Wrapped and Roasted

We are still on an amazing high after having completed the first ever Compak Golden Bean North America.

This does not mean work has stopped, as we are now busy sending out roasters results and the winner’s medals. The results/scores and comments are provided for coffee roasters to get feedback so they can understand the real marketplace trends of the North American coffee consumers and to learn where the market perception is at the time and how to adapt to these market changes. This is always going to be a challenge moving forward, to stay ahead of real trends and a big part of our company philosophy in running a national event like Golden Bean was to help educate the 3,000 plus coffee roasters in North America. Trends will come and go but what we are observing is higher quality coffee and service delivery points as being the biggest trend at the moment as consumers get more exposure to better coffees. The new age coffee movers and shakers have created a standard where there is no stepping back from a quality well-made brew. Like all craft beverages at the moment coffee is not a fuel anymore it’s a lifestyle choice people will pay for.

I would like personally to thank all the roasting businesses and coffee roasters for participating in the competition, it was an honor judging so many great coffees with our panel of over 60 industry judges. Anne Cooper and Pete Licata did a fantastic job controlling this large group of cuppers and I think it was a major lesson for all in the logistics of multiple coffee judgings. Those delegates that got their palates pushed to the extreme in endless coffee tasting you are true marathon runners.

Don’t be discouraged if you did not win a medal this year as we will help guide participants before the next competition into where new market trends are heading and help coffee businesses make smart profitable business decisions. We will be sending out monthly newsletters informing and educating as we see new information and business ideas evolve.

I would like to thank our small Golden Bean Team in North America. Firstly Bruce Milletto, international coffee superstar and the man who knows everyone in the world coffee business, Matt Milletto a chip off his dad’s block who is ahead of most world coffee trends and who was a great support and mentor to myself. Greg Davis who is dynamic and active in both logistics and making things happen. Jen Hurd for her research skills and knowledge of the Portland doughnut underworld. Thank you Kristine, my lovely wife and the voice of Golden Bean North America who personally rang over 2,000 roasters and processed all the hundreds of entries. Last person was our 13-year-old daughter Matilda who has been active in all social media platforms around the event and a great budding photographer.

The Australian Café Culture team has also been a major part of the success and has been working on this project now for three years and it was good to see visits to Portland from Kevin, Justeen and Bronwyn before and during the event, thank you.

Lastly, a big thank you goes out to all the wonderful sponsors that helped make this event happen both financially and in moral support. We were blessed to get so much help for a first off competition and have had amazing testimonials with future support pledges for our next event. Compak Grinders USA, our naming sponsor has been not only supportive in our business pursuits but a great resource of world coffee trends and movements. They supplied a young and fresh energy that kept us wanting to come to work everyday and succeed in our goals. Thank you Josh, Damian and Ellisio, I am looking forward to our next adventure.

Please stay tuned for next year’s dates and venue information. We will be returning to the coffee Mecca of Portland with more people, more coffee, different social themes and more fun and friendships. So see you at Compak Golden Bean 2016.

Yours sincerely,
Head Bean – Sean Edwards