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64 Tea & Coffee Trade Journal | www.teaandcoffee.net Woods Coffee Opens New Roastery bellingham, wash. – Woods Coffee opened a public coffee roasting experi- ence on March 28 th at its Lakeway Drive location in Bellingham. The new Woods Coffee Roastery will be an extension of its existing coffee shop at 813 Lakeway Drive, offering a firsthand experience of the coffee roasting process, a coffee brew bar, and specialty coffee drinks not offered at other Woods locations. "Our new roastery will offer guests a unique coffee experience," said Wes Herman, Woods Coffee owner. "It's a slower atmosphere, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy inno- vative cof- fee offerings while learning firsthand about the roasting process." With this move, Woods will relocate a majority of its coffee roasting from Lynden to Bellingham. Woods will begin roasting on the company's 35-kilo Loring Smart Roast roaster. Loring uses a pro- prietary closed-loop roasting process that eliminates the need for an afterburner, producing a cleaner, brighter cup of cof- fee. With no need for an afterburner, Loring roasters reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent compared to other roasting manufacturers. Woods is also introducing stream- lined production practices at its new roastery. The company created custom bag-lifting equipment and handling pro- cesses, as well as a sophisticated cold brew production system, made of large stainless steel tanks, which will produce all of the popular cold brew coffee enjoyed at its 17 Pacific Northwest locations. Mitsubishi Corp. Donates to the Forester Families Program bogotá, colombia – During a meet- ing with Roberto Vélez, CEO of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), the Japanese company Mitsubishi Corporation donated USD $100,000 to the Forester Families Program. Launched in 2008, the program is a joint initia- tive of the FNC, the government of Colombia, local authorities, and other actors including Mitsubishi. The 'Forester Families Program' ben- efits 2,880 small-holder coffee producers throughout the departments of Nariño, Huila, Cauca, Tolima, Magdalena, La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Boyacá and Santander. It provides trainings and skills development to small-holder coffee growers, improving their post-harvesting procedures and infrastructure while pre- serving the environment. In July 2008, Mitsubishi signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Colombia and the FNC. The company agreed to support coffee growers from the department of Norte de Santander for a period of ten years with production infrastructure and environ- mental protection training. In May 2015, Mitsubishi agreed to buy 550 high quality, 70-kilo coffee bags (equivalent to three million cups) from 288 Norte de Santander coffee growers. This was considered a milestone given that Japan had traditionally been known for importing combined coffee. Mitsubishi has committed to con- tinue supporting Colombian small-hold- er coffee producers together with the Colombian Government, the FNC and other relevant actors. This will contribute to efforts to alleviate poverty, reduce illicit crop dependence, and foster development. Jane Austen Tea Series Unveils New Packaging Design minneapolis, minn. – Tea purveyor Bingley's Teas has unveiled a new pack- aging design for its giftable, cult-favorite line of teas celebrating the Jane Austen universe. Bingley's Jane Austen Tea Series offers 17 different blends, each inspired by personality traits of Austen's characters. From single-leaf teas to combinations that unite oolong, black, green and white teas with fruits and flavors to caffeine-free herbal recipes, the Jane Austen Tea Series offers a choice for all. The new packaging is designed to replicate the tactile expe- rience of opening a book, with parch- ment-like paper and a working cover that lifts to reveal loose-leaf tea inside. Each is unique, with originally commissioned artwork depicting each tea's namesake character. The inside includes extra touches like a steeping guide to bring clarity and guidance to drinkers new to loose-leaf tea, and room for up to 15 percent more leaves. A custom-designed Jane Austen Tea Series ribbon, meant to be repur- posed as a bookmark, brings the whole package together. Bingley's Teas is the passion project of Jane Austen Society of North America member and certified tea specialist Julia Matson. "Tea is vital to the world of Jane Austen, essential in daily life and critical to social standing," said Matson. "The Jane Austen line is about connecting friends to Austen characters, weaving the tea experience through the suspended reality that we share while reading our favorite stories—when you're reading that book, you want to be drinking this tea." To learn more about Bingley's Teas, including the Jane Austen Tea Series, visit www.BingleysTeas.com. Alpha Dominche Launches Steampunk Machine in Kusmi Store paris, france – The latest teashop to stock its counter with the coffee and tea-brewing machine producer Alpha Dominche's Steampunk is the Kusmi Tea's new shop in Galeries Lafayette's flagship location on Boulevard Haussman in Paris. "We are excited to announce the launch of our machine in the new Kusmi Tea flagship store and are proud to be working with one of the highest regard- ed tea brands in the world," said Alpha Dominche CEO Thomas Perez. "This is an important milestone for our young compa- ny as we position the Steampunk brewer as the next big thing in commercial tea brewing on a global level." The Kusmi teashop opened its doors last month and houses France's first Steampunk. Parisian tea lovers can experience Alpha Dominche's 64 Tea & Coffee Trade Journal | www.teaandcoffee.net company news