Anastasia Prikhodko

SAME CUP, an Australian organization aiming to improve the success, empowerment, and visibility of womxn and the LGBTQI+ folk in the Australian specialty coffee scene, has announced the launch of its monthly subscription service. Orders for September are open now until September 1; subscribers who place an order after that will receive the October roast.

It is no new fact that sexual harassment and discrimination exist across all industry sectors. It is also no new fact that the perpetrators leading the pact of exclusivity tend to get away retribution-free, as a result of ingrained ideas and traditional justice systems—or lack of. The specialty coffee industry is no exception. But what does make the industry different are the people behind the machines who are challenging the status quo to ensure individuals feel safe and heard.

In 2017 market research firm, Mintel reported that plant-based milk sales increased by 30% since 2015 – reaching a total of £367 million. Additionally, the Mordor Intelligence report Europe Dairy Alternative Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2018-2023) indicated that the European dairy alternative market is anticipated to register an annual growth rate of 14.5%, during the forecast period, 2018-2023. All this makes one thing clear, consumer preferences have shifted.

From simple to premium; a new wave of kettles for your ritual brew.

Off the back of the rising consumption of black coffee and in a move to slash waiting times, Sydney-based coffee roaster Single O has installed a self-serve batch tap prototype at their newly renovated Surry Hills flagship café.

Starting off as a grassroots movement in the U.S., the current wave of coffee activism has become a global movement binding the industry together. In the wake of #MeToo, stories from professionals in the coffee industry have been surfacing and made alight to push against sexual assault, intimidation, and harassment.

Late last week, Amethyst Coffee owner and founder of Cherry Roast Elle Jensen made an announcement that the inclusive coffee platform and competition was coming to an end.

Compared to the likes of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the Central Coast may not come to mind as a specialty coffee destination. Yet, away from the city crowds, close to the water and without the urban dwellers, are a number of local cafes serving freshly roasted brews in a sustainable and ethical manner.

Australia’s only coffee-dedicated trade show, the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), held for the first time at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), brought more than 140 local and international exhibitors together from Thursday, February 7, through Saturday, February 9, to network, educate, and celebrate.

More so recognized for its wine, hearty Aussie brunches, and coffee consumption, Australia is not a nation one immediately thinks of when it comes to coffee production.

From South Africa to Russia, the UK and Australia, the global specialty coffee industry is not skipping a beat.

Co-hosted by Sydney-based specialty coffee roasting company Single O and World AeroPress Championship (W.A.C), the sold-out World AeroPress Championships saw over 700 coffee enthusiasts come together for a day of coffee, food, entertainment, and laughter.

Preparations are underway for 2018 USA AeroPress Champion, Carolina Ibarra Garay), who, in just over a week will be flying to Sydney, Australia, to compete at the 11th annual World AeroPress Championships on Saturday, November 17.

The industry of coffee may be on the brink of collapse due to increasing demand, coffee farmers facing regular droughts, and the destructive impact of diseases like leaf rust.

For coffee drinkers on the outside looking in, it may seem that the roasting side of the industry has replaced people with technology, but this is far from the truth.

Launching this October, SAME CUP is an Australian first: a new organization that strives to improve the success, empowerment, and visibility of women and the LGBTQI+ folk in the Australian specialty coffee scene.

Learn how this non-profit foundation is helping women and their families in remote coffee communities around the world.

At its foundation coffee is distant, remote, and entrenched in a completely different way of life than that of the consumer. Therefore, many coffee drinkers don’t necessarily correlate the issues of sustainability, gender, and race with their morning pick-me-up.

“The event was about taking a break from topics that are talked about on a day-to-day basis — like quality, roasting, profiling — and instead focusing on social issues that are happening in the coffee industry,” explained Sara Morrocchi, one of the event’s organizers.

Although women represent a statistical majority of hospitality workers in Melbourne, top leadership positions are still held by men. To Alex, it doesn’t add up. “When I walk into a cafe and see only men behind the machine, a little piece of my heart dies,” she laments. But you can’t deconstruct a wheel without taking apart the cogs.