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November 2018

mycuppa November 2018 Newsletter

 “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle

mycuppa November 2018 Newsletter

It's getting close to the festive season, with the bitter cold of winter long gone and social activities ramping up as people get out and about to share conversations and laughter over good food and great coffee.

Not much seems to change in our coffee universe, and this month, we have published two articles.

Our first blog looks at the accelerating trend of coffee wholesalers building full-service cafe operations inside of their warehouses.

The second article exposes the dark underbelly of a seemingly vibrant Australian cafe culture.

This month's Secret Label is a certified Organic and fair trade coffee representing tremendous value offered at literally half price to the market for a limited time only until sold out.

My pick for this month is a stunning 87-point Ethiopian coffee that just screams "feature me" - we literally stumbled over this by accident. It's a limited offer and likely to only last a week or so; please don't miss out. 

November Secret Label

Our November 2018 Secret Label is now available for a limited time - a quality, single-origin coffee from one of South America's most respected and sustainable Co-ops.

A well-rounded, clean and balanced coffee with something for everyone.

It's certified Organic and FAIRTRADE, but please note, we are not branding this coffee as official FAIRTRADE so that you can save the levy $$.

Here's what you can expect in the cup:-

  • Creamy body.
  • Fruity overtones without being fruit-driven - green apple crispness upfront.
  • Slight spicy aroma.
  • Well balanced.
  • Mild acidity.
  • The clean finish of orange and cocoa.

Buy as much as you want - we will keep on roasting it every day until the lot runs out.

mycuppa Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee

November 2018 Feature Coffee - Ethiopia 

We came across this coffee purely by accident when looking to top up some holdings.

Not only did it score highly, but the cup was absolutely delicious and reminded us once again why Ethiopia deserves its crown as the spiritual birthplace of coffee.

The current season was rather challenging with further drought and tough growing conditions. Some yields are down considerably on the last harvest, and in particular, we found many of the natural (dry) processed coffees, so highly prized by coffee enthusiasts, performing below expectations.

We tend to play it safe with Ethiopians by keeping to a solid strategy of clean, washed coffees. Many naturals can have excessive fruit, and whilst interesting in the first few cups, it can quickly become too much.

This Yirgacheffe is different to our everyday offering, and we thought it was absolutely stunning in every regard.

  • Aroma - High lemon, floral on the grinds.
  • Flavour - Sweet, clean floral cup with intense and complex fruit notes of papaya, lemon, pineapple, peach and mandarin.
  • Acidity - Citric, balanced
  • Body - Silky
  • Finish - Earl Grey tea and fruit finish.

Available for just a few short weeks or until the allotment is sold.

Definitely my pick for this month, and treat yourself to an early Xmas pressie- you certainly will not be disappointed.

Has coffee reached its peak?

After more than a decade of writing anything and everything about coffee, each month becomes just that little bit harder to create content that is informative, interesting and relevant to lovers of coffee. 

This is a reason we often branch into retail or other topics related to our daily lives.

What I've also come to realize, coincidentally, is the rest of our coffee industry, whether it's local or around the world, has also reached some type of peak or summit.

There is, however, a fundamental shift taking shape in a segment of Australia's coffee industry - wholesale.

Read more about a growing trend of whether coffee culture has reached its peak.

Australia's seemingly vibrant cafe culture is hiding a cruel underbelly.

Well, it's all happening in 2018 - banks and insurance companies charging dead people, businesses busted for wage fraud, exploitation of hospitality workers, and franchisees being driven into bankruptcy.

Australia's vibrant cafe culture is revered around the world, often held up as a role model example of how to professionally execute value-based dining and great coffee at consistently high standards.

However, there is a dark underbelly lurking in the business models of many hospitality outlets. 

Systemic underpayment, exploiting workers and chronic avoidance of paying supplier debts.

Read our opinion piece on how the rising forces and pressures are pushing hospitality providers into desperate measures - here