There used to be a coffee roaster in every Italian town and city, releasing into the air the aroma of a product from a far-off land. 80-85% of a total of over 800 such concerns were small-scale.
Now all of this is undergoing a profound change, prompted both by the economic difficulties of the domestic market in recent years and by evolutions in taste among consumers.
Alongside the traditional small coffee roasters, organised largely along artisan lines, there is now a whole new generation of micro-roasters, who are introducing a brand new coffee culture. And it’s not just in Italy where this is happening.
According to Patrick Hoffer (in the picture), president of the Coffee Promotion Consortium (CPC), “consumers are increasingly interested in the origin of their coffee and when it comes to the most prized varieties we can say that an idea of ‘terroir’ is establishing itself, as is the case with the big wines.
In recent years, this awareness has become more marked among the general public thanks among other things to the marketing initiatives of the multinationals and of coffee chains like Starbucks. Another emerging trend concerns the combination of quality ingredients with technical skills and the range of services through which baristas can give the end consumer a quality experience.”
Now, more than ever, it is important for operators to share information and know-how, bringing together coffee roasters and manufacturers of coffee- (and particularly espresso-) making machinery, “because if ‘Italian-ness’ remains a major driving force in foreign sales, in order for the business to maintain its leading position in what is an ever-changing market, Italian-made products must provide product quality inside top-quality consumer experience.
In this scenario, for both traditional roasters and the new micro-roaster trend, S.I.C. at Host is a unique opportunity to get yourself known on the international markets, and to interact and exchange notes with other parts of the chain. The increase in exhibition space this year is an indication that Italian and non-Italian firms have understood the importance of this opportunity,” Hoffer concludes.
On the professional development front, CPC is involved in a series of initiatives at Host2015 in collaboration with UCIMAC, which will range from the presentation of data and research to contributions from experts.
