TORRANCE, Calif. – Bruce Mullins, Vice President of Coffee Culture at Farmer Brothers, knows a thing or two about coffee. With over three decades of coffee industry experience on his resume (including board member of the Coffee Quality Institute and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, and co-founder of the World Coffee Research program), he’s a driving force at Coffee Bean International, Specialty Coffee by Farmer Brothers.
In June, Mullins presented a coffee industry overview to the members of the International Corporate Chefs Association at their 12th Annual Summit in San Diego, CA. The presentation commences with an overview of the state of the industry, expands on coffee production, touches on the effects of roasting and grinding, defines the components of coffee appreciation (flavor, body, acidity and aroma), and reminds foodservice operators that, regardless of price, customers don’t seem to stop drinking coffee. He provides interesting insights into today’s coffee culture, reminding us that millenials, 33% of whom drink specialty coffee daily, have never known a world without Starbucks. Furthermore, he shares the tree-to-consumer journey, by explaining that, in many cases, up to 30 different sets of hands are responsible for the quality of coffee that is delivered to the end consumer.
US – Farmer Bros. Co. specialty presentation available on youtube
