Roast Magazine Salutes Local Coffee Company’s Efforts

For the second year in a row, Portland Roasting Coffee earned the title of Runner-Up Roaster of the Year at the industry’s fourth annual competition hosted by Roast Magazine in September. A close second, next to Zoka Coffee of Seattle, Portland Roasting collected high grades for its sustainable business efforts and top-quality single-origin coffees.

Nearly 40 coffee companies from around the country threw their hat into the ring for a competition that involved a written application pertaining and a cupping of three coffee samples. Portland Roasting shot to the top of the heap of applicants with its work in the environmental and fair trade practices arena. Their Farm Friendly Direct™ coffee sourcing program and recent introduction of the region’s first compostable to-go cup, the ecotainer™, were just two of the company’s notable efforts that placed them apart from their competitors.

“Portland Roasting is a leader in the coffee industry as they are changing the way people look at direct trade and sustainability,” explains Connie Blumhardt, publisher of Roast Magazine. “They act as a model for new roasters who want to make inroads into sustainability while roasting excellent coffee.”

In the blind cupping portion of the competition, coffees were judged per SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) standards on a 1-100 point scale. Judges examined coffee samples for their defects, flavor profile, density, body, aroma and mouth feel, among others characteristics.  In the blind cupping, Portland Roasting scored of 80.5 for its Morning Blend, an 86.50 for its Portland House Blend and 88.50 for its Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere blend.

About Portland Roasting
Since 1996, Portland Roasting Coffee Company has been roasting coffee and espresso for the Northwest community.  The company’s products are available via wholesale, internet and retail channels as well as through corporate, university and specialty venue businesses. Portland Roasting prides itself on its sustainability initiatives such as its Farm Friendly Direct™ program that pays premium prices to its growers to ensure quality coffee while helping to sustain the families and communities that support the coffee farmers. For more information on its coffees and environmental programs, please go to Portland Roasting.

Coffee Retailer Trade Show Expands its Reach, Bringing Coffee Education to Asia

After 16 years of bolstering the specialty coffee business throughout the United States, Coffee Fest will venture off into uncharted territory when it hosts its first international coffee trade show in Hong Kong on November 7-9, 2008. AsiaWorld Expo Center will house 150 booths and organizers expect between 5,000 and 50,000 attendees hailing from surrounding Asian countries and New Zealand and Australia.

The shipping capital of the world, Hong Kong was a draw for Coffee Fest organizers who are looking to reach out to a market that is warmly embracing coffee. Household coffee consumption in China has increased 40 percent annually and yearly retail sales have grown by more than 25 percent. Coffee Fest hopes to ride the caffeinated momentum as it heads toward its first global show.  

“Hong Kong is a true crossroads of cultures,” says David Heilbrunn, Coffee Fest show manager. “The coffee culture is vibrant, with Seattle-style cafes all over the place. We want to share our breadth of coffee knowledge with a region that is poised to become one of the largest coffee consumers worldwide.”

Coffee Fest Hong Kong will offer their hallmark brand of high-quality educational seminars, workshops and demonstrations. Budding entrepreneurs, veteran coffeehouse owners, specialty retailers, restaurant owners, roasters and those just mulling over a career in coffee retail will glean useful information they can integrate into nascent and established business plans. To help close the language gap, show organizers will offer simultaneous translations in free educational rooms. Another Coffee Fest standard, The Millrock Free Pour Latte Art competition will continue to challenge baristas and entertain the tradeshow audience. Incorporating recent refinements — blind-judging and a leader board that automatically registers competitor’s scores — to the contest, organizers have sought to make the competition a true barometer of barista skill.

A cross-cultural exchange over coffee and all its accoutrements, Coffee Fest Hong Kong will create an abundance of networking opportunities for distributors, roasters and retailers interested in making inroads into the Asian and Southern Pacific marketplace. Coffee Fest Hong Kong has been endorsed and recommended by China Coffee Association Beijing, Specialty Coffee Association Japan, Hawaii Coffee Association and Coffee Association Guangzhou. Registration for the show begins December 1, 2007. Please contact Coffee Fest or call 425-283-5058, ext. 113 or 1-800-232-0083 or 86-135-11008735 in China.

About Coffee Fest
Coffee Fest has been bringing the specialty coffee industry people together since 1992 when the show first got its start as a consumer festival in Seattle. Since 1998, Coffee Fest has gathered coffee retailers, roasters, distributors and manufacturers together for thrice annual trade shows to help attendees build and refine their businesses, learn about the latest products and remain current with the latest happenings within the coffee industry. Coffee Fest will celebrate its 50th show in Washington, D.C., in February 2008, and will host its first show off the mainland in Hawaii in June. In November 2008, Coffee Fest goes international with its debut show in Hong Kong. For more information about all the shows, visit Coffee Fest.

Local Trade Show Sets Standard for Business Education

Seattle, Wash. – October 22, 2007 – Business expertise and a wide breadth of coffee knowledge will be served up to entrepreneurs – novice and veteran alike — at Coffee Fest on November 9 -11, 2007, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle. The show, marking its 16th year in Seattle, prides itself on educating, informing and inspiring businesspeople to make their coffee shop or roastery the best it can be.

Coffee Fest boasts an educational program that progresses from the finer details of retail operations to big picture business development. From serving up the best gelato to the “10 Commandments to Build Skyrocketing Profits,” attendees have their pick of classes, presentations and forums from which to glean all they need to know to help get their business off the ground or to maximize their present business operation.

“Each year we refine our program — based on feedback from attendees — in order to provide participants with useful information, techniques and tactics that they can take home and translate to building a robust business,” states David Heilbrunn, Coffee Fest show manager. “Our ultimate goal is to help people grow their coffee business.”

Coffee Fest organizers have parlayed their 16 years of rubbing elbows with those involved in all facets of coffee world to create a holistic learning experience. No element of the retail business is left alone in the show’s training session program. Budding shop owners may veer toward “Opening a New Café?,” or “Espresso Drive-Thrus – The Final Frontier.” Seasoned retailers looking to refine their operations may choose “Putting the Serve in Customer Service,”  “The Ambience of your Café – Getting Crowds to your Door,” or “Built to Lead – 20 Leadership Secrets to Compete and Beat your Corporate Competitors.” Still others might have their eye on the edible portion of café workings with “Gelato Training Workshop,” or “Increase your Average Ticket through Coffee and Dessert Pairings.” Barista trainings, coffee equipment, and coffee primers round out a selection of more than 110 training sessions.

For a full list of training sessions and special attractions, and to register for Coffee Fest, please go to www.coffeefest.com or call 425.238.5058, ext 123 or 128. Most training sessions are free to attendees and exhibitors.

About Coffee Fest
Coffee Fest has been bringing coffee industry people together since 1992 when the show first got its start as a consumer festival in Seattle. Since 1998, Coffee Fest has gathered coffee retailers, roasters, distributors and manufacturers together for thrice annual trade shows to help attendees build and refine their business, learn about the latest products and stay tuned into the latest happenings within the coffee industry. Coffee Fest will celebrate its 50th show in Washington, D.C. in February 2008, and will host its first show off the mainland in Hawaii in June. In November of 2008, Coffee Fest goes international with a debut show in Hong Kong. For more information about all the shows, go to www.coffeefest.com.