Unilever has agreed to sell its water purification business, Pureit, to A. O. Smith, a US-based water technology company. Pureit operates across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Mexico. Eduardo Campanella, president of Unilever Home Care, stated that the sale aligns with Unilever's strategy to focus on high-growth areas, in line with the company's Growth Action Plan. He expressed confidence that Pureit would "thrive further" under A. O. Smith's ownership. Kevin J. Wheeler, chairman and CEO of A. O. Smith, highlighted that the acquisition would strengthen Unilever's position in the premium water treatment market and double its reach in South Asia. He added: "The acquisition will also support our corporate strategy by enhancing our premium product portfolio and distribution capabilities". "Pureit’s culture of innovation, strong brand recognition and dedication to customer service will be an excellent addition to our premium brand positioning and broad product portfolio in the region. We look forward to welcoming the Pureit team to the A. O. Smith family.” The sale is subject to customary closing conditions. Unilever will continue to manage Pureit until the deal is finalised. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Top image: ©Unilever Pureit #Unilever #AOSmith #US

US food-tech company Voyage Foods has introduced its bean-free coffee to commercial customers in foodservice and food manufacturing channels. The bean-free brew, made from roasted chickpeas, rice hulls and green tea-derived caffeine, is over 40% cheaper than traditional coffee, "providing coffee manufacturers with price stability that results in significantly better margins," said the firm. Available in various caffeinated and decaffeinated formats – including roast and ground, liquid, liquid concentrate and instant – the bean-free coffee aims to address rising coffee prices driven by extreme weather conditions and climate change. Adam Maxwell, CEO and founder of Voyage Foods, said: "Given the current dynamics of the coffee market, food and beverage suppliers are uneasy about supply-chain volatility as well as fulfilling their triple bottom line of people, planet and profit". "There will always be a place for premium, fair-trade, single-origin coffee, and that's not our target – we intend to make the biggest possible impact, and we'll do that by supplying an eco-friendlier, ethically made alternative to commodity coffee." Top image: © Voyage Foods #VoyageFoods #US

Botrista, a company specialising in data-driven, automated beverage platforms, has closed a Series C funding round led by Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), bringing its total capital raised to $120 million. This investment underscores Botrista's expanding market presence and a shift in the restaurant industry's approach to cold beverages, driven by global demand for innovative flavours. Founded in 2017, Botrista has partnered with businesses in 37 states. Its platform allows restaurants to serve a variety of high-margin cold beverages – from boba drinks and refreshers to smoothies, shakes, cold brew coffees, lemonades, cocktails and energy drinks – all from a single machine. Botrista plans to use the capital to meet growing demand by investing in AI technology to create data-driven beverage menus for brand partners. Additionally, the company will allocate resources to R&D to expand its beverage offerings and seek out global suppliers of high-quality ingredients. Sean Hsu, CEO of Botrista, said: "JFC's support validates the vision for a more exciting beverage menu. This new funding will fuel our hyper-expansion into new markets and help more of our partners elevate their drink menu without increasing labour or complexity." Tony Tan Caktiong, JFC Chairman, commented: "Botrista is a game changer for the beverage industry. We're investing in a company that enables foodservice operators to deliver a world-class customer experience and provides substantial runway for sustained profitable growth." Jason Valentine, chief strategy officer for Botrista, added: "We currently serve partners across 37 states, including national restaurant chains, independent restaurants, college campuses, movie theatres, theme parks and other alternative venues. The timing of this fundraising perfectly aligns with the high demand from new partners and significant interest from growing restaurant brands on a global scale." Earlier this month, Jollibee Foods also announced the acquisition of Compose Coffee in a $340m deal. #Botrista

Nescafé has unveiled the latest addition to its Dessert Edition collection: the vanilla cookie dough latte. The new beverage blends Nescafé coffee with vanilla cookie dough flavour. Crafted with high-quality coffee, fresh milk and vanilla cookie dough flavouring, each serving is conveniently packaged in sachets for easy preparation. The latte contains 80 calories per mug when prepared with low-fat milk. It is suitable for vegetarians and is free from artificial flavours. It also complies with HFSS regulations. Replacing the chocolate caramel brownie mocha, the vanilla cookie dough latte joins the brand's existing sticky toffee pudding latte. Ingrid Hayes, marketing director of Nescafé Soluble Coffee at Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: "We are delighted to introduce the Vanilla Cookie Dough Latte as the newest addition to our Nescafé Dessert Edition collection". “We believe this new delicious coffee will captivate taste buds and provide a unique and satisfying experience. Get ready to indulge in the irresistible combination of coffee and dessert with the vanilla cookie dough latte." Last month, Nescafé teamed up with Aero Peppermint and Quality Street to launch two limited-edition frothy coffees: the Aero Peppermint Mocha and Quality Street Green Triangle Mocha. #Nescafé #Nestlé

Starbucks has appointed former PepsiCo chief strategy and transformation officer, Ricardo Arias-Nath, as its new senior vice president and president of its Latin America and Caribbean division. Arias-Nath oversees a region with over 1,600 stores across more than 20 markets. He succeeds Tom Ferguson, who held the role since August 2022 and had been with the company since 2005. Joining Starbucks last month, Arias-Nath brings over 25 years of experience in general management, strategy, marketing and business transformation across the consumer goods, media, distribution and technology sectors. Prior to joining the company, Aria-Nath held several leadership roles at PepsiCo, where he worked for nearly 16 years, including SVP and chief strategy and transformation officer of Latin America, VP of marketing and senior director of strategy, business development and M&A. In April, the Seattle-based coffee chain announced plans to expand into two new markets in the Latin America and Caribbean region by the end of the year: Ecuador and Honduras. Starbucks will open its first store in Ecuador this month, followed by its debut in Honduras later this year. #Starbucks #coffeechain

Brand of Brothers has announced the renewal of its licensing partnership with Britvic Soft Drinks for another decade. The agreement, managed by Ian Downes from Start Licensing, extends Brand of Brothers' collaboration on the sales, manufacturing and distribution of licensed frozen ice creams and lollies. The renewal will continue to align product development with HFSS regulations, covering popular Britvic brands such as R. White’s, Tango, Robinsons, Fruit Shoot and J2O. Carys Delve, marketing manager at Brand of Brothers, said: "We are thrilled to extend our long-standing partnership with Britvic and Start Licensing for another decade". She added: “Our collaboration has been incredibly successful, bringing the refreshing flavours of Britvic's beloved brands into new product categories. This renewal demonstrates our joined-up thinking and commitment to driving continued growth through strategic innovation that delights consumers and increasing sales and distribution in order to optimise brand visibility.” Munnawar Chishty, Britvic’s marketing director in GB, commented: “What better way to add more excitement to our iconic brands than through our licensing partnership with Brand of Brothers. From Fruit Shoot mini lollies to Tango iced lollies, this partnership allows us to bring more enjoyment to people across the nation and help them enjoy life’s everyday moments.” Downes added: “This perfect partnership has gone from strength to strength, and we are now looking forward to the future of these iconic brands within the frozen category”. The ice lolly ranges will continue to be available in major British retailers, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Iceland, Ocado and Nisa. Brand of Brothers also maintains a separate partnership with Britvic Ireland, with plans for the Club and MiWadi brands.

Worldline and Antenor have partnered to integrate a new contactless payment solution with Selfly Store's RFID-enabled vending machines. Selfly Store’s intelligent vending machines, found in hotels, offices and other venues, offer a digital, autonomous solution for providing meals and snacks. Available in three models – Selfly Ambient for room-temperature items, Selfly Fridge for refrigerated goods and Selfly Freezer for frozen products – the machines cater to various storage needs. The payment solution, developed by Antenor using Worldline’s full payment platform, includes unattended terminals, an omni-channel acceptance platform and an international acquiring solution. This set-up allows Selfly Store to deploy internationally with minimal effort and offers real-time reporting, improving transaction monitoring and revenue visibility. The collaboration aims to make grab-and-go shopping more convenient while providing businesses with a cost-effective system to increase revenue. By leveraging data-driven insights on sales patterns, inventory management and pricing strategies, merchants can optimise operations and boost profitability. For vending environments requiring a closed-loop payment system, the solution supports private cards linked to online wallets. Additionally, it features card tokenisation for loyalty programmes and blacklisting functionalities. Olcay Guldogan, CTO of Selfly Store, said: “At Selfly Store, we set a target to make smart vending solutions accessible to everyone, regardless of their preferred payment method. Worldline's omnichannel payment platform, with its enriched features and wide coverage, combined with Antenor's excellent dedication and competence, has helped us make a significant step towards this target. We are pleased to collaborate with top professionals like Worldline and Antenor to bring innovative solutions for merchants and consumers.” Eric Bohner, CEO of Antenor, commented: “Our mission at Antenor is to empower innovative companies like Selfly Store with the payment solutions they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Through our advanced payment solutions, we enable seamless transactions, elevate end-user experiences, and drive business efficiency for our clients. Worldline plays a pivotal role as an enabling partner in developing these groundbreaking solutions." Nicolas Dejonghe, head of vending and adjacent markets at Worldline, added: “We are honoured to partner with Antenor and Selfly Store. Smart fridges are an excellent concept to help operators boost their sales and improve kiosk ROI. They require specific payment features, such as additional authorisation for larger consumer baskets, to secure operator revenues. Worldline’s acceptance and acquiring full solution are a perfect fit to secure these payments across Europe.” #SelflyStore #Antenor #Worldline

Schaerer has unveiled its Twin Milk system as a new addition to its Schaerer Coffee Skye automated coffee machine. The new system allows for a wide variety of beverages with reduced staff workload. The Twin Milk system features a dual-container cooling unit for different milk types, including vegan alternatives, ensuring consistent foam for lattes, cappuccinos and more. The Pure Foam milk system delivers hot and cold milk and fine-pored foam from 50°C to 70°C. The milk system has a compact internal volume, minimising water usage for rinsing and cleaning. For manual frothing, Schaerer offers two steam wands: the automated 'Supersteam' and the manual 'Powersteam'. The 'Supersteam' steam wand automates beverage preparation by storing predefined temperatures and foam consistency. Users place a filled mug, touch the display to start frothing, and the process stops automatically when finished. Alternatively, the 'Powersteam' steam wand offers fully manual milk foaming capability. The Twin Milk System comes in two versions to suit different storage needs: one with two 4.5-litre containers as a side cooling unit and another with two 10-litre containers as an under-counter cooling unit. #Schaerer #CoffeeSkye

Nestlé has developed a new high-yielding Arabica coffee variety called Star 4 in an effort to strengthen its coffee supply chain amid the threat of climate change. With global coffee demand continuing to rise, recent climate change modelling suggests that land suitable for growing Arabica coffee could be reduced by over 50% by 2050. To mitigate the impact on coffee supplies, Nestlé has harnessed its agricultural sciences capabilities to breed the new variety. Selected in Brazil for its resilience, Star 4 also possesses the characteristic taste of Brazilian coffee. Jeroen Dijkman, head of Nestlé’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences, said: "We are proud to make another important step towards resilient coffee supply chains, ensuring that consumers can continue to enjoy great coffee in the future. The new variety is characterised by its larger bean size and coffee leaf rust resistance." Field trials have shown that Star 4's yields are substantially higher than the two most commonly used Brazilian local varieties, using similar inputs, which helps reduce its carbon footprint. Marcelo Burity, Nestlé's head of green coffee development, added that optimising cultivation practices remains vital, as they are the primary factor contributing to the environmental impact of a cup of coffee. The development of Star 4 aligns with Nestlé's Agriculture Framework, which promotes sustainable farming practices and responsible sourcing. The first plants were tested in the traditional coffee regions of São Paulo and Minas Gerais in Brazil, and Nestlé successfully registered the new Arabica variety in the country in partnership with the Brazilian foundation Procafé. In addition to Star 4, Nestlé has previously developed two Robusta varieties, Roubi 1 and 2, which are being rolled out in Mexico. The company's efforts to bolster its coffee supply chain come as the industry faces growing challenges from climate change, which threatens to disrupt production in major growing regions around the world. #Nestlé #coffee #newproduct

French coffee equipment manufacturer Santos has introduced a new addition to its product lineup with the launch of the I-Grind #67 coffee grinder. The I-Grind #67 is said to be the first grinder on the market to feature a brushless motor capable of an extensive range of speed adjustments. Designed for the speciality coffee sector, the grinder offers slow grinding to preserve coffee aromas. Key features include micrometric grinding adjustments, 63.5mm grinding discs and an integrated LCD display for easy customisation. The grinder operates silently and prevents coffee burning, maintaining dose regularity with its antistatic system. Aurélien Fouquet, president of Santos, said: “The launch of our new I-grind #67 is part of our will and our drive to renew and restyle our coffee range, and reflects the work we're doing hand in hand with barista experts to design the grinders of tomorrow”. #Santos #coffeegrinder

Coffee prices are set to rise even higher, according to Giuseppe Lavazza, chairman of Lavazza Group, due to a combination of economic pressures and supply chain challenges. "The costs of green coffee at source have doubled," Lavazza stated, attributing the spike to several key factors. Significant climate impacts have led to a decline in robusta production from Vietnam and Brazil, the world’s largest coffee exporters. Additionally, geopolitical crises, particularly the war in Ukraine, have driven up energy prices and disrupted shipping routes, notably through the Suez Canal. For UK consumers, this has meant the price of a 1kg bag of beans rising by 15% in a year, and Lavazza said this could increase by 20% to 25% over the coming year. In the US meanwhile, market speculation and the strong dollar, which increases the cost of coffee paid for in the currency, have further complicated the situation. "Every cent of variation means an additional $10 million in raw material costs for us," Lavazza noted during an event held on the sidelines of the Wimbledon tennis tournament on Tuesday, 9 July. These economic strains have led to a 3% contraction in the coffee market as consumers face reduced purchasing power. "Coffee prices are not going to go down, [they’re] going to stay very high,” Lavazza said in comments reported by the Financial Times. “The coffee supply chain is dramatically under pressure.” "We have faced very, very strong headwinds. I don't see any reason why coffee prices will go down," Lavazza predicted. Despite the challenging environment, Lavazza Group achieved its budget targets in 2023 and slightly increased its market share, both in volume and value terms. This was the result of the company's "affordable pricing strategy" to protect consumers, even as it absorbed part of the cost increase in its margins. The group's turnover reached €3.1 billion in 2023, with increases reported in all markets and solid growth in both the home and away from home channels. However, the company's EBITDA fell from €309 million in 2022 to €263 million, with the EBITDA margin declining from 11.4% to 8.6%. "The Group's strategy was to limit consumer price increases in an inflationary environment, protecting volumes and using its margins to absorb part of the cost increase," Lavazza said. #Lavazza #Coffee

Vivreau, a sustainable water solutions provider in North America, has launched its new Extra C-Tap water dispenser. The system features advanced micro-filtration technology, offering five water types including unchilled and chilled still, chilled semi-sparkling, sparkling and on-demand hot water. The Extra C-Tap addresses environmental concerns highlighted by a recent United Nations University report, which indicates that globally, about 600 billion plastic bottles are produced annually, contributing significantly to unrecycled plastic waste. In response, Vivreau's dispenser aims to reduce environmental impact, emitting 86% less CO2 compared to single-use plastic bottles and 64% less than traditional water coolers. It includes energy-saving features like boiler standby and night modes. Key features include ThermalGate, a disinfection tech heating to 257°F to prevent retrograde contamination and eliminate viruses and bacteria, and a stylish stainless-steel tap with a glass touch panel. Optional features and Easy to Access Panel that caters to accessibility needs, meeting ADA requirements. Tom Spillane, VP of technical excellence at Vivreau, said: "We’re thrilled to launch a cutting-edge product that builds upon the features of Vivreau’s best-selling Vi Tap Dispenser, making it our most versatile water dispenser to date. With its variety of options and state-of-the-art technology, the Extra C-Tap is an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water bottles, and will serve as a premium amenity for an optimal water sensory experience.” The Extra C-Tap will be available from 1 October 2024, replacing Vivreau’s Vi Tap dispensers by early 2025. #Vivreau #NorthAmerica