MILAN, Italy – Establishing the parameters that identify a high-quality espresso is something that will drive forwards a quality-led culture that runs right the way through the industry supply chain, from growers to operators, and increase end-consumers’ ability to recognize and appreciate truly high-quality espresso.
These are the objectives of a meeting held at the fieramilano Congress Centre, backed by HostMilano and the Fiera Milano organization and staged by SCAE Italia, the Italian chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe.
SCAE Italia is leading the way along a path that has attracted other industry associations, experts and more generally all of the players along the supply chain, in order to establish a shared set of qualitative, objective and sensorial parameters that define high-quality espresso.
Dario Ciarlantini, SCAE Italia National Coordinator, says: “Today was an important starting point because we now know that we can indeed travel this path together. We have already planned follow-up meetings, identified targets and methods, and are involving other players in the supply chain to follow on from this initial feasibility stage.
It will take months of diligent work between now and Host2017, but we are in no doubt that it will make a sea change in the quality of baristas’ approach to espresso and how the drink is perceived by end-consumers, which is the key goal if we are to raise the bar of quality perception.”
The next step is to identify other interlocutors to further extend the consultation by including valuable contributions from experts, tasters, roasters, engineers, baristas and other leading players in the “espresso world”, bringing scientific criteria, experiences and special skills to the table.
The key final stage of the process is scheduled for Host2017, at fieramilano from 20 to 24 October next year, when the results of the process will be announced.
Confirming how important the issue of objective and perceived quality is to the entire industry, representatives from CIC – Comitato Italiano Caffè, CSC – Associazione dei Caffè Speciali Certificati, and UCIMAC, Costruttori Macchine per Caffè Espresso ed Attrezzature per Bar all took part at the meeting.
The espresso world has been going through a far-ranging transformation over the last few years.
The growing popularity of espresso around the globe has generated cross-pollination and interpretations for a variety of local tastes, including a wide variety of types of coffee and roasting, making it important to establish an identity based on an Italian style, incorporating quality while keeping up with the times
