Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the week.
Editor’s note
Arabica prices have fallen sharply this month. Brazil’s 2026/27 harvest is on track to hit a record 71.9 million 60kg bags, according to the USDA, a 14% rise on the previous year, with arabica output alone forecast to jump 25% to 47.5 million bags.
This scale of supply pushed arabica futures to a three-month low this week, and StoneX Specialty Coffee now expects the global coffee market to swing into a 10-million-bag surplus in 2026, up from 1.8 million bags in 2025. A strong El Niño could complicate the picture, though. Changes in rainfall and temperature threaten to disrupt flowering and ripening in Brazil’s key growing regions, and speculators are already positioning for more volatility.
UK consumers show little sign of feeling the strain. New research from the British Coffee Association puts daily consumption at 103 million cups, up from 98 million in 2018, with growth led by 18-34-year-olds. This group now drinks more coffee than the over-55s for the first time, averaging 1.9 cups a day against 1.7, and pays more for it too: around £4 a cup, compared with £3.20.
As Brazil exports this season’s harvest, the question is whether cheaper coffee reaches UK menus before this new generation of drinkers gets used to paying more.
Top stories of the week
- Mon, 21 Sep – Greggs continues to overtake Costa Coffee as the UK’s biggest coffee chain. Data from Allegra World Coffee Portal’s Project Café UK 2026 reports Greggs at 2,737 outlets, narrowly ahead of Costa Coffee at 2,707. The shift comes as consumers increasingly visit non-traditional coffee operators alongside dedicated coffee chains, with value becoming an important factor in purchasing decisions. (London, UK)
- Wed, 23 Sep – The Philippines indefinitely suspends exports of fresh ube. The country’s Department of Agriculture says the move is to secure planting material while the country works to increase domestic production. Ube has become a popular ingredient and flavour trend worldwide, including in coffee shops. (Manila, Philippines)
- Wed, 23 Sep – Jollibee Group sells stake in Highlands Coffee. The foodservice group previously owned 60% of the Vietnamese coffee chain. Jollibee will sell 11% of its stake for US$88m, ceding majority control to Viet Thai International Jsc. This reportedly values Highlands Coffee at around US$800m. (Manila, Philippines)
Industry news
- Mon, 21 Sep – SEB Professional Beverage names William Yates as Senior Vice President Commercial. William Yates has spent more than a decade with Groupe SEB, most recently serving as VP of South East Asia and VP of Marketing for the Asia Pacific region, based in Hong Kong. In his new role, William Yates will lead both the commercial and market service functions across the WMF, Schaerer, Curtis, La San Marco, and Zummo brands. (Écully, France)
- Tue, 22 Sep – Louis Dreyfus reports H1 2026 financial results. The company reported net sales of US$26.8bn, supported by a 2.7% increase in volumes shipped year on year, which the group says reflects the resilience of its diversified business portfolio, supported by its global footprint and risk management approach. (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
- Wed, 23 Sep – Café Imports becomes 100% employee-owned. The 33-year-old Minneapolis-based green coffee importer announced that it is 100% employee-owned through its Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The company has 68 employees based across four offices and hailing from 17 countries and regions. (Minneapolis, Minnesota, US)
New launch
- Mon, 21 Sep – La Colombe launches RTD matcha lineup. The range includes lactose-free whole milk from Michigan with single-origin Japanese matcha. Flavours include Everyday Matcha, Strawberry, and Vanilla. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US)
- Wed, 23 Sep – Inaugural “Raise Your Cup” campaign to launch on 1 October 2026. The campaign will spotlight 15 women working in coffee and cocoa production. Across 15 days, campaign partners, including traders, distributors, retail cafés, and brands, will share the stories of these women in their own words and native languages. (Washington DC, USA)
- Wed, 23 Sep – La Marzocco opens new store in Thailand. The new Bangkok branch aims to create a strong local foundation to provide technical support and education, and connect more closely with the local specialty coffee community. (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Thu, 24 Sep – Lavazza launches its first US loyalty programme. My Lavazza members earn points, or “Beans”, through online purchases, authorised retail partners, subscriptions, and select brand activities. (West Chester, Pennsylvania, US)
Milestone
- Tue, 22 Sep – kWh Coffee closes fully-backed equity round and secures Great Ideas grant. The company roasts entirely on electric. Funding will be used to launch a new end-to-end roasting-as-a-service model that lets businesses compare green coffees online, pull per-kilo Scope 3 emissions data for their reporting, and manage costs. The company has also appointed Laurence Beardmore, Q grader and former President of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, as Chair. (York, UK)
Trade & production
- Mon, 21 Sep – Arabica coffee harvest is 99% complete in Brazil’s Cerrado Mineiro region. The Arabica harvest is in the very final stages in Brazil’s major coffee-producing region of Cerrado Mineiro, with most farms just picking up whatever is left on the ground now. The average yield this year has been 455 liters per sack, which is one of the best averages in recent years. (Sao Paolo, Brazil)
- Tue, 22 Sep – Coffee prices fall sharply, post three-month lows. Coffee prices have been under pressure over the past three weeks on the outlook for abundant global supplies. December Arabica closed down -4.10 while November ICE Robusta closed -77. Losses in Robusta accelerated as ICE Robusta inventories rose to a 9.75-month high. (New York, USA)
Research
- Mon, 21 Sep – De’Longhi’s Signature Order Index maps coffee habits across 35 European cities. With data collected from over 3,000 coffee drinkers across the UK, France, and Germany, De’Longhi’s Signature Order Index reveals how differently Europe drinks coffee and how coffee is tied to local habits and city identity. The latte was the UK’s favourite drink, while Germany preferred the cappuccino. Espresso is favoured in France. (Paris, France)
Events & competitions
- Mon, 21 Sep – Accademia del Caffè Espresso hosts Liaison Cupping. The Accademia del Caffè Espresso team has launched the first online sessions of the Liaison Cupping series with colleagues and Italian roasters. Each participant will receive a comprehensive cupping kit with a selection of beans from Guatemala and Honduras. Participants can taste the coffees together, interact, and exchange thoughts to foster culture and knowledge in the virtual company of representatives from the producer countries. (Fiesole, Italy)
- Tue, 22 Sep – SIGEP doubles number of top buyers at upcoming event. The 48th edition of SIGEP by Italian Exhibition Group will be held from 23 to 27 January at Rimini Expo Center in Italy. At the event, IEG aims to double the number of top buyers from 502 in 2026 to over a 1000 in 2027. Vietnam has been announced as the guest country for the event. The event will also see a new concept for fine pastry making and coffee for the luxury hospitality sector. (Rimini, Italy)
- Wed, 23 Sep – Slow Coffee Festival 2026 to take place from 25 to 27 September. The 10th edition of the Slow Coffee Festival will take place at Romexpo from 25 to 27 September. The festival features 145 exhibitors from 24 countries, bringing together producers, roasters, professionals, and coffee lovers for Green Connect, competitions, tastings, workshop, film, art, and family activities. (Bucharest, Romania)
- Thu, 24 Sep – Better Hospitality campaign set to launch on 28 September in London. Better Hospitality, a new campaign from Be Inclusive Hospitality, aims to build a fairer, stronger, more inclusive industry through better workplaces. Bringing together sector-wide research, leading hospitality employers, and six practical priorities, Better Hospitality will show businesses how they can turn workplace insight into better employee outcomes. The launch is set for 28 September in London. (London, UK)
Photo credits: Swiss Water
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