The Guardian reported yesterday that Starbuck’s Sustainability Director, Jim Hanna, expressed their concern over the effects of climate change, as well as their seriousness in finding ways to tackle the problem. Being a business though, Starbucks concern for climate change is obviously not just for the welfare of the environment, but its possible effects on the global coffee supply chain, which will obviously hurt their bottomline. As Jim Hanna said, “If conditions continue as they are – is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean…If we sit by and wait until the impacts of climate change are so severe that is impacting our supply chain then that puts us at a greater risk. From a business perspective we really need to address this now, and to look five, 10, and 20 years down the road.”

Starbucks is definitely not taking this problem sitting down; in fact they have been implementing their “climate change strategy from 2004, focusing on renewable energy, energy conservation, and collaboration and advocacy.”

Early this month, Starbucks also renewed their partnership with Conservation International, which involves a $3 million, 2-year renewed commitment that will “expanding pilot programs in coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico, and Sumatra, Indonesia, which are designed to support and reward coffee farmers and coffee-growing communities for efforts taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.”

So who says that profitability and environmental responsibility can’t go hand-in-hand? Not Starbucks.

Sometimes I’m the customer, other times I’m the supplier. Sometimes I’ve arranged the meeting, and other times, someone has asked to book some of my time.

I’ve read a fair few books, articles and essays related to where the dynamics of where you meet people compared to what you are looking to achieve from the meeting – if you’re looking to sell a service or product, it’s often best to go and visit the customer at their workplace (it gives them more security in their own environment, and they are more likely to buy), if you’re looking to buy a service or product, having the meeting at your workplace often gives you more confidence and ability to intimidate and get more of what you are looking for from the deal. However, I frequently met with Senior Managers and I was more than happy to bet the contract on the fact that they had read similar reports in the past.

Now, I hear you ask what this has to do with Coffee…

Having the meeting in a neutral location (like a Coffee House!) was often touted as a great idea. It allows both parties to meet somewhere which is more social, allowing them to drop the structure that appears in offices. It’s also a great way to sneak out of the office earlier – especially if you have to travel more than five minutes away, get your dose of Coffee from somewhere other than the Staff Kitchen, and also creates a more relaxed scene. The Coffee house was put forward as the best place to meet in, as the features such as the tables and chairs are more informal, allowing both parties to become more relaxed, and hopefully etch out a more beneficial outcome.

The first was a small chain store (BB Coffee and Muffin), inside a shopping centre. As you’d expect with Christmas shoppers, it was quite busy, and people were in quite a bit of a rush. Considering I’d ordered the same size Latte here as I’d done for the rest of the day, I’d drunk this cup in a very short period of time – didn’t enjoy it very much for this reason, but felt warm inside (if you’ve been watching the weather in the UK recently, it’s a bit cold!), which is a bonus!

The second was a small restaurant my family are regulars at. Had a Latte again, and enjoyed this much more. It might have been the roaring fire in the building, it may have been the superb dinner I’d just eaten, but it might have been the fact that I was just much more relaxed. And, being more relaxed, I enjoyed the Latte more.

Where I am writing this at the moment is a Starbucks. It’s quite different to each Starbucks I’ve been in before, it feels more like your old local pub – the barista’s are very relaxed, chatty, and recognise people quite easily – considering it’s very near two of the busiest Motorways in the UK, that’s quite impressive. I did push the boat out here – I got a lovely big Frappe, with lots of whipped cream, so it’s not going to give me the same warming feeling that the Lattes would have, but it does feel quite nice inside here.

What do you think makes a great atmosphere? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Photo Courtesy of: ASurroca

Sadly, no prizes, except the recognition and hundreds of fans screaming your name everywhere you go (okay, I slightly exaggerate on the second part!!!). Of course, the winner will be decided and published in the next months post.

The first challenge is a simple one – head to your nearest (or favourite) coffee shop, and get a photo of the most ornate, fancy cup. Patterns on the outside, weird and wonderful handles, over-sized or even under-sized – All is fair in love, war, and the Coffee Break Challenge!

Once you’ve got the image, all you’d have to do is upload the image to your favourite image-sharing site (PhotoBucket, TwitPic and Imageshack are a few examples of popular services that can be used), once they’ve been uploaded, just post a comment with your name, where you’re from, and where the cup is from.

So, the deadline for this challenge is the Monday 13th December, at 11:59am EST – just to make sure that the time is obvious, and no confusion between midday and midnight!

Get snapping and get sharing!

A large amount of you will probably be drinking Fair Trade Coffee as you read this, and may not even realise it. But you may not know much more than it’s a reasonable price paid to the farmers. There’s social benefits to the farmers, which extend further than the extra money which they are paid.

The scheme was set up in order to help the farmers of Coffee, Cotton, plus a variety of fruits by paying them a higher fee than what they were used to – for example, in August 2001, Coffee Beans were just $0.50 per pound. The current minimum price that companies have agreed to pay is $1.26 – nearly double the price of non-fair trade coffee, which is sold in Coffee Houses for the same price.

There are some requirements to the farmers with these prices, however – the money should be invested in much needed health care, education and looking after their environment – in other words, supporting the small farmers with your purchase of Fair Trade Coffee, you are supporting better in them in the long term by helping to improve their local villages and towns.

Currently across America, there are over one hundred companies with agreements to offer certified Fair Trade Coffee. They include Starbucks, Tully’s, Diedrich, plus many more local companies. All of these companies are offering you the chance to make a change to someone else’s life, by doing nothing more than asking for Fair Trade coffee.

Using Fair Trade Coffee is more than just being kind and caring to the farmers. Hopefully, it will make enough of a difference to someone’s life – improving their health and future generations possibilities.

My favourite Coffee house

Where I grew up in the UK, there are quite a lot of Coffee Shops – the spread of Costa Coffees and Starbucks, plus the other smaller chains that are more established in the local area, as well as the smattering of smaller local Coffee Shops which are usually quite busy.

Where I currently live, there are a lot more independent Coffee Houses. I don’t know if this is due to the fact that it is mainly a seasonal town (coming alive from May to October, and very quiet for the rest of the year), or for another reason.

Either way, there’s a great deal of difference in the two options.

For example, where I live now (Cyprus) there’s a specialist type of coffee – Cyprus Coffee (strangely enough!), which is very thick – to the extent of being able to stand a teaspoon in it on its own and there’s also the Frappe. As with all liqueur Coffees, there’s also the local spirits to be included in these. Each Coffee House I’ve visited out here has been greatly different – one of my favourites is a very small building, with a large canopied area out front, art-work from the owners friends and families, and a range of newspapers and magazines. It also has two or three different televisions, a varied menu and a high speed wireless connection – great for what I want.

Although just five minutes drive away, there’s a Starbucks. Which, as Starbucks is, very clean, neat and tidy, with a wide range of drinks on offer, and a range of snacks on offer.

So why do I prefer the non-chain Coffee House? I think it’s the atmosphere inside. More relaxed, more focus on what I want as a customer. I often visited Starbucks in the UK when it was inside a book shop I bought a lot of magazines from (I’d spend five or six afternoons a month in there) as it was an easy place to concentrate and work. But the difference I’ve experienced has shown me that there’s more out there.

What do you prefer? If you’re a Chain fan, let us know why, and if you prefer to keep things local, what makes the difference for you?

Photo Courtesy of Emphasis Cafe

There is a Turkish proverb that says, “A single cup of coffee is remembered for fourty years”. In the Turkish culture, coffee is always offered at the start of any visit. No true conversations begin until kahve is served. The discussions and the brew are remembered together. No wonder that Turkish coffee is unforgettable.

There is no ritual more important in any culture than marriage. It is a way to improve ones standing and situation in society after all. Every prospective bride is tested by the way she makes coffee. Some brides are known to have substituted salt for the sugar in order to avoid an unwanted marriage.

It was also considered an insult to spill the coffee, even just a little on to the saucer so a reluctant bride would sometimes find a way to spill coffee, not just on the saucer but on the guests. That usually ended the marriage talks.
The foam on Turkish coffee is very important. It is made as the brew sits on the stove without being stirred. A few people will tell you that it is okay to stir after the first two boiling, in fact some will say it is a must but never is it stirred once it is placed on the heat for the last time. In fact, it is said that the host who serves coffee with no foam loses face.

For those of us who’ve always wanted our future read with coffee, Turkish coffee is the brew you must try. It is the remains from this brew or fal that is used to read ones possible fututre or destiny. In fact it is still a favorite pastime in Turkey today, especially among the women.

Make yourself a cup of Turkish coffee or go find a place that makes good Turkish coffee. Enjoy the experience for yourself. Don’t forget to check if there’s someone around who can read fal.

One of the girls mentioned that she recently had a meeting with a client. She walked in the door and as he spoke, she felt a bit dizzy. No, it wasn’t his gorgeous good looks that caused the
sensation. It was his coffee breath!

Most people are unaware that they have halitosis. Everybody gets them at some point. Coffee drinkers smell coffee on their breath and think absolutely nothing of it since they love coffee.

Unfortunately, the smell of coffee on someone’s breath isn’t always pleasant. Coffee is acidic. The acid combined with the bacteria in our mouth isn’t exactly the best scent around. The odor can ensure that people will give you a wide berth. Hmmm…not the reaction you want if you are running for Hunk or Babe of the Year.

Fortunately, there are some simple solutions that do not require you to give up your favorite coffee drink.

1. Develop good oral hygiene
• Brush your teeth properly and carefully twice a day
• Floss at least once a day before brushing
• Rinse your mouth with water especially after drinking or eating
• Clean your tongue well
2. Drink a lot of water. Two glasses for every cup of coffee is good for cleansing.
3. Add food that can help improve the scent of your breath to your diet such as apples, carrots and celery.

In a pinch, there’s always Altoids of course. People around you will appreciate it.

• International Lantern Parade, November 5 at 6:30 pm. Alii Drive, Kailua Pier to Hale Halawai
• Holualoa Village Coffee & Art Stroll, November 6, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Have a taste of more than three dozen estate label Kona coffees!
• KTA Super Stores Kona Coffee Recipe Contest/Big Island Showcase, November 7, 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa Convention Center. This cooking contest should be fun to watch AND you get to sample the concoctions! Of course, 100% pure Kona coffee will be used in the recipes. How cool is that?
• Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Competition – Preliminary Round, November 10, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Keauhou Beach Resort. This competition will determine the best Kona coffee there is. You wouldn’t want to miss that!

For more information on the events and schedules, visit the official web site of the 2010 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.

They’ve had their own share of struggles, and in an effort to widen their customer base yet again, Starbucks is now offering more than the usual fare: free Internet.

Over the years, coffee shops have become synonymous with laptops and all sorts of mobile devices – and that means Internet access as well. However, the Internet access in Starbucks stores as it currently is is quite limited. You need to have a Starbucks loyalty card, and having one does not automatically mean you can surf all you want – it just gives you 2 free hours of Internet.

The new scheme, which is going to be implemented on the first of July, is going to open up wireless Internet access in almost 7,000 Starbucks stores all over the United States. The service is going to be offered to in collaboration with AT&T Inc. Do take note, however, that the stores that will be offering this are only the company-operated ones. Franchised stores will not be part of the scheme. (Boo!)

Here’s the question: will this change entice you to camp out at Starbucks if you don’t normally do it? Will free Internet affect your choice of coffee?