A decade ago, even just a few years ago in many cities, it was hard to know where to go to find a wonderful cup of coffee. It was difficult, sleuthing work, cobbled together by rumour, visual cues and, most reliably, word of mouth — a recommendation from someone who had worked in a great coffee shop, or who had seen a talented barista perform at a coffee competition and could vouch for their passion and quality.
It’s thrilling for those who love coffee to see how quickly the retail landscape has grown. The coffee-shop explosion, from St Louis to Seoul, is part of a greater public consciousness about the connections between better-tasting coffee and more environmentally and financially sustainable practices at the coffee’s source — paying farmers better money to grow better coffee in better conditions and to treat it with care throughout the distribution chain.
Even as climate shifts and diseases threaten arabica coffee crops in Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia and Colombia — which between them produce 65 per cent of the global market share of arabica — passionate producers and connoisseurs worldwide continue to be committed to growing the plant.