VIENNA, Austria – Christina Meinl, managing director of Austria and the fifth generation of Julius Meinl, exposes her thoughts on the company’s future, focusing on the sustainability aspect of the supply chain and the coffee competitions that are slowly shaping and changing the industry. Below, we share her thoughts.
Recently the company entered into the initiative coffee&climate to make a difference in climate change. What does it mean for Julius Meinl to take such a proactive role in sustainability?
“As a family company we celebrated 160 years in 2022 and we are constantly thinking about the next generation: this is why it was natural for us to take a role in the coffee&climate initiative.
Climate change is making a huge difference in the industry and is entirely our responsibility and not only our priority to do something in this regard. We also have another program called “Julius Meinl Generation Program” in which I have given a commitment to my children to guarantee and do everything in my power to leave the world as beautiful as it is for them.
In the Generation Program, this means including coffee farms. This project is currently operating in Colombia and Uganda. We are also going to have another country involved next year. The coffee&climate initiative will be an addition to that”.
How do you think competitions are shaping the world of coffee? Do these events help to spread specialty coffee?
“A few years ago I was the president of the Specialty Coffee Association and we paid particular attention to the quality of coffee. I think everything helps to increase the overall quality and to guarantee a major expertise at managing and brewing the final cup for the consumer.
Coffee farms can make the perfect coffee but then you can ruin it at the end if you don’t extract it well. Every step is important to taste a good cup of coffee and competitions make us realize how crucial is for a barista to be more than competent.
I am ecstatic about this first edition of the Julius Meinl Barista Cup since I love seeing the expertise and the passion of competitors at work.
For example, to compete for the World Coffee Championship, baristas need to train for a year at least. Competitions also help the customer to understand the product more and appreciate special and original blends more. This is why I am a huge fan of competitions like this. It represents the best of the coffee community”.
You represent the fifth generation of the company: what are the major changes during this time?
“The main change I have seen is a major push for sustainability which is a strong value, especially in terms of growing, packaging, and sourcing. We are working on all our packaging to be either compostable or recyclable.
In our roasting plant, we have a special exchanger in which when you use the heat for the roasting process, you also warm up the offices during winter and cool them during summer. We also have big solar panels on the roofs of the production labs. This is, without doubt, the biggest change in the company combined with a focus in the last 10 years for specialty and coffee quality with different origins”.
What are the best-selling products for the Italian market?
“Last year we launched a Bio Fairtrade Range, very much in line with our sustainability positioning. I love the taste of the coffee but also the fact that it is organic and it is Fairtrade. It is really popular and its sales are growing at a fast pace in Italy”.
What can you tell us about the future of Julius Meinl?
“The combination that will represent Julius Meinl in the future will be sustainability and innovation.
Everything we do will be done in a conscious way looking at the sustainability, the products, and the quality combined with innovation and anticipating what the new generations actually desire considering new ways of extraction, new taste profiles, and new different approaches to coffee.
Let’s take for example cascara, the tea from the coffee cherry. You put the coffee cherry in the cup and you make it just as a cup of tea. Innovation is crucial to our company just as sustainability”.
