Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee in the EU

6. What Buyers Want

Expanding Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in the EU Windward Commodities 30th June 2022

Without exception, buyers acknowledge the unique position in the market of JBM based on its terroir and a rich history of coffee production. These detailed, qualitative discussions informed the views in this section, reinforced by research from Algrano’s ‘Market Trend Review 2022’ which provides quantitative backing for our findings. We examine EU roaster, buyer and end-user assumptions, buying criteria and experience with JBM, and overlay this onto market trends. Rather than look at traditional case studies of industry revitalisation such as Cafes de Colombia (Juan Diaz) and Costa Rica (ICAFE) we have used the examples of Hawaii Kona and Panama Gesha to show how innovation can drive change in origins. Both Hawaii and Panama have used this to increase pricing above the level of JBM – at higher volumes (in the case of Kona) or at small volumes that enhance the origins overall reputation and price (in the case of Gesha). 6.1. Frank feedback Almost all of the EU end customers, whether traders or roasters, referenced above were passionate about coffee and similar in their views about Jamaica Blue Mountain. Whilst appreciating the strength of the JBM brand and acknowledging its appeal based on scarcity and reputation, they were clear that the EU market is demanding higher quality and more information than they feel is currently being provided by producers. More worrying, there is ‘reverse snobbery’ amongst some of the roasters who compared JBM unfavourably with newer innovative origins with very high cupping scores that are now entering the market at much lower prices. The main JBM distributors believe their clients are happy with both quality and taste and that, with the entry of Nespresso, there is more demand than can be supplied. However, other JBM buyers believe that the EU market continues to evolve rapidly and innovation in processing and quality is needed to future-proof the brand and excite younger coffee drinkers. All compare JBM’s taste and positioning to other rare coffees including Hawaii Kona Coffee, Galapagos, Panama Gesha, Fazenda Lagoa Seca (a Cup of Excellence® coffee from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil) and Yirgacheffe speciality coffee from Ethiopia. Feedback was therefore based around whether JBM continued to deliver value and was broadly critical of the sustainability of the JBM offer:

· “JBMand Hawaii have their own reputation – it’s scarcity not quality that pushes the sale”“Good, clean, mild, Arabica coffee” · “It is very overpriced for the quality; it is relying on past reputation and exclusivity” · “If thinking of potential client for JBM it would be clients looking for below 84 points”

· “Only Japan’s appreciation for the mystical blue mountains have kept price high” · “Buyers love buying coffee in the barrels, unusual way of receiving coffee, a fancy experience” · “All the good coffee goes to Japan”

Part of the problem is that even current buyers of JBM feel that, whilst some harvests have been exceptional at above 85 points, most score 82-84. One buyer, who does not purchase JBM, felt that the coffee itself has a second-wave reputation comparable to a Monsoon Malibar (cupping at 81-82) or an Indian Robusta (cupping at 80-81). Other buyers compared the quality to an Ecuador (scoring 82 at FOB US$11/Kg), a Guatemala (scoring in the low 80’s at US$6.6/Kg), and a Nicaraguan (scoring 83 at US$6.49/ Kg). Others compared JBM to good Strictly High Grown (SHG) coffees farmed at more than 1,400m above sea level and sold at much lower prices. One buyer stated that a recent Gesha coffee priced substantially below JBM at US$22-26/Kg ‘tasted like god in a cup’. Buyers who do not carry JBM,

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