The French are beginning to change their consumption of "petit noir" and are gradually moving from industrial coffee to specialty coffee, in other words: from commodity coffee to local coffee.
Coffee has been in the news ever since climate change wreaked havoc in producing countries, resulting in skyrocketing global prices. After oil, coffee beans are the world's most traded commodity, with nine million tons produced. Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages after water.
France ranks only nineteenth among consumer countries, even though 80% of French people drink more than two cups a day (compared to four cups in Finland), which represents 5,4 kg of coffee per capita each year.
Victor Delpierre and his Barista – Salon Paris Coffee Shop
Little by little, our compatriots are becoming more aware of this local product and its ecosystem. Last September, the Paris Coffee Show was held, open primarily to professionals but also to the general public. Around a hundred exhibitors and roasters, including baristas like Victor Delpierre, were present.
(Coffee in Good Spirits world champion 2013) and some Meilleurs Ouvriers de France in roasting: Daniela Capuano (see portrait section), Anne Caron
or Laurent Baysse. In the aisles you could see as many experts as amateurs, all passionate about the product. Like Philippe Michel, who had just
launch its new digital media “Places du café” on Instagram and the web, dedicated to specialty coffee. Or the company Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean, launched by the
Belco, which sources and imports specialty coffees. The concept is to favor sailing as a means of transportation while guaranteeing superior quality.
coffee. This initiative ensures quality coffee while respecting the planet thanks to 90% carbon-free transport by sea, aboard a cargo ship.
A few months earlier, we met Pietro Mazzà, general manager of Lavazza France, at Chef Yannick Alléno's during the launch of a specialty blend,
under the 1895 Coffee Designers by Lavazza brand. The Yannick Alléno Signature blend was crafted from small batches selected from different parts of the world: Mundo Novo from Brazil, Castillo from Colombia with natural processing and double fermentation, and Red Catuai from Guatemala with natural fermentation. Each origin is individually roasted to enhance the character of its flavor profile. This blend offers a surprising taste experience, with notes of milk chocolate and honey, plums, and coffee flowers on the finish. Each product developed for the range represents the result of selection from small sustainable plantations by coffee experts, ensuring a consistent flavor profile. Each blend is composed of distinct coffee origins, individually roasted, then expertly blended to perfect the result in the cup.
From origins to transformation
To better understand the ecosystem surrounding coffee and learn to appreciate the product, Quæ Editions has just published “Café, la grande épopée,” a book written by Michel Barel and Christophe Montagnon. This work explores the world of coffee, from its origins to its transformation, reviewing the entire sector. The book covers the history of the coffee tree, its dissemination, its cultivation, and the different stages of processing coffee cherries. The authors also uncover the secret of coffee aromas revealed during the various stages of fermentation and roasting, right up to the preparation of the cup. Not to mention the techniques and equipment for preparing coffee according to countries and customs: “Turkish” coffee (to be left to stand), “Cona” coffee (infusion), filter coffee (percolation), espresso coffee (percolation with very fine grinding), etc.
A relatively recent history
Unlike other ancient crops, coffee plantations date back only a few centuries. The coffee tree, the plant from which the small red coffee cherry originates, comes from Ethiopia, from the Kaffa region. It was cultivated in Yemen from the late 50th century before being established throughout Arabia. Today, coffee plants, grown in high-altitude terroirs in more than 40 countries, offer a wide and rich range of varieties (bourbon, java, mocha, maragogype, etc.) where the coffee cherry is harvested manually, most often on small farms. The world's main producers are: Brazil (1669%), Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Uganda, Mexico, and Peru. In France, coffee made its official debut in 1671. The Turkish ambassador offered it to the court of King Louis XIV for a grand reception. The nobles and the wealthy bourgeoisie appreciated its taste qualities and then its consumption spread throughout society thanks to the appearance of coffee shops. We owe the opening of the first coffee shop in France to an Armenian, Pascal Haroukian, in Marseille (1672) and in Paris (XNUMX).
Market change
What's the difference between industrial coffee and local coffee? The Collectif Café, created in 1959—then called the Comité français du café—is the leading specialty coffee federation in France. This organization, committed to promoting the industry, also aims to provide information on all aspects of the product, starting with its origins. Today, the market is undergoing a transformation, with demand growing exponentially. Overall production has increased by 60% since the 1990s, and demand is set to continue rising. David Serruys, president of the Collectif Café and head of Proqua coffees, founded the Paris Coffee Show in 2019 to unite the industry at this event, support its stakeholders, and also introduce the general public to the artisans who offer specialty coffee, which he more readily calls “local coffee.” The taste of high-quality coffee reflects the richness and diversity of the terroirs, the expertise required at every stage: selection of varieties, harvesting, fermentation, and drying methods, sorting, batch composition and protection, and roasting for optimal quality. In contrast, "commodity" or "industrial" coffee aims for high-volume production at low prices. "While a cup of industrial coffee costs 10 cents, a cup of quality coffee costs only four cents more," explains David Serruys. "Yet 90% of French people still buy coffee from the industrial sector in the mass retail network."
Coffee artisans
Fortunately, things are starting to move in the right direction. Over the past ten years, the market share of whole bean coffee has been growing significantly, reaching more than a quarter of sales. Independent, local, and artisanal roasting represents 5% of sales and has been increasing by 15% per year since 2020. “Moreover, the vocabulary has evolved,” notes the president of Collectif Café, “to the extent that we no longer speak of “roasting houses” but of “roasters.”
The other major change observed since 2010 is the proliferation of Coffee Shops: one is now opening every week in France, and 85% of them are independent. Initially launched as concept stores offering specialty coffee and a variety of products for a young clientele, coffee shops have become places for experiences and meetings around coffee that appeal to all generations. Instead of quickly gulping down a “little black coffee” at the counter, you learn to taste this beverage and select it carefully. “Unlike a processed industrial product,” concludes David Serruys, “coffee is a gift of nature and flourishes thanks to the care provided by man.”
Carine Loeillet
