and national champions on the stands themselves—have a look at the CMA Astoria, Anfim, Kerry and La Spaziale stands, for a start: each of these will feature champions showing their expertise up close.

Of course, if you don’t meet all your colleagues and friends on the show floor, we have also arranged an enticing Social Programme (so enticing, in fact, that some of the events are unfortunately sold out!). There are still places at the Waterside pub evening on the Thames, however, and the ever-popular, quirky and surprise-filled Barista Party really looks like a winner this year too! (You can get tickets for both of these evening events at the SCAE stand in the SCAE Village area).

Our annual Event is always a good place to meet the most interesting members of the coffee business, but this year should be special, because not only are we showing off what our Association does, but also what our vibrant speciality coffee sector has to offer. You only need to look at the special London coffee map on the WBC website to see how impressive that sector is now—so, while you’re in London, experience it for yourself!

I look forward to meeting many of you in London, and I wish you all an enjoyable show!

Mick Wheeler
SCAE Executive Director

SCAE Guest Blog 5 – Colin Smith on the Awards for Coffee Excellence

Apr 12

Posted by admin in Awards for Coffee Excellence 2010, Caffè Culture 2010, SCAE, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe | No Comments

The human desire to win, to be acknowledged for achievement or to be recognised just for aspiration hasAward Trophy been the foundation of all progress in any field of life. In our coffee industry, the second largest in the world, there are so many aspects to the business that ultimately focus on the survival of the fittest.

The Awards for Coffee Excellence that the SCAE gives acknowledges people and organisations in different parts of the industry that work towards our aims for better quality in culture, production and presentation.

Nominated by members, and this year voted for by members too, the Awards acknowledge the effort made by individuals or groups. You can see the various categories of Award for 2010 by clicking here to visit the website. They will be presented during the SCAE Event at Caffè Culture in London this June.

The inspiration for the Awards came from Alf Kramer, who was behind the first presentation, when we gave out some “fun” Awards at our event in Rimini in 2004. The topics then were ‘Bold Initiative’, ‘Endurance’, ‘Miracle Maker’, ‘Producer’s Interest’, ‘Silent Achiever’, ‘True Sustainability’, ‘Vision of Quality’, ‘Worst Mistake’ and ‘Young Entrepreneur’. As you can see from the website, the number of categories is now much smaller, but they cover the main aspects of the trade and industry, and incorporate all of our ideals.

The actual trophies are based on a design inspired by the work of the Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland, (see right) whose monolith can be seen in the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. It interprets the human aim to reach higher levels of excellence by helping and supporting others in order to move upward together. Since 2006, we have had the Award trophies made by a Kenyan woodcarver, living near Mount Kenya in the coffee growing area.

Over the years, winners of the Awards for Coffee Excellence have been coffee shops and individuals that have incorporated novel ideas to promote their businesses, biased towards the quality of the coffee; coffee people who have spent time educating others in coffee technology and technique; and some who spend much of their free time inspiring others to enjoy the benefits of a well produced cup.

The producer has not been forgotten either, and we have recognised origin farmers who are experimenting all the time with methods to improve the crop, mills trying new ways of preparing the bean and others looking at the storage of the parchment before export. The award for Lifetime Achievement has been running since 2005, and it shows our appreciation for an individual who has dedicated much of his life to the promotion of quality.

Please look at the website and put forward the names of those that you think justify recognition for their efforts to improve coffee quality. We look forward in June to acknowledging the most inspiring people in the coffee business.

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 07/04/10 – Change – The Only Constant

Apr 7

Posted by admin in Caffè Culture 2010, SCAE, SCAE Conference, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe | No Comments

SCAE Conference

‘The only constant we have in this world is change’…… François de La Rochefoucauld, 17th century writer

From the 17th Century to today, and for sure tomorrow, this will still ring true. So the focus of this year’s SCAE Conference at Caffè Culture could not be more apt, as it is all about change. Not change for change’s sake, but changing to keep abreast of our vibrant coffee industry as it develops to meet the needs and demands of the ever-changing 21st century.

Day One is entitled ‘Managing Change’ and focuses on change management strategies. Industry experts from international groups such as Starbucks and Caffè Nero will describe how they are meeting challenges and how they think it best to tackle them. Whatever size your business is, a strategy needs to be in place. Who better to listen to than Jeff Grout, a motivational business speaker who has advised, inspired and motivated those in industries as diverse as Morgan Stanley, Tesco, UBS and Saracens RFC.

Day Two, ‘A Whole New World’, is an exploration into different concepts for different markets. From the UK to Scandinavia, and mainland Europe to New Zealand, our guest speakers will share their knowledge of the latest developments in their corners of the coffee globe. So, if you want to adopt a fresh approach that has already been tried and tested on another continent, or if you are looking to expand into new markets, these experts could turn on that light for you.

Day Three is ‘Design 2020’ and provides an insight into the evolution of the café bar concept, which today has to carefully balance a combination of leisure, retail and workspace. Consumer trends are constantly being forecast, monitored and recorded –- and the demands put upon the coffee/café bar are frequently cited by other industry experts as the barometer of our times.

Our leading industry expert on this final day is David Schomer of Vivace in Seattle whose own unique insight has led him to determine what works most effectively for both the operator and the customer.

Be inspired, come and question – but don’t miss this opportunity to network the challenge of change.

Mick

SCAE Guest Blog – Stephen Hurst, Mercanta The Coffee Hunters

Mar 11

Posted by admin in Caffè Culture 2010, Coffee Bean, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, SCAE, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Roasters, World Barista Championships | No Comments

I have been asked to put some thoughts down for an SCAE Guest Blog – maybe a trademark rant, maybe some top down view of the specialty coffee business, maybe a wide angle perspective, maybe some punditry for the World Cup this Summer? What could I write? The World Cup is appealing, not least because I will be going two days after the
SCAE/WBC/Caffè Culture show is over. But the SCAE is not about football, so I will have to get back on track.

It is tempting to look at the specialty coffee business in light of the unprecedented financial chaos that has engulfed the world in the past 12-18 months. By all rights, the speciality coffee business should have suffered alongside the rest of the economy – but it appears (at least to us at Mercanta as a supplier to speciality roasters in 30 countries) that the opposite is true. Defined provenance, innovative and exciting packaging, pure and natural source, widely differentiated prices, presentational awareness in fine food venues, vast shelf space on retailer shelves, completely international – coffee?

No, water. And that is my point. If a product that honestly (besides being ”free” from a tap) tastes quite similar from one bottle to another can develop into a differentiated multi-billion dollar international mega-business, does anybody really think coffee (where at least eight totally distinct consumer aware flavours can be readily identified – let alone one thousand nuances) will not eventually be bigger still? It is inconceivable that coffee will not become a widely appreciated and differentiated product – finally about the bean itself and its own inherent taste and source.

So financial meltdown or not, speciality coffee is on a roll. It is not about the High Street coffee bar chains, it is not about Fair Trade, it is not about Rainforest Alliance, it is going to be about coffee. Coffee: the bean with its own character, its own source, its own taste, and, when you know who you are buying it from, you get all the ethics and environmental protection and authenticity that consumers really want. Information, professionalism and education about coffee will lead millions to make a better more informed choice; buy what you like, but buy it for the right reasons.

If you think a regular feature blog on the SCAE website might be interesting, there are plenty of subjects to cover from our perspective as the sourcing people, and based on our truly international reach. Please do let us know if you would like to see more.

Wishing you all health, prosperity and happiness in 2010.

Stephen Hurst
Mercanta The Coffee Hunters

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 18/02/10

Feb 18

Posted by admin in Facebook, SCAE, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, Twitter | No Comments

SCAE Facebook
How to break the ice on this topic to an audience as varied as ours, with a hugely varied demographic from trendy baristas in European cities, to hardworking sales teams and CEOs, was no mean challenge – especially as we are all still learning too.

I asked myself: a new game or a new pain? A new tool, or a new fool? Well, suffice it to say, our views are changing as we see the response and interaction that we have achieved in a very short time.

I am delighted with the number of people reading my blog – and responding to it. So, what I would like to ask you to do now is to explore the realms of the Speciality Coffee debate that is extending out from here via our presence on Twitter and Facebook. For those who think of these channels as either time wasters or intimidating, I would ask you to stop and think again before passing judgement.

The off-putting angle can be a turgid or techy definition of what all this social media is about. To some it is being faced with geeky characters defining it as THE technology, which transforms broadcast media monologues from one to many, into social media dialogues, i.e. many to many. To others, its appeal has been the way it supports the democratisation of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.

For us at the SCAE, it is about increasing those links across our pan-European organisation. No longer do our members have to wait for a feedback questionnaire or feel that they are sticking their head above the parapet to voice a view. With these far more relaxed and accessible mediums, everyone and anyone can dip a toe in the flow.

The added beauty about it all is you can just watch……..and read…….and listen, you don’t have to start scribbling pithy monologues or witty answers.

So go and open up that Facebook and Twitter page of ours…….after all it’s free, fun and quick…..and you never know, you might just pick up a good tip or two.

Mick

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 02/02/10

Feb 2

Posted by admin in SCAE, SCAE Gold Cup Brewmaster Course, SCAE Gold Cup Programme, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, World Barista Championships | No Comments

SCAE Gold Cup Programme

The coffee industry is familiar with the concept of balance. A balanced blend. A balanced cup. Balance. The early years of the SCAE was the stuff of voluntary organisations – fuelled by enthusiastic industry experts who believed in the cause and delivered more than their fair share. Little would those early volunteers have thought the fledgling World Barista Championships would become the powerful vehicle it has become. While undoubtedly an enormously powerful vehicle for the furtherance of quality coffee, that power tipped the balance of the SCAE’s output.

The SCAE was rightly criticised from within and without for its espresso focus. It was clear we had to put some energy into brewed coffee to redress the balance. The first successful move was to introduce brewed coffee into the competition arena with the World Cup Tasters Championships. The second and more pervasive shift was the introduction of the SCAE Gold Cup Programme. The Programme was officially launched in Antwerp at the SCAE Coffee Fiesta event in 2007. It was launched as a whopping three-day course, which was actually more of a coffee course than a brewing course. Everything from coffee origins to processing options to roasting to cupping was covered, along with the more relevant topics of grinding, brewing and extraction measurement.

The standard of filter coffee is getting an overdue shot in the arm with the Gold Cup Programme. The great success of the programme has been the quality of both the education content and the delivery of the key learning points, now mercifully condensed into a concentrated one-day course. Taught by Level 2 qualified Brewmasters, the SCAE Gold Cup Brewmaster course is a hugely beneficial day for any coffee professional, which clinically deconstructs how a great filter brew can be achieved or ruined, with course attendees measuring and computing extraction levels. The next course runs in Dublin on February 25th, details here.

While the balance still leans toward the espresso-based beverage world, and the scales will tip forcefully at the WBC in London, we will continue to keep filter in focus through the SCAE Gold Cup Programme and other brewed coffee initiatives.

Mick

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 10/02/10

Feb 2

Posted by admin in SCAE, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe | No Comments

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 10/02/10

Over the past few weeks I have had some interesting correspondence with Julie Fisher, a member from the Netherlands, in response to some challenging questions she raised on the nature of the SCAE and what it stands for.

In particular she asked the following very reasonable question: If the SCAE allows anyone to join, where is the commitment to quality? She went on to say that she believed that it is time that we looked carefully at the credentials of potential members. She argued very articulately that membership should not be open to all, and that members should be required to show and to explain what they are doing in order to further the cause of speciality coffee, and their commitment to quality.

I certainly see her point, but the Association has never seen itself as an exclusive club; it’s rather more like a political movement spreading the gospel of quality coffee. As such, we are inclusive, not exclusive. We welcome anyone and everyone who wishes to subscribe to our message that quality matters, and further, to go on to reinforce that by ensuring everything we do and every activity that we undertake is aimed at promoting that message. Now, inevitably there will be people, and companies, that will join us without wholly subscribing to our message, but they quickly learn that the Association has nothing to offer them.

We have strict rules on where, when and how our logo can be used and indeed we are extremely strict in enforcing those rules, so we do, as far as we are able, ensure that no one uses the logo (and therefore the good name of the Association) to promote themselves. If we were an exclusive club, then that would encourage members to exploit the name of the Association, arguing that by simply becoming a member of the Association, they are better than those who are not. In that situation who would be the best judge of who should be a member or not? Would we hold interviews, check credentials, etc? Believe me – if we did that, then there would be no resources left to further the cause of promoting quality coffee.

So, I continue to believe that the SCAE’s inclusive approach is the only way that the Association can really move forward. Our logo was never meant to be used as a badge of endorsement, but rather, a badge to proclaim our members’ allegiance to improving quality.

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 27/01/10

Jan 27

Posted by admin in Mainstream Coffee Market, SCAE, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe | No Comments

Cuptasting in Tallinn

Thank you all for your recent comments and observations – much appreciated and interesting. Some of your comments led me to consider this question: Are the “Speciality” and “Mainstream” sectors separate and in fact do they compete with each other?

It is all too easy (and indeed comfortable) to argue that the two sectors are distinct and separate and have nothing in common. But the truth is a little more complicated, because according to our definition, many good coffees that are considered mainstream in some countries are definitely revered as speciality in others. And, can a mainstream roaster not also produce speciality coffees within its range?

The reality is that both sectors are closely entwined and that they need each other. Speciality is only special because it is different from, and hopefully superior to, mainstream. Mainstream needs speciality because where speciality goes today, mainstream needs to follow tomorrow. Indeed speciality has been the force that has re-invigorated the coffee market, boosting demand and more importantly acting as the conduit through which many young people are introduced to coffee consumption.

But if speciality leads where mainstream goes tomorrow, is there a danger that, in time, mainstream will crowd out speciality altogether? Our definition of speciality revolves around quality, and the supply of quality coffee, although increasing, is still limited (that’s why it’s exclusive and “special”). So, while the speciality sector is able to demand the best qualities, mainstream, by definition has to work with what is left; it is supply-pushed rather than demand-led. Mainstream will always adapt rather than mimic the cutting edge innovations developed within the speciality sector, as the mainstream business will never be able to completely embrace those innovations with the same degree of finesse that those engaged in speciality can. In most cases this is because mainstream cannot guarantee itself access to the best qualities.

However, there are exceptions. Starbucks, for example, has a throughput worldwide in excess of 2 million bags a year. It buys some of the best coffees available, but it also buys a lot of coffee that is considered mainstream. It clearly straddles both sectors and has recently reinforced that notion by adding instant coffee to its range. Nevertheless, it is a rather neat example of what I was saying about speciality leading where mainstream will follow. Starbucks started off by being exclusively speciality, but quickly realised—once it started trading sizeable volumes—that it needed to work with the coffees it could get, rather than those it necessarily demanded.

So yes, the relationship is complex and although it is important to define speciality, we must not necessarily do so in an effort to undermine mainstream.

As always, comments and feedback welcome.

Mick

Mick Wheeler’s Blog 20/01/10

Jan 20

Posted by admin in SCAE, Speciality Coffee, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe | No Comments

Mick Wheeler of SCAE

Hi, I’m Mick Wheeler, Executive Director of SCAE and I’d like to welcome you to my blog. As this is my first post I thought I would concentrate on a notion upon which we as an Association have struggled with ever since we started and that is “What is Speciality Coffee”?

The definition used by the SCAE was first constructed by Alf Kramer around ten years ago and although a fairly accurate account of our thinking at that time is a bit cumbersome when weighed up today. It quite rightly defines Speciality Coffee at the last point in the marketing chain and clearly identifies the fact that it is the consumer rather than the trade who is the ultimate judge. However many see this definition as unsatisfactory, arguing that it is too loose and raises more questions than answers. Many see it as a cop-out, deliberately pushing the point of definition to a place where it becomes impossible to measure.

By contrast the SCAA deliberately define Speciality Coffee at the green bean stage, simply because they believe that it is the last point in the marketing chain, where it remains identifiable and therefore measureable. And there is no doubt that a great cup of coffee depends upon good quality green bean. Ric Rhinehart has written a good piece on this issue justifying the SCAA approach, but at the same time acknowledging its shortcomings.

However the argument against defining speciality at the green bean stage is that it does not and cannot guarantee the quality of coffee in the cup to the consumer. This is important for we all know that every other point in the marketing chain, (i.e. roasting, packing, storage, grinding, brewing and serving) can all have a profound impact on the experience that the consumer will have when drinking the product. So we have a serious dilemma and one which seemingly seems impossible to resolve, especially as in Europe there are so many different coffee cultures and traditions, that what is considered speciality varies from country to country and indeed also sometimes from region to region.

However the SCAE have always pointed out that its definition of Speciality is more that just an attempt to distinguish Speciality from mainstream, but rather a call to arms that defines the whole movement towards better quality coffee. It is not how we define Speciality Coffee that matters but that we see what we do in the Association as a constant process of continually improving the quality of coffee consumed in Europe and indeed elsewhere, for that matter.

Nevertheless, be that as it may, it does not really help when trying to explain “What is Speciality Coffee?” to those who are not involved in our trade, nor is it of any use when trying to determine whether or not we are achieving our mission of expanding the market for better quality coffee. One way to overcome this might be to look at the Speciality Coffee sector not as a single sector but as a collection of niche markets which collectively make up the sector. Depending on your point of view this either widens out or restricts the definition of Speciality but it at least allows us to include not only coffee sold as the beverage but also to include coffee sold as roasted product. It also gives us a better chance of actually measuring the industry.

So what niche markets should we include?

I can think of the following but would welcome any feedback anyone has:

• Coffees sold as a single origin
• Organic coffee
• Third party certified coffees
• Cup of Excellence coffees
• Coffees sold through dedicated Coffee shops and
• Coffee brewed to the highest standards in cafés, bars and restaurants

The drawback with such an approach is that it excludes high quality blends, but at the same time includes poor quality single origins as well as markets which make it difficult to measure. It is therefore not the answer but at least it gives us a framework and a focus over which to argue.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback. Thank you for joining me.

Mick