Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative Adds New Training Workshops to the 2008 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

KAILUA KONA, HI--(Marketwire - October 02, 2008) - Espresso training, coffee roaster training, a farm tour and a new professional coffee tasting class will be held ahead of this year's Kona Coffee Cultural Festival on the Big Island.

The Hawaii Coffee Training Workshop series sponsored by the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative includes two new programs for 2008: an advanced espresso class and a coffee cupping workshop that instructs coffee tasting to rigorous international standards.

Nov. 3 - Advanced Profile Roasting led by Paul Thornton, roastmaster and green coffee buyer for Coffee Bean International, licensed Q grader and board member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. This roasting workshop is designed for experienced coffee roasters and will instruct attendees to use proven techniques that enhance the quality and consistency of coffee roasting.

Nov. 4 - Coffee Farm & Mill Tour of local cooperative plantations. Put on your hiking shoes and walk through fields, pick coffee cherries and meet local farmers!

Nov. 5 - Beginning Espresso led by Andrew Hetzel, president of Hawaii-based Cafemakers, board member of the World Barista Championship and Hawaii's only resident Q Grader. This barista training workshop will introduce novice baristas to fundamental concepts of espresso extraction, espresso tasting and espresso machine operation.

Nov. 6 - Advanced Espresso, also led by Andrew Hetzel. This workshop continues with advanced hands-on activities and exercises that improve barista skill and the flavor of specialty coffee drinks.

Nov. 7 - Cupper's Training: An introduction to professional coffee cupping using the Coffee Quality Institute Q Grading system. Participants will learn to objectively evaluate coffee flavor and overall quality.

Classes will be held from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Hale Halawai center on Ali'i Drive in Kona for a fee of $225 per training workshop and $99 for the farm tour. Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. For more information or to register, contact the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative at (808) 328-2411 or visit www.kpfc.com.

About the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

The 38th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival celebrates Hawaii's 180-year coffee tradition from November 7 - 16, 2008. Enjoy nearly 50 Festival events including contests, tastings, ethnic foods, parades, a scholarship pageant, farm tours, art exhibits, an outdoor concert and more! For more information about the Festival, visit www.konacoffeefest.com.

About the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative

Known as the oldest and largest coffee cooperative in the United States, the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative has been continuously processing coffee since 1910. The coop offers education events for industry professionals and free daily tours of coffee operations for consumers. For more information, visit the KPFC website at www.kpfc.com.

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Andrew Hetzel
Cafemakers, LLC

T: +1 (808) 885-5292
C: +1 (808) 990-8717
F: +1 (808) 443-0190
www.cafemakers.com

"Kona Blend" is now displayed at Wawa

I complained to Wawa in January 2008 about their deceptive use of the name, "Kona," on their Kona blend coffee. Wawa is a large convenience store chain in the Northeast United States. Here is the article I posted: Adulteration of Kona coffee by Wawa

I just visited a Wawa store and noticed the new label. Wawa is now being more truthful and using "Kona Blend."

They don't disclose the percentage of Kona being used, or what coffees are being mixed with Kona, but at least they are calling it a blend. Hopefully, the consumer will notice the addition of "Blend" on the label.

Did Wawa make the change because of my protest? Not very likely, even though I feel I may have helped.

Robert

Happy National Coffee Day!

I don't know who declared September 29 as National Coffee Day, but why not? Most readers of this website would agree that coffee is our most wonderful beverage and it surely deserves a national day of respect.

What would life be without coffee? Most of us cannot handle a few hours without coffee. It is time we set aside a day of reverence for coffee. How to celebrate? I don't know but I'll think of something. Share your thoughts on how to celebrate.

Don't forget, all you teachers and home-schooler parents, you can get a free cup at Starbucks today. Go for it!

Happy National Coffee Day to all.

Robert

Starbucks shares could perk up 30 pct-Barron's

NEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) shares could rise 20 percent to 30 percent within a year as the coffee chain overhauls its menu and slashes costs, Barron's said in its Monday edition.

Chief Executive Howard Schultz is trying to re-energize the chain after a decade-and-a-half of rapid expansion led to its many stores stealing sales from each other, and prompted rivals such as McDonald's Corp (MCD.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Dunkin' Donuts to roll out competing products, often at lower prices.

In July, Starbucks reported a $6.7 million fiscal third-quarter loss, its first loss as a public company.

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The Real Reason Why Wieden Quit Starbucks

Agency Kept Bumping Up Against a Marketer That Wasn't Receptive to Its Ideas, Executives Say

By Emily Bryson York and Jeremy Mullman

Published: September 29, 2008

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Dan Wieden and Howard Schultz have mended a few broken bridges between their organizations. But last week, reacting to what it saw as Starbucks' micromanagement, waffling and shift to a jump-ball approach for future ad assignments, Wieden & Kennedy took the unusual step of quitting the business.

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The Wide Variety Of Coffee You Can Find Worldwide

by Jerry Blackburn

In this earth we can find as many kinds of coffee beans and coffee flavors as there are grapes and wine; and we might get equal delight in sampling the beans.

For instance, the Colombian variety is rightly the most famed in the world. Then there is Tolima’s La Esperanza which is cultivated at places six thousand feet high and the result is quite apparent in it. The beans have high tones yet an understated aroma and a cherry-like look and tastes somewhat like the pipe tobacco and the milk chocolate. People wonder how such a concoction can taste so fabulous!

The second largest producer of the world has much more to offer though. A very intricate brew is prepared by the Supremo, with vanilla scraps and some hints of semi-sweet chocolates. Make sure that it is drunk piping hot as the taste fades away very quickly.

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When selling coffee is not enough

by Maurizio Corda

On 3rd August, American giant Starbucks closed 61 of its 85 shops in Australia. After over a month and hundreds of jobs lost, I and many other coffee lovers still think about what went wrong and why did Starbucks fail to break the Australian market.

Being one of the biggest coffee retailer chains in the world, I did not really expect Starbucks to report profits falling down 28% from the previous year. Well that is what happened in April this year, when the coffee chain published the new results of an underperforming year.

As an immediate consequence, and since the biggest economic downturn came from its domestic market, Starbucks announced the closure of 100 national shops. A simple financial adjustment at first glance, it preceded a further mass closure of 500 shops around the country.

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US FDA warns against China-made coffee and milk tea products

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/28/2008 10:31 AM

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday alerted consumers that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products are being recalled by the Taiwanese company, King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd., due to possible contamination with melamine.

According to the FDA, King Car Food Industrial Co. used a non-dairy creamer manufactured by Shandong Duqing Inc., China, which was found to be contaminated with melamine.

The recalled products are:

Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)

Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)

Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)

Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)

Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)

Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)

Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)

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