Dear Coffee Lovers,
the last three days in Berlin sent a clear signal at the Allegra ECS+COHO: Europe’s coffee industry is waking up with more energy, clarity, and ambition than it has had in years.
What unfolded across the halls, meeting rooms, brand experiences, and summit stages was far more than just another industry gathering. It felt like a collective reset - a moment where leaders aligned on what the next decade of coffee in Europe should look like.
During the Business Insights Summit, my keynote and the panel afterwards built on this momentum: Coffee 2025+ is moving toward higher value, stronger consistency, smarter technology, and clearer strategy. The winners will be those who combine quality, data, and experience into one coherent system.
Emerging Key Messages for the Future of Coffee in Europe:
- Premiumization continues - but evolves
Premium is no longer only defined by micro-roasters or limited editions.
It now means:
• higher consistency
• better storytelling
• transparency from farm to cup
• elevated consumer experience
- Technology and data become the backbone
Automation is working where human can´t do like cloud recipes, AI-driven extraction, data-led quality control. These are no longer “nice to have.” They are the new competitive baseline. Use it to deliver service!
- Sustainability shifts from marketing to compliance & economics
EUDR, waste reduction, energy efficiency. Sustainability is becoming a hard business requirement, not just a brand value.
- Out-of-home enters a reinvention phase
Cafés, bakeries, C-stores, QSRs - all are on the way rebuilding their coffee strategy. This creates huge opportunities for suppliers that truly understand operational pain points.
- Europe wants leadership - not noise
This was the strongest sentiment across posts and conversations: The market is in a way tired of hype. It wants clarity, guidance, and grounded vision. Less volume, more value and impact.
And running through it all was a sense of optimism. The feeling that despite cost pressure, regulatory headwinds, and global uncertainty, our industry is moving forward with purpose and with our coffee people. Berlin proved to be the right stage at the right time: international, honest, ambitious. Exactly what our sector needs as it enters a new cycle.
Once again, Allegra ECS+COHO proved that coffee is not standing still – it’s evolving faster than ever. Thank you to everyone I met as well to all who are shaping what’s next for our industry.
