Initiatives that promote the consumption of coffee are
to be welcomed. Thus, we would suggest that coffee
producers should see the well-publicised intention of the
McDonald's Corporation to install prominent coffee bars and
specially trained baristas at its outlets as positive. The number
of potential outlets is huge: approximately 14,000 in the United
States alone plus many more worldwide, potentially exposing many
consumers to new and better quality coffee products.*
We will not comment on industry reaction because there are
extremely varying points of view, ranging from positive to
dismissive statements as 'only selling commodity-type coffee'. But,
this does raise the question of what is and what is not 'specialty
coffee' because reports suggest that the McDonald's Corporation
aims at capturing a share of the specialty coffee market. First of
all in the United States but eventually worldwide. This suggests
the initiative will spread and, if proven successful, others may
follow suit.
In topic 03.01.10 of the Coffee Guide we suggest that
individual roasters should probably be classified by the products
they market, rather than by the type of coffee they may be
roasting. This because many 'specialty products' do not
require top of the range coffees and can usually be made by using
mainstream (or what some call commodity type) coffee. Therefore, we
would also suggest that retailers of such products can claim to be
selling specialty coffee: today's specialty industry offers an
ever-increasing range of products, ranging from lattes in which
little actual coffee is used, to flavoured coffees that are not
necessarily made of quality beans.
In the roasted bean market the term 'specialty' used to suggest
single origin coffees that must stand on their merits alone and
usually, but not necessarily always, represent the best coffees
available from a particular origin. But here again, an increasing
proportion of to-day's roasted bean offerings, especially from the
larger specialty roasters, consists of blended coffees. This makes
it increasingly difficult to draw a line between 'specialty' and
'commodity-type or mainstream' coffee. **
The specialty industry has its origins in a consumer revolt
against declining quality standards in the mainstream industry,
particularly so in the United States. This has given rise to
a huge improvement in quality generally and consumer interest in
particular. All this has been very positive for coffee consumption.
However, sections of today's specialty industry are also guilty of
over-describing their products by claiming quality and taste
attributes that many consumers, and industry experts, find
excessive if not suggesting consumer ignorance. Such claims may
become more difficult to justify if more decent quality coffee
becomes available at competitive prices…
To summarise: We believe coffee producers
should see the McDonald's initiative as positive and, should it
prove successful, then other restaurant and fast-food chains may
well follow suit.
* Note that the McDonald's Corporation has been experimenting
with this idea for some time already in a number of locations in
different countries under the McCafe banner.
** See also the following topics on www.thecoffeeguide.org
that relate to mainstream versus specialty coffee: 03.01.04;
03.01.05; and 12.09
Posted 24 January 2008