Nearly five years since the first Starbucks location unionised, contract negotiations are still dragging on. Can external pressure from shareholders and human-rights campaigners make a difference?
For paid subscribers: retail coffee prices have soared in recent years, driven by climbing commodity costs and tariff stupidity. Some of those pressures have now started to ease, and yet retail prices continue to rise. Will they ever come down?
Happy new year! It’s 2024, but before we dive back into the weekly news grind, why not relive the highs and lows of 2023 with a long, hopefully pretty exhaustive rundown of the last year in coffee.
There’s a lot in there, from all the Starbucks union stuff to loads of acquisitions to more climate instability. Plus, was coffee good for us last year? (Answer: mostly! Sortof! Hard to say! Health studies are weird!)
I’m taking an extra week off so no full article this weekend, but look out for a 2024 update/State of the Pourover newsletter on Friday.
Finally, thanks for reading the Pourover over the last year! I’m excited for what 2024 will bring (kicking off with a couple of big pieces over the next month or so).
I'm a coffee writer and creator of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry. Ask me about coffeewashing. It's pronounced Fin (he/him)