Tasting notes are simultaneously marketing copy to encourage sales, a promise to the consumer and a translation of a sensory experience into a narrative.

Good tasting notes typically combine factual information, accurate descriptors combined and evocative descriptions.

You can download the latest version of the Coffee Tasting Sheet at https://unitedbaristas.com/coffee-tasting/#assessment-sheet

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Coffee tasting notes are broken because the SCA’s Flavour Wheel is incoherent. We need a new framework that’s accurate, intuitive and grounded in how people actually perceive flavour.

Tasting notes should help coffee drinkers identify beans and brews they like.

Unfortunately, flavour descriptions often confuse consumers more than they help. Poor quality tasting notes give the impression that tasting coffee is difficult, subjective or even a hoax. This is an unpardonable position for an industry that defines itself on the basis of flavour.

United Baristas wants to kickstart a community-wide conversation on how we can better communicate coffee’s distinctive flavours. Better tasting notes are fundamental for the industry’s viable future. More accurate communication can empower consumers and support specialty coffee’s price premium.

This is the first in a series of three articles equipping baristas to write better tasting notes. Explore more at https://unitedbaristas.com/article-series/coffee-tasting-framework/

Plus start using the coffee tasting tools at https://unitedbaristas.com/coffee-tasting/

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In the final article of this mini-series we share reflections from people that have scaled specialty coffee chains, plus add some ideas of our own.

View the full mini-series at https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/series/specialty-coffee-chains/

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The profitability chasm starts when headquarters’ costs become greater than the profit generated by the shops. Many operators experience the edge of the chasm at three or four sites.

This audio article is part of a mini-series exploring why specialty coffee chains fail. View the fill series: https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/series/specialty-coffee-chains/

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In a new mini-series exploring why specialty chains keep failing, we start by identifying the hurdles that must be surmounted when expanding from one shop to two.

View the full mini-series at

https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/series/specialty-coffee-chains/

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Science, industry research and carbon calculators agree that coffee production is a key cause of coffee’s carbon footprint. However, the carbon footprint of green coffee production varies depending on the specific farming and production methods. Some studies calculate emissions to be as low as 0.5 Kg per kilogram of green coffee at milling. Other researchers estimate the carbon footprint of green coffee to be as high as 12 Kg per kilogram.

With such a large range, how can coffee businesses identify an accurate figure to estimate their carbon footprint?

This article explains that there is currently no good way to pick a figure. Plus, the carbon models require updating, so any figure you choose is likely to be wrong. At present the uncertainty is so great that, for most coffee businesses, calculating your green's carbon footprint is a fool’s errand.

There are, however, a number of workarounds. We explain where the science is at, what scientists are current doing to improve the accuracy of carbon calculators and how you can start cutting your carbon footprint now.

This article was originally published on United Baristas. You can read the full article and view the references at https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/insights/green-coffee-carbon-calculators-are-wildly-inaccurate/

And how are you cutting your coffee's footprint? There's many things you can do from crop to cup. Feel free to drop us a line and tell us what you're doing, United Baristas is on all the usual channels.

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In the latest United Baristas managing people and building teams newsletter we look at the skills required to help the people on your team progress from the shop floor to taking on management responsibility – whether that's better managing themselves on the job, or beginning to manage their colleagues, a project or even a business unit.

These four steps are based on Zarvana's Critical Thinking Roadmap

https://www.zarvana.com/how-to-building-your-teams-critical-thinking-skills/

If you found these tips useful, make sure you subscribe to our managing people and building teams newsletter. Every other month you'll get a tip specifically for coffee people whose job it is to manage other coffee people.  

https://unitedbaristas.com/newsletters/

Finally, we'll be exploring topics like this at Total Coffee 2023, a new talks programme at Caffè Culture curated by United Baristas. Find out more and get your free ticket at https://unitedbaristas.com/events/total-coffee/

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Today we announce the first sessions of our new talks programme, Total Coffee. 

We’re bringing together a range of practitioners, experts and industry leaders to empower coffee people.

Join us at any of the dozen sessions taking place at Cafè Culture this October for powerful insights plus actionable ideas.

You can find out more about Total Coffee and register:

• unitedbaristas.com/events/total-coffee

• caffecultureshow.com

We look forward to seeing you at Total Coffee. 

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When workplace disagreements arise, it's tempting to smooth things over or rush to compromise. But strong opinions – when harnessed – can lead to better decision-making. Plus, disagreements are a sign that people care.

This audio article is from our latest Managing People & Building Teams newsletter, especially for coffee people who manage other coffee people. Subscribe and get a tip every other month at unitedbaristas.com/newsletters/managing-people-building-teams.

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In the first managing people and building teams for 2023, we explore how company culture is a practical tool that explains what gets prioritised, how things get done and what the rewards and penalties are.

Many owners and managers have attempted to delegate the creation and maintenance of their company culture to shop managers or HR. We explain why this approach isn't working – and what you can do about it.

Subscribers get more information and resources to help them build their company culture in 2023. Subscribe at https://unitedbaristas.com/newsletters/managing-people-building-teams/

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You can offset a tonne of carbon dioxide more easily than buying a bag of coffee. Offsetting websites are online shops, it costs just £9 to offset a tonne of CO2e. 

In this episode we explore why offsetting is fraught with challenge and absolutely not a substitute for carbon reduction.

You can read the original article, and view the relevant references, at unitedbaristas.com/articles/think-pieces/offsetting-is-for-wimps

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We start a new series by explaining how coffee’s scale, reach and connections enable us to play an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The new series explores how we can make specialty coffee more sustainable.

You can read the original article on United Baristas https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/insights/how-can-we-make-specialty-coffee-more-sustainable/

and if you would like to view the video of Hans Rosling explaining the correlation between human health and income click here.

What’s your experience of sustainability? Let United Baristas know, we’re on all the usual channels. 

And if you found this information useful, make sure you share it with someone else who will benefit too.

You can find more resources for baristas and coffee businesses on unitedbaristas.com.

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The Brexit debate was hotter than a steam boiler. Now, six years after the referendum, the conversation has cooled. And, like when cupping coffee, that makes it easier to grade. United Baristas explores what Brexit has served up to the coffee community.

We’ve spoken with dozens of people including importers, business owners, baristas and brokers. There was a range of political opinion, but when it comes to the impacts and repercussions there was much in common.

You can read the full article at https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/insights/opportunities-and-challenges-for-coffee-after-brexit/ and do let us know your experience of Brexit.

And if you found this information useful, make sure you share it with someone else who will benefit too.

You can find more resources for baristas and coffee businesses at https://unitedbaristas.com.

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United Baristas explores why increasing coffee cup prices is necessary with current rising costs. And explains how to successfully implement a price rise in your coffee shop.

We refer to several previous articles in this audio article. You can read them on United Baristas:

• One Size Doesn’t Fit All - on segmenting coffee businesses by size and focus
• Insights from the Iron Triangle - exploring why coffee shops can only pick two of fast, quality and cheap

United Baristas also explained to baristas earlier in the year that they should support price increases. You can read the article here and find the original audio article in our feed.

There are more articles on pricing as part of our Coffee Shop Viability series.

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United Baristas starts a new series exploring the carbon footprint of coffee businesses. We want to equip the industry to reduce its impacts and build a more sustainable future.

Many of the coffee businesses in our community are retail coffee businesses, such as coffee shops, coffee bars and cafés. You can read more about how we define and segment these businesses in our recent article One Size Doesn’t Fit All.

We need to work these things out if we’re going to play our role in tackling climate change, protecting the future of the coffee industry and building viable and sustainable businesses. This series is to help the industry get started. Join us to follow the journey to learn what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, and please do share your ideas, research and progress with us. We’ll help disseminate information to a broader audience. Individually we might be small, but United Baristas believes together we can achieve great things.

You read the original version of this article at Here's how coffee businesses can tackle climate change.

Plus sign up to our newsletter at Coffee’s Carbon Footprint newsletter.

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We’ve introduced a completely new version of the Coffee Events Calendar to United Baristas. It’s now easier to find the events you want to attend, more straightforward to add your coffee event and much better looking. Here’s the upcoming events.

Basic event listings on the Coffee Events Calendar are free thanks to the support of Midnight Oil. You can discover a variety of drink recipes or create your own.

There are so many great events happing across the coffee community and the team at United Baristas is enjoying seeing so many of you face-to-face again. We hope to meet you at events this year. You can find events you want to attend on the Coffee Events Calendar.

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We have updated the payment escrow service on United Baristas Market to Trustshare.

You can learn more about Trustshare on their website and learn more about buying and selling safely on United Baristas Market.

We are delighted that so many coffee people and businesses find United Baristas Market useful and want to thank you for being a part of our journey.

Make sure you update your existing listings to make the most of these new functions. And we look forward to helping more people buy and sell anything, coffee related.

View the latest items for sale.

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In recent months we’ve made many improvements to United Baristas Market. As phase I comes to an end, here’s what you need to know.

You can read more about phase I updates to United Baristas Market on United Baristas News and get information on specific changes to our services on United Baristas Updates.

Baristas and coffee businesses use United Baristas Market to buy and sell new, used and refurbished coffee equipment, businesses, coffee, merchandise – in fact anything coffee related! You can view the latest items for sale https://market.unitedbaristas.com/list/market/

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