Tag: salada

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Instant coffee with light roast and layered tones

Los Angeles based Waka Coffee spotted a trend that youngsters just want coffee as fast as their wi-fi. Most coffee companies are either focusing on sourcing bean that cater to the luxury or the thrift. Few new brands aim to satisfy the instant market, after all didn’t Starbucks educate the world on Italian style brewed coffee.

Waka however is a leading newcomers in the instant coffee category. This month, they are announcing the addition of Indian instant coffee to its offerings. The new Indian instant coffee comes in a single-serve and a 3.5 oz bag.

“The new product is a light roast, low acidity coffee, with a pleasant, dry finish and notes of chocolate and hazelnut,”  said Waka.

Waka Coffee launches a new, quality instant coffee product online. Indian instant coffee in single-serve packets and a resealable bag.
Waka Coffee launches a new, quality instant coffee product online. Indian instant coffee in single-serve packets and a resealable bag.

Unlike traditional instant coffee brands, Waka’s instant coffees are made from 100% Arabica beans, which are commonly used in coffee shops, to provide the best taste, at least they say.

David Kovalevski, the Founder & CEO of Waka Coffee, came up with the idea for the instant coffee company while living in New York City, juggling a hectic schedule as a full-time undergraduate student with a full-time job. David relied on coffee to fuel his daily routine. However, he quickly discovered that frequenting coffee shops and making coffee in a cramped NYC kitchen was complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. “I grew up in Israel, where instant coffee is much more common, and hoped to find a good instant coffee brand that would accommodate my needs. I wanted a simpler, easy-to-make coffee solution that was delicious no matter where I made it,” says David.

Founded in 2018, Waka Coffee is a direct to consumer coffee brand on a mission to bring the instant back.

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Boiler accident cease local coffee production at Salada

An accident in the boiler room at instant coffee processor Salada Foods Limited led to a $23 million net loss for the December quarter 2018 and the halt of production.

The good thing is that enough branded Mountain Peak instant coffee was in the trade and still available for purchase.

The decline arose last October from an accident in the broiler room wherein both boilers were damaged and had to be taken offline. The main boiler only came back online at the end of November arising from repair delays, said Salada which manufactures instant coffee and ground coffee beans at its registered office on 20 Bell Road in Kingston.

“While it was down there was no production of coffee however there was sufficient finished goods inventory at Lasco and Salada’s overseas distributors to satisfy market needs,”said Salada in its interim report. Since February 2017, the company outsourced its distribution to Lasco Distributors.

Full production resumed last December, and it is now normalizing inventory levels with its distribution partners and expects by the end of the second quarter to get back on track with its financial results. Revenues amounted to $172 million for three months to December 2018 from $228 million in the corresponding period in 2017.

For the year ended September 30, 2018, the company led by General Manager Dianna Blake-Bennett grew its annual sales to $1 billion an increase of 19 per cent, up from $872,000 in the comparative year.

Improved exports and domestic sales were the keys to unlock much of the sales gains. Profits were buoyed by a strong sales performance, with Salada growing its domestic sales by 16.7 per cent, and improving its export sales in Canada and Barbados by 440 per cent and 220 per cent respectively.

 

Afternoon cup of joe

 

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Buy Jamaica coffee during shortage like salada

A local coffee brand SALADA Foods Jamaica Limited found out the hard way where to buy lots of Jamaica coffee during a nationwide coffee shortage.The problem was that they bought too much coffee at high prices equivalent to half of its annual sales.Prices have now stabilised and some dealers actually think it will dip in a year

The company said on Friday that its huge J$400 millon (us$3m) build up of inventory a year ago still stands at $309 million as at March 2016.The company complained about coffee prices last year but bought lots of it regardless. The company underwent a change of management in recent years.salada made J$15.5 m net proft on $159 m in revenues or 45 per cent lower profit year on year.

The price increases arguably slashed its sales by one-quarter, year on year.Coffee farmers are demanding more per box due to the impact of currency depreciation on farm costs, and also the cost to protect the coffee against disease and theft. Three years ago processors paid roughly $3,000 for a box of coffee cherry to farmers. Now farmers get $11,000 a box.Salada faced with increased local coffee competition in both the instant and brewed markets will launch new instant coffee products this year. 

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Salada Coffee complains of JBM prices

A respected local coffee brand SALADA Foods Jamaica Limited complained of Jamaica coffee price increases.

The increases slashed its gross margins by more than one-quarter, the company stated. It’s the latest processor to complain about the over 30 per cent price hike in one year, and 250 per cent hike over two years, towards $11,000 per box of coffee cherry. However the price rise is due to a severe supply shortage based on drought, disease, farm decay and now fire. Concurrently, large overseas buyers are demanding more coffee from Jamaica. On the micro-level farmers are demanding more per box due to the impact of currency depreciation on farm costs, and also the cost to protect the coffee against disease and theft. Two years ago processors paid roughly $3,000 for a box of coffee cherry to farmers.

“Profits continue to be adversely affected by the increases in price of coffee beans realised in the first quarter and the performance of its subsidiaries Mountain Peak Food Processors Ltd and Pimora Company Ltd,” stated Salada in a notice prefacing the financials signed jointly by Chairman Patrick Williams and Director Aubyn Hill. “The gross margin for the six months was 27.5 per cent, a reduction of 27 per cent when compared with the same period in the prior year. This resulted from the higher cost of coffee bean now being processed.”

Salada made $37-million profit before tax in the March quarter 2015 on $220 million in revenues, or 184 per cent higher profit year-on-year.

Just this week, large coffee processor Mavis Bank Coffee Factory Ltd makers of Jablum indicated that fire damaged at least $200 million worth of farms thus far. Last week US-based Marley Coffee cautioned its investors that the supply shortage of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee could affect its sales going forward.

In recent times, Salada has faced increased local coffee competition in both the instant and brewed markets. Salada in its previous quarter hinted that it would seek to launch new coffee products this year. However, its latest March financials failed to add information on product development.

Last year, large coffee company Mavis Bank Coffee Factory Ltd launched True Brew, an instant coffee. It also launched Jablum Caribbean Blend, a mixture of beans from Jamaica and the Caribbean. In 2012, it also launched a high-end product called Jablum Gold.

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Salada brewing new products

Salada Foods, a large coffee maker in Jamaica plans to launch new coffee products this year, according to its annual report.

The move comes within the context of increased rival coffee competition in both the instant and brewed segments.

“We strongly believe that creating new value for our customers is imperative to the success of the company, and with this in mind, in the upcoming year Salada will re-energise and revitalise our coffee category, providing our customers with new and improved products in the market space during the year,” stated the then Acting Managing Director Keshia Nelson-Brown in a statement accompanying the annual report 2014.

The annual report avoided disclosing additional information on the products. In late December, Salada advised that Jerome Miles would “replace” Nelson-Brown and commence work on January 5, 2015 as general manager.

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Salada Foods, a large coffee maker in Jamaica plans to launch new coffee products this year, according to its annual report.

The move comes within the context of increased rival coffee competition in both the instant and brewed segments.

“We strongly believe that creating new value for our customers is imperative to the success of the company, and with this in mind, in the upcoming year Salada will re-energise and revitalise our coffee category, providing our customers with new and improved products in the market space during the year,” stated the then Acting Managing Director Keshia Nelson-Brown in a statement accompanying the annual report 2014.

The annual report avoided disclosing additional information on the products. In late December, Salada advised that Jerome Miles would “replace” Nelson-Brown and commence work on January 5, 2015 as general manager.