The coffee scene in Dubai is thriving, and the city is set to welcome the Specialty Coffee Association’s World of Coffee event next month. But underneath the glitzy facade and marketing buzz lies a moral quagmire.
The co-founder of the chain Biggby Coffee talks about building a successful company with hundreds of franchised locations, only to switch to a new way of doing business—one that prioritises more than just growth and profit.
A website and newsletter about coffee—its culture, politics, and how it connects to the wider world.
Coffee is at once an unassuming beverage enjoyed by tens of millions every morning, and a complex and often murky industry that spans the globe.
As a beverage, coffee offers a moment of clarity or a caffeine boost to start the day. As a crop, it provides a livelihood for millions of farmers, labourers, roasters, and baristas from Ethiopia to Hong Kong.
But despite the sunny claims of marketers and influencers, inequity and wealth disparities cloud this multi-billion-dollar industry—and, as the climate crisis takes hold, the very future of coffee is at risk.
A website and weekly newsletter written by Fionn Pooler, a decade-plus veteran of the industry, The Pourover delves deep into coffee's history, culture, and politics (and occasionally yells at corporations).
Subscribers will receive an original long-form article every other Friday that delves into a different topic related to coffee. Relying on expert interviews and critical analysis, these pieces explore how coffee, and the people and companies who grow, ship, roast, and sell it, connect to the wider world.
There’s also the weekly Coffee News Roundup, and although it’s now hosted exclusively on Fresh Cup Magazine subscribers will still receive a summary of the week’s coffee news every Monday.
I am a freelance writer based in Scotland, focusing mainly on the coffee industry. I have written for publications such as Sprudge, Daily Coffee News, STiR Coffee & Tea, and Fresh Cup Magazine. For Fresh Cup, I write the weekly news roundup The Filter.
As well as writing about coffee, I have over a decade of experience working in the industry, as a barista, roaster, and marketer.
Feel free to reach out with any feedback, comments, tips, or collaboration inquiries: thepouroverblog [at] gmail [dot] com
A newsletter about coffee—its culture, politics, and how it connects to the wider world.
