Speciality Coffee

Specialty coffee is a term for the highest grade of coffee available, typically relating to the entire supply chain, using single origin or single estate coffee. The term was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. The term ‘Specialty coffee’ or ‘Speciality coffee’ is used to refer to coffee that is graded 80 points or above on a 100 point scale by a certified coffee taster (SCAA) or by a licensed Q Grader(CQI).

Specialty Coffee Drinkers

In a survey conducted in January 2021 by the National Coffee Association (NCA) in the United States of America, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association(SCA), on specialty coffee drinkers, it was found that:

36% of Americans drank specialty coffee the day before. (Specialty coffee in this instance is defined as any expresso-based beverage, non-expresso-based beverage and traditional coffee that consumers perceive to be brewed from premium coffee beans)
22% drank an expresso-based beverage
13% drank a non-expresso-based beverage
Overall, specialty coffee drinkers skewed to the under 40 years demographic with 20% living in urban centres.
Attitudinal perceptions and behaviours show specialty coffee drinkers are generally more engaged with coffee

Specialty Coffee Consumer Profile

The infographic below, taken from the 2021 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report produced by the National Coffee Association of the USA, shows the specialty coffee consumer profile.

Credits: National Coffee Association

Any move towards the development of a domestic consumption programme must consider the role that specialty coffee can play in the increasing of domestic consumption. Though the findings of the NCA study cannot be applied carte blanche, it is instructive in understanding the tendencies of the specialty coffee consumer. According to the findings of the NCA, specialty coffee drinkers are generally more engaged with coffee (point 5 above), which could mean an opportunity to build experiences around coffee as seen in the many coffee shops worldwide.

In designing a programme for increasing coffee consumption in domestic markets, it will be necessary to do country specific surveys to define the consumer profile in this segment on which decisions would be made.

Organic coffee

Coffee grown by women

Estate brand coffee

Micro lots

Specialty Coffee Shops

Using the more liberal definition of specialty coffee in point 1 (Specialty coffee in this instance is defined as any expresso-based beverage, non-expresso-based beverage and traditional coffee that consumers perceive to be brewed from premium coffee beans), a specialty coffee shop sells expresso based beverages, non expresso based beverages, and traditional coffee that consumers perceive to be brewed from premium coffee beans. It is instructive therefore, to ensure the availability of quality beans. This implies the need for commensurate programmes with producers for production of good quality coffee beans.

The coffee shop provides the avenue for engaging the coffee drinker and as such can be a major pillar in a domestic consumption strategy.

Consider the Demographic Profile

The age demographic for specialty coffee drinkers seems to be predominantly Generation Z and Millennials. 38% of specialty coffee drinkers from the infographic above fall in the age range 20 – 39. This has implications for future consumption patterns for coffee. A well crafted domestic consumption strategy will seek to provide for these developing trends.