THE NEW OFFICE OF RANCILIO GROUP DEUTSCHLAND

COFFEEING THE WORLD:AROUND THE WORLD WITH COFFEE FESTIVALS

PERFORMING ESPRESSO:A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH MICROSOFT

RANCILIO GROUP MAGAZINE AUGUST 2017 - ENGLISH

COVER STORY Rancilio Group Deutschland: From weikersheim to frankfurt for a wider-reaching,more incisive presence.

COFFEEING THE WORLD Rancilio Group Deutschland heads to Hamburg for INTERNORGAThe Extraction Lab on show at the coffee festivalsEspresso scales the academic heightsInauguration of the Baristo Coffee University of SofiaThe ultimate coffee challenge at the Trismoka ChallengePizza and coffee, stars of the UK showIt’s off to Vietnam for FOOD&HOTELCoffee training and analysis in seattle

PERFORMING ESPRESSO Innovative synergies between Microsoft and Rancilio GroupInside coffee: the chemistry of the bean

THINK SOCIAL Buffalo and Fairleigh Dickinson University in-house8 March celebrating international Women’s DayRancilio Group and Treedom reforest three areas in Africa

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“In the morning, black coffee smells like the sky of the late-night.”Fabrizio Caramagna

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Founded in 2002 in Weikersheim as the Germany-based subsidiary of the Swiss brand Egro, Rancilio Group Deutschland has also been handling sales of the Rancilio range in both Germany and Austria ever since 2008. The main goal of the subsidiary is to make the approach to our equipment simple and effective. The new offices in Neu-Isenburg located close to the international airport of Frankfurt am Main, one of the world’s busiest hubs, opened in February. Home to a team of technical experts and professionals with precisely targeted action

plans covering different business scenarios, this can only mean that the full range of products will be marketed with a top-quality service and in total safety. This will in turn ensure that the Rancilio and Egro brands continue to expand and maintain their hallmarks of efficiency, quality and professional standards. In order to keep riding the wave of innovation, anticipate the needs of users and spread the culture of coffee ever wider, what is needed is the ongoing commitment of those people who can make the difference, individuals who can bring

COVER STORY

RANCILIO GROUP DEUTSCHLAND: FROM WEIKERSHEIM TO FRANKFURT FOR A WIDER-REACHING, MORE INCISIVE PRESENCE

their specialist skills and know-how to bear to maximise the performance of the whole team. For Rancilio Group, being close to customers and understanding their problems, a complete product range of unquestioned excellence, a first rate professional service and proven reliability are the keynotes for long-lasting success in both the present and future.We are delighted to present Patrice Wiedemann, appointed a few months ago as the new General Manager of Rancilio Group Deutschland, with nearly ten

years of experience in the coffee industry behind him, the last four years as National Key Account Manager at the German subsidiary of Lavazza and before that at Tchibo Coffee Service.

How did you feel about taking on the management of the German subsidiary?

PW: A new business challenge with great opportunities to growth and make known what Rancilio and Egro are

From left to right: Andrea Mascetti (Commercial Director at Rancilio Group), Christoph Ratajczak (Key Account Manager at Rancilio Group Deutschland), Simona Sordelli (Head of Marketing & Communication at Rancilio Group), Noemy Tolar (Head of Backoffice at Rancilio Group Deutschland), Roberta Papini (Consultant at Rancilio Group Deutschland), Alisa Lang (Leiterin Innendienst / Marketing at Rancilio Group Deutschland), Patrice Wiedemann (General Director at Rancilio Group Deutschland) and Giorgio Rancilio (President & CEO at Rancilio Group).

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COVER STORY

In the middle Giorgio Rancilio (President & CEO at Rancilio Group) and on the right Andrea Mascetti (Commercial Director at Rancilio Group) during the opening in Frankfurt.

able to offer. A change that stimulates the mind and helps to explore new environments. For sure it will lead to several benefits not only to specific attitudes but to the entire cultural baggage of each one. As result, the working atmosphere will necessary take advantages.

What projects will you be working on in the coming months?

PW: The aim is to increase the brand awareness of Rancilio and Egro inside the German market thanks to a concrete and tangible approach with our clients always focused on customer satisfaction and experience optimization. The opening of the new office in Frankfurt has been the key goal of a growth path since the first day

of its functioning. The experience of the working space has become extremely functional to give a new shape to project work. A challenging and welcoming place where skills and relationships are intertwined. A choice of renovation that fits in an important route signed by Rancilio Group for a more pronounced presence into a market with an extremely strategical role as the German one.

What will change or has already changed with your arrival?

PW: The real cornerstone of uniqueness and competitive advantage will be our people and their personal skills. A new team that comes from different

On the top: great enthusiasm from our partners during the opening of the new office in Frankfurt. On the bottom: a picture of the showroom of Rancilio Group Deutschland bron with the aim to welcome Rancilio and Egro product ranges.

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COVER STORY

From left to right: Giorgio Rancilio (Presidente & CEO at Rancilio Group), Roberta Papini (Consultant at Rancilio Group Deutschland) and Patrice Wiedemann (General Director at Rancilio Group Deutschland) with his wife.

but complementary experiences and backgrounds. Satisfied employees, active and involved, in a perfect sync with the company’s strategies, who bring value to the business. There is no doubt that with the right level of engagement, qualification and organisational analysis, the human capital will contribute in a decisive manner to increase our competitiveness in Germany and abroad.

Finally, would you like to add any personal thoughts?

PW: Work is the place where most of people spend

On the side. From left to right: Murat Güzel and Suat Güzel of MJ Kaffeemaschinen, Andrea Mascetti (Commercial Director at Rancilio Group), Giorgio Rancilio (President & CEO at Rancilio Group), Silvia Nebuloni (Human Resources Director at Rancilio Group) and SimonaSordelli (Head of Marketing & Communication at Rancilio Group).

most of their life and deploy their best energies. It is the place where everyone finds expression, learns to work together and creates innovation. Work is an important part of our life and if it is in line with our values, it adds significance and value.

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Classe 11 Xcelsius was one of the main protagonist at INTERNORGA thanks to high-quality espresso beverages.

COFFEEING THE WORLD

RANCILIO GROUP DEUTSCHLAND HEADS TO HAMBURG FOR INTERNORGA

From 17 to 21 March the Hamburg exhibition centre hosted the INTERNORGA trade fair, Germany’s leading international showcase for the food and drink industry. The 2017 show was a tremendous success with 1,300 exhibitors and 96,000 visitors.Once again this year Rancilio Group took part in the Hamburg event represented by their German

subsidiary Rancilio Group Deutschland. In Europe’s second most important port city, Rancilio has consistently shown itself to be a stable, reliable company offering a varied range of innovative products. How? By presenting our range of products both on our own stand and at the numerous side events organised for the occasion.

INTERNORGA undoubtedly offers a unique opportunity to display and demonstrate, on an international scale, how technical expertise and passion come together to produce professional coffee machines. Equipment that exudes excellence, the perfect marriage of that unmistakably Italian flair with Swiss fully-automatic technology for preparing espresso coffee.For this edition of the show, Rancilio Group Deutschland equipped a space specially designed to showcase all the research and development of the Rancilio and Egro LAB high-tech hubs to perfection.Visitors to INTERNORGA were presented with

such high-tech products from Rancilio Group as the Rancilio Classe 11 and Egro BYO. The Rancilio Classe 11 machine makes it possible to navigate the display in no time at all, its intuitive menus and instantly recognisable icons designed to deliver real-time feedback on the operating status of the machine. The fully-automatic Egro BYO, on the other hand, enables users to interact remotely with the machine using their own device, such as a tablet or smartphone, adapting the screen size and mode of interaction to users’ needs.

From left to right: Giorgio Rancilio (President & CEO at Rancilio Group), Patrice Wiedemann (General Director at Rancilio Group Deutschland) and Andrea Mascetti (Commercial Director at Rancilio Group).

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On the top: To prepare a perfect cappuccino, it is important to start with the right ingredients and use only professional equipment. On the left: Nicolás Castagno 2013 World Brewers Cup Champion with Classe 11 Xcelsius for the espresso temperature profiling.

THE EXTRACTION LAB ON SHOW AT THE COFFEE FESTIVALS Authentic celebrations of coffee taking place in some of the most fascinating cities on the world map of espresso. This sums up what the Coffee Festivals have come to mean in recent years, carving out an ever growing space on the international trade fair scene, and that’s not all.Thinking about anything to do with coffee is enough to make you happy. From tastings for all palates to demonstrations by the world’s most famous baristas, from interactive workshops to live music, from appearances by top DJs to art and design exhibitions. In the UK and Spain, coffee is extremely popular and now taken so much more seriously that the cities of

London and Pontevedra have become emblematic of this culture that tells the story of a drink that is now also renowned for its aromas and natural beneficial properties. Often associated with a healthy lifestyle, coffee is now seen in an even more glowing light. Going for a coffee is no longer about just quenching your thirst, having a coffee is now the height of cool.The Coffee Festivals focus on the whole culture of the product, telling its story and sharing a common passion, getting together to celebrate and learn all about a good cup of coffee.

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In both London and Pontevedra we presented our new concept stand. The experiential factor now plays a key role in setting up our exhibition space. We have chosen extraction as the leitmotif for our displays. This crucial phase in the preparation of a high-quality coffee has lent its name to The Extraction LAB, created to showcase the potential of Xcelsius technology for espresso temperature profiling. We have been able to offer visitors the opportunity to interact with roasters, both large- and small-scale, who demonstrated the Xcelsius system, available on our Rancilio Classe 11 and Classe 9 coffee machines. This enables the extraction temperature to be set either high or low, thus enhancing certain in-cup sensory properties which differ from one another, delivering distinctive

flavours and sensory experiences while tasting the espresso. British and Spanish consumers are increasingly aware of the origin of the product and it could be said that the most highly-prized botanical varieties now have something approaching the concept of a terroir. As with the finest wines, this encapsulates the particular mix of soil properties, altitude, quantity of rain and humidity, not to mention the influence of temperature fluctuations, all of which contribute to the aroma and taste of the end product. In other words, what applies to bunches of grapes also applies to coffee beans. Because coffee travels so far before arriving in our cups, the quality of the raw material is of prime importance, but that’s not all. Making coffee requires know-how and

Axel Simón (on the left) 2017 Spanish Barista Champion with Rancilio Group team at the Spain Coffee Festival in Pontevedra.Daniele Ricci is the winner of Trismoka Challenge 2017.

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skills. It goes without saying that an agricultural product like coffee reflects the nature of the territory on which it is grown, as well as its climatic and seasonal conditions. We talked about this with Miguel Lamora Bárcena, National Coordinator of SCA España (the Spanish branch of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe) at the Pontevedra Coffee Festival. Does the world of coffee also need a figure like the sommelier? Yes, absolutely. We are talking of people with a profound knowledge of the raw material, its processing methods and the vocabulary used to perform a sensory analysis of the product that is espresso. This new type of expert is essential for a market in constant evolution, given the enormous effort put in by roasters into providing a consistent guarantee of quality.How would you advise a barista wanting to take part in, for example, the SCA championship circuit?Competing is first and foremost a thrilling experience. It enables you to put yourself to the test, to meet and compare notes with other professionals, both giving and

receiving knowledge and inspiration. You learn to work methodically and with tenacity but, above all, you come to understand that the real victory is the experience of taking part. Taking part in competitions can also be a life-changing opportunity for baristas, particularly if they become national champions or achieve top-three world ranking. This is a calling in which performance is based on professional standards, study, research and training. The World Barista Championship is the leading contest organised every year by World Coffee Events. The aim of the competition is to promote excellence in the world of coffee, highlighting the professional skills of the barista. Every year, champions from over 50 countries are given 15 minutes to prepare 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos (or more precisely, according to the latest rule, drinks based on coffee and milk) and 4 signature personalised non-alcoholic drinks. An international panel of judges assesses each performance in terms of the taste of the drink served up, plus cleanliness, technical skills, creativity and overall presentation.In your opinion, if we visit a coffee bar in one of the

major cities like Madrid or Barcelona, how likely are we to be served, in percentage terms, a professionally brewed coffee?The percentage has definitely been rising in recent years. Specialty coffee is catching on ever more in Spain too. This is a new world created by baristas and their professional development, through major investment in their training and a burning passion for coffee and everything associated with that beverage. Today, just ordering “a coffee” makes no sense because coffee is not the actual drink, rather it is the raw material, the plant and its fruits and seeds, and because coffee is not synonymous with espresso which is just one of many possible methods used for brewing coffee. We would like to thank Miguel for his valuable contribution and we will now tell you more about Pontevedra. The Spain Coffee Festival played host to the national coffee-making championships for the following disciplines: Barista, Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits and Cup Tasting. Classe 11 was the official machine supporting the contenders for the Spanish title in the Barista and Good Spirits rounds. Determination, perseverance and the competitive spirit are the personality traits of the two winners.

For his signature drink, Axel Simón, Spanish Barista Champion 2017, was inspired by Tigray, the northernmost region of Ethiopia. This area is famous for its delicately flavoured white honey, which is not too sweet and which has a persistent after-taste, and for its vast acres of strawberries. Ça c’est l’Afrique!Willy Gonzalez, Spanish Coffee in Good Spirits Champion 2017, showed us how creativity is one of the essential tricks of the trade in this in this field. The winning formula is the product of a touch of originality, the competitive spirit and the courage to be bold. The ingredients must all be easily identifiable and recognisable. Customers must have their curiosity roused without being faced with problems. Among the advantages of espresso are its full body, much fuller than filter coffee and, of course, its foam. This makes it possible to play with its consistency, creating smooth, velvety drinks.

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COFFEEING THE WORLD

ESPRESSO SCALES THE ACADEMIC HEIGHTS

On 28 February and 1 March 2017 Rancilio Group played host to a training course for the perfect cappuccino organised by the Coffee University of Trieste at the Italian Training Centre. The Coffee University associated with the Illy coffee brand is a centre of excellence that began life in 1999 to promote and spread the culture of high quality coffee and provide a complete range of training courses in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The Rancilio Group Training Centre played its part in unveiling the secrets and expertise needed to transform the marriage of milk and coffee into sheer magic. All the tricks of the trade needed to recognise and create the perfect cappuccino, from the choice of milk to the right techniques for obtaining a sublime espresso with a thick foam, all put together with the utmost skill.The learning programme started with the theory of espresso coffee, the properties of the different types of milk and the emulsion, the equipment essential for preparing cappuccino, such as jugs and spouts. The practical session put learners to the test of making a cappuccino that was a true pièce de résistance. Knowing how to make a cappuccino is nothing short of an art, needing not only talent and passion, but also technical

knowledge of the ingredients and the equipment, how to carry out all the right procedures and have access to the secrets known only to the most expert baristas.We had a meeting with Moreno Faina, Director of the Coffee University of Trieste and had an enjoyable conversation with him covering all the many aspects of coffee.

When and how did the University of Coffee come into being?It was born of an idea of Ernesto Illy, the son of Francesco, the founder of the coffee company. It started off in Naples in 1999 then, in 2002 we moved to Trieste, at the Illycaffè HQ. Taking our courses here creates a unique emotional involvement.

Is it really a proper university?To be precise it is a corporate university. We place all our knowledge at the service of everyone: people who are mad about coffee, the merely curious, connoisseurs and coffee professionals. There are some sweeter coffees, others more bitter, astringent, woody or fruity. In some you can taste notes of chocolate, others have aromas of toasted bread or cereals like barley and malt.

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Rancilio Group always tries to get involved whenever professional standards in the coffee industry are on the agenda and in training courses aimed at spreading the culture of this black gold the world over.This led the company, on 21 March, to support our Bulgarian partner in opening the coffee university in Sofia, the first of its kind in the country. A project born of the partnership with the Italian Barista School founded by Carlo Odello, our much-valued friend and advisor to the International Institute of Coffee Tasters and director of the Tasters’ Study Centre, with the aim of offering training courses in preparing espresso, cappuccino and other coffee-based drinks. The courses

also aim to open the way to learning about and tasting coffee in order to ensure that the drinks produced are always perfect thus guaranteeing customers a marvellous sensory experience.Stoyko Petkov, promoter of the Baristo Coffee University of Sofia, told us how this new building will be a state-of-the-art training centre for promoting the culture of espresso in Bulgaria. The courses are aimed at both professional baristas and those coffee-lovers wishing to learn the secrets of espresso, cappuccino and other coffee-based specialities, aided by the knowledge of experts and by classrooms equipped with technology and equipment bearing the Rancilio brand.

INAUGURATION OF THE BARISTO COFFEE UNIVERSITY OF SOFIA

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cappuccino and espresso-based drinks. The vital piece of equipment needed for the competition was our professional machine.For the third year running Daniele Ricci was awarded the title of Best Barista 2017 for the Italian provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. At the end of the contest the nineteen-year-old addressed the press reporters

covering the event, saying: “Of course it was a competition but in a spirit of true friendship and mutual participation. As before, this edition of the Trismoka Challenge ended with the entrants hugging and praising each other. An experience, first of foremost, of learning and growth”.

THE ULTIMATE COFFEE CHALLENGE AT THE TRISMOKA CHALLENGE

The Trismoka Challenge is one of the main gateways to the national finals of the Campionato Italiano Baristi Caffetteria (SCA) (Italian Coffee Barista Championship) held in January during the Sigep trade fair in Rimini, which in turn grants direct access to the WBC (World Barista Championship) this year to be held in Seoul in South Korea in November. For the seventh year running Rancilio Group is the official sponsor of the competition organised by the coffee roasters Trismoka, based on the banks of Lake Iseo, the firm that for over 50 years has worked with enthusiasm and passion to offer the very best coffee to the entire

Ho.Re.Ca industry. Once again Rancilio Group has put our latest machines at the competition’s service. The provincial finals for the Italian provinces of Brescia and Bergamo took place this year at the exhibition centre Centro Fiera del Garda di Montichiari during the Golositalia&Aliment trade fair, on a special stand designed by our partner to welcome contenders for the title from 25 to 27 February.The event featured 12 contenders, 6 students from local catering schools and 6 professional baristas selected at the beginning of the year after a preliminary contest testing entrants on the preparation of coffee,

Daniele Ricci is the winner of Trismoka Challenge 2017.

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PIZZA AND COFFEE, STARS OF THE UK SHOW

COFFEEING THE WORLD

It is consumed in big cities, as a snack on the go,

but also for a quick lunch or dinner. It is one of the

most popular foods in the UK. It is a cross-over

food, bringing everyone together, loved by kids and

grown-ups alike and, above all, it lends itself to

experimentation. We are of course taking about the

much-loved pizza, also made popular in the UK by

Pizza Hut, the American catering chain famous the

world over with its 15,000 restaurants, the first of

which opened in 1958. In the UK, Pizza Hut boasts a

portfolio of over 700 restaurants shrewdly located in

the main city centres.

During our stay in London for the Coffee Festival, we

had the pleasure of visiting the Strand branch, in the

street connecting Trafalgar Square with Fleet Street,

and the West End with the City of London.

There we met Wayne Penfold, Procurement Manager

of Pizza Hut UK, who told us how coffee is an essential

item on the menu offered by the chain. Coffee

undoubtedly plays a huge part in a dinner or a convivial

get-together. This is particularly true of pizza restaurants

where only too often a good quality meal ends with a

coffee that is less than perfect, leaving customers with a

rather strange bitter taste in the mouth.

The bar at Pizza Hut UK store, Strand - London.

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According to the Financial Times, the number of UK pubs

and fast-food outlets serving coffee is set to rise from the

current 18,000 to 21,000 by 2020. It would seem that

coffee is becoming a really serious business in the UK.

Wayne Penfold told us how, after talking to Bryan Unkles

last year, the Managing Director of Cafeology, one of the

official UK Rancilio distributors, he decided to introduce

Classe 9, Classe 7 and Classe 5 machines into UK Pizza Hut

restaurants. Rancilio equipment has proven to be reliable,

high-performance, in step with the times and, first and

foremost, capable of meeting the needs of both the staff

and customers of Pizza Hut UK.

Preparing and serving top quality coffee requires

uncommon mastery, a blend of art, science and perfect

service. Pizza Hut too wishes to present itself as a place in

which coffee is given all the respect, care and attention it

deserves.

At the Strand branch, we also had the opportunity to test

in person how Pizza Hut has changed its image in recent

years, focusing on a new generation of consumers, a

younger, more dynamic target market. In order to do this,

the decision was made to add 11 new pizzas to the classic

menu, to use 10 new spices, 6 new sauces, plus a new logo

and packaging, and to pay more attention to the coffee

experience in a special new bar space made possible by the

partnership with our firm. A good variety of cocktails has

been introduced into 30 Pizza Hut restaurants too.

The new Pizza Hut brand logo also caught our attention.

Monotone red on a black background with a new graphic.

The shape recalls a steaming pizza served on a plate.

A classic flat design in line with the current trend for

digital marketing, particularly given the widespread use

of smartphones and tablets. However, the brand has

managed to stay recognisable, thanks especially to the

name and the presence of the classic hut icon.

Sipping an espresso with delicate fruity notes, we drank

a toast to London and the staff of Pizza Hut who gave us

such a warm and friendly welcome and showed us the

everyday life of a restaurant chain that, while focused

on pizza, is ever more dedicated to treating coffee as a

genuine cult object. This raw material with its roots in far-

off lands and cultures is no longer subjected to a simple

mechanical process, but it is transformed into a new

experience in consumption.

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COFFEEING THE WORLD

From left to right: Bryan Unkles (Managing Director at Cafeology, partner of Rancilio Group in UK), Wayne Penfold (Procurement Manager at Pizza Hut UK) and Andrea Mascetti (Commercial Director at Rancilio Group).

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From 25 to 27 April, in partnership with Epicure Vina Co. Ltd, the Classe 9 coffee machine supported the contenders for the title of Best Vietnamese Barista 2017. The Vietnam Barista Competition was held as usual at the Food&Hotel Vietnam trade fair. The participants had the opportunity to display their artistic and professional talents, putting themselves to the test preparing espresso-based drinks using the Classe 9. This machine, created by the research team at the Rancilio LAB high-tech hub, stands out for its user-friendly ergonomics, its high performance and its elegant aesthetics. A challenge for true connoisseurs with the aim of promoting the sensory quality of coffee tasting in Vietnam, the world’s second-largest coffee exporter where this drink is much loved. Introduced

into the country by French missionaries in the 19th Century, developing the coffee-growing industry has been essential for restarting the economy of a country that in 1975 finally emerged from a war lasting 30 long years. One of the first victories came in 1986, when the market was liberalised, making it possible to start backing this raw material. According to Vietnamese custom, coffee must be enjoyed in a comfortable environment, accompanied by good conversation and, above all, plenty of time, because that little cup is filled drop by drop. With aromas ranging from notes of oriental essences to the more austere intensity of seasoned wood, we pay our respects to Vietnam and the staff of Epicure Vina Co. Ltd.

IT’S OFF TO VIETNAM FOR FOOD&HOTEL

COFFEEING THE WORLD

Rancilio Classe 9 was the official machine at the 2017 Vietnam Barista Competition.

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The Extraction LAB format obtained great success during the Global Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle.

COFFEE TRAINING AND ANALYSIS IN SEATTLE

Art, music, university, trends. Seattle has always been one of the liveliest and most impassioned of US cities: the cradle of grunge, an international crossroads with its harbour on Elliott Bay, an academic hub and home to world-famous museums and galleries, among its heritage a collection of murals that turn the urban landscape into a place of art in perpetual motion. Here in Seattle, in Pike Place, the beginning of the 20th Century saw the very first local farmers’ markets, now commonplace the world over, but which, in that era, were something

completely new, a revolutionary event. At that time, fruit and vegetables could only be sold through middle-men but then a band of farmers decided to change things. Loading up their carts with freshly harvested products, they gathered in Pike Place where their carts were completely empty in just a few hours. Since then, Pike Place Market, which is now home to street artists, restaurants offering delicious local cuisine, art shops, jewellers, comic shops and fashion boutiques, has been transformed into an official attraction, offering its

many visitors a vast range of fresh ingredients. At the beginning of the 1970s, this amazing place played host to the official debut of the American caffeine culture. This is where the very first Starbucks opened up, changing for ever the way coffee was drunk and understood in the US. It is therefore no accident that this bustling hub is the venue for one of the world’s major trade fairs associated with coffee: the Global Specialty Coffee Expo, organised by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. Just as it has every year, Rancilio took part in the event through our US subsidiary, Rancilio Group North America. From 20 to 23 April, the Extraction LAB concept was on display with demonstration sessions by roasters, bringing with them their own varieties of coffee designed for the speciality coffee market. They tested them out on the Xcelsius system, the Rancilio

technology for extraction temperature profiling and stability, making it possible to highlight the special aromatic and sensory properties of the ground coffee beans. As always, and in Seattle more than ever, the idea is to use Rancilio technology in the extraction phase to obtain a state-of-the-art result and to create very special gourmet coffees. It is precisely when water and coffee come into contact that the alchemy capable of enhancing the coffee aromas begins. In the land where that black beverage conquered the whole of the US, in the presence of the visitors to its stand, Rancilio has yet again, delved deeply into what happens in the cup when the espresso extraction temperature is varied. This is a new revolution that would surely have pleased those first farmers of Pike Place Market!

PERFORMING ESPRESSO

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INNOVATIVE SYNERGIES BETWEEN MICROSOFT AND RANCILIO GROUP

Mid-February, in the city of Milan among all its avant-garde buildings, saw the opening of Microsoft House, the new HQ of Microsoft Italia, inside the pyramid at 21 Via Pasubio, designed by Herzog & De Meuron for the Fondazione Feltrinelli. The building, with 832 huge panes of glass, covers six floors, three of which are open to the public, reflecting the value of open innovation. The openness and wide-reach of digital culture goes arm in arm with that symbol of welcome so deeply rooted in Italian culture: the cup of coffee. This event could not possibly go ahead without Rancilio Group and its latest machines, the fully automatic Egro ONE and the innovative Classe 11. Half of the spaces in the new Microsoft HQ have been designed to welcome an estimated 200,000 visitors, or perhaps even more, in 2017 alone. These will include 10,000 professionals, 4,000 students and 1,000 education managers for training and discussion of all things digital. The experiences encountered inside Microsoft House, known as a “4.0 building”, show how any supposedly inanimate object can become smart, recognising its users and their habits and meeting their needs. During the inauguration ceremony of this centre of hi-tech excellence, Microsoft presented the very first preview of the application of the Cortana software to the fully automatic Egro ONE, now positioned on the first floor, home to the Technology Center, the space for the digital transformation of businesses.The Microsoft virtual assistant recognises regular users’ faces and asks them if they would like a coffee, either their favourite one or a different one from the menu of 48 that can be made with the Egro ONE. If the user is unknown, Cortana finds out what kind of coffee the user would like and then brews it. An authentic experience for visitors who are amazed to discover that here the offices are designed for the staff according to the principles of smart-working, with no assigned work desks and with a virtual reception. Needless to say, the showroom of this iconic head office would not be complete without a café area (located on the ground floor), for which Microsoft has chosen the Rancilio Classe 11, equipped with quick, intuitive and user-friendly technology inspired by the latest generation smartphones. With a relaxation area, Xbox stations and free Wi-Fi, the showroom has been designed for the general public and is open seven days a week, allowing visitors to try out Microsoft technology.A unique place in which the centuries-old tradition of coffee and innovation inspire unexpected new synergies.

Microsoft has chosen Rancilio Group products for its coffee breaks in Milan.

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INSIDE COFFEE: THE CHEMISTRY OF THE BEAN

An amazing genetic mutation; a discovery shrouded in myths and legends; a phenomenon that has conquered the world; a drink that no one can do without; a little pleasure that you can experience with all five senses. We are of course talking about coffee, but this time in a more scientific sense.“Espresso is not just a drink, nor is it just a fashion. Espresso is one of the best ways to drink the world’s most popular beverage because the way it is prepared extracts all the aromatic substances that give rise to a range of different organoleptic sensations associated with various physical and chemical properties”, according to our Spanish colleague Carles González. “Espresso is a concentrated extract containing both soluble and lipophilic substances that can dissolve in oils and fats which, owing to the particular extraction method, are not present in other coffee-based drinks. During the percolation phase therefore, particular care must be taken to extract the water soluble substances, in order to guarantee all the taste properties – acid, bitter and sweet –, and also to emulsify the insoluble oils that provide the aroma”, continues Carles González.On a hot and stuffy summer day in Milan, we had a pleasant conversation with our Spanish colleague visiting us at the Villastanza di Parabiago training centre. The profiling and tasting tests we performed enabled us to delve deeply into how installing the Xcelsius system in a professional coffee machine makes it possible to set the water temperature dynamically, varying it either up or down by 5°C (9°F) during the 25-30 second time period for each brew. If water quality is essential and high temperature guarantees a more effective solvent action, the ability to regulate the brewing water temperature has notable advantages for the quality of the product in the cup. Indeed, this makes it possible to deliver even better drinks, to

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prepare espresso in different ways according to the origins of the raw material and to enhance the special properties of the variety, whether this is washed or natural Arabica, Robusta, single origin or a blend. All of this while maintaining the qualities of the beans intact and the roast being perfected by the brewing process that delivers it in the cup. The Xcelsius system is able to satisfy the tastes and meet the different needs of an ever more discerning clientele.A different way of grinding the beans and the various temperature profiles used for the same type of roasted coffee enable the compounds to be extracted to a greater or lesser degree during the brewing period, resulting in espressos with very distinct properties. The relationship between such physical and chemical properties as pH, colour, polyphenols, caffeine, lipids, chlorogenic acid, foam index, turbidity, total solids, filtered solids and viscosity and the organoleptic descriptors, such as depth of colour, texture, roast strength, body, acidity, bitterness and astringency, contribute to the perception of the quality of espresso prepared using different types of coffee and temperature profiles. This demonstrates how the use of different temperature profiles or curves can change the physical and chemical properties of the coffee, thereby enhancing or modulating the organoleptic descriptors of an espresso.If Xcelsius is a leap forward in quality in the sense that it enables the organoleptic properties of a single blend to be exalted without altering the quality of the beans or the roasting process, it is also an advance in optimising consumption, making it simpler and more practical for the users.

In the middle Carlés González at the Spain Coffee Festival 2017 in Pontevedra.

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BUFFALO AND FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY IN-HOUSE

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Once again this year, Rancilio Group has renewed its partnership with ISP (International Study Programmes), a body founded in 1999 with the aim of involving foreign students in educational trips organised in over 60 cities worldwide. As in the last two years, Rancilio Group has once again been selected as one of the companies of interest for the trip to Milan by the University at Buffalo and Fairleigh Dickinson University, based in New York. On 20 March the students on the MBA course coming to Milan to study the economic development model were brought to the Rancilio Group HQ, a prime example of an Italian company promoting innovation. After the presentation by Giorgio Rancilio, Chairman and CEO of the Group, and the speech given by Quality Manager, Davide

Beccaglia, the students were able to engage in a discussion and take a guided tour of the company. “Yet again we have been deeply impressed by this world producer of espresso machines for the Ho.Re.Ca industry. Giorgio Rancilio, CEO of this organisation, has an incredible strategic vision. We were all really big fans! The ALI Group has added a marvellous brand to its family of products”, remarked Courtney Walsh, Assistant to the Head of the School of Management of the University at Buffalo, on the Rancilio Group Facebook page.Rancilio Group engages in constant dialogue with outside bodies, both local and international. We are fully aware of our social responsibilities toward the community and future generations who are undergoing training to enable them to enter the

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world of work. One of our missions at Rancilio is to strengthen the ties between business and education, giving students a close-up view of a fully-functioning, practical work situation, thus improving the practical learning process within courses of study.The other guided tour took place on 12 June. Mario Burattino, CFO of Rancilio Group, and Vittorio Bonissi, Warehouse Manager, explained to the visitors the main dynamics of our group, its history and future, its challenges and successes, its vision

and its determination. This tour traced the 90-year history of our company, which is world famous for style, performance and for striving for perfection.

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Complete and complex with emotion and action and amazingly diverse, women are a driving force, always in motion. Since time immemorial and still to the present day, they fight endless battles for equal rights, particularly in some parts of the world, and in the vast majority of nations they remain at a disadvantaged in the world of work.What is the most precious gift with which we could honour them for their festival? Time, naturally. We at Rancilio Group care deeply about the real life of our female team-members. This is why, on 8 March 2017, to celebrate International Women’s Day, which has been celebrated in Italy since 1922, we decided to give all the women at our HQ in Villastanza di Parabiago the afternoon off, a few hours just for themselves.We had a meeting with Silvia Nebuloni, HR Director at Rancilio Group, who dreamed up and promoted this initiative. “When I thought about a practical gesture for our female team-members, I immediately thought about time, so precious and always so little of it... I talked to our CEO and I was delighted to hear him say to me ‘great idea, go ahead!’. I was even happier when my female colleagues said that they had made plans that afternoon just for themselves, whatever they fancied: a trip to the gym or to the hairdresser, or going shopping… It is just a little thing but so important for showing that the company really cares, strengthening the image of the Group as a great company that treasures its human capital and heritage”.

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8 MARCH CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

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Treedom is the only web platform in the world that allows its users to plant a tree remotely and follow its growth online. Each tree is geo-located and photographed and it can be kept and cared for or presented as a gift. Since this initiative started up in 2010 in Florence, over 331,000 saplings have been growing into trees in Africa, Latin America and Italy.Planting these trees delivers numerous environmental, social and economic benefits for human beings and the planet alike. These new trees help the environment by increasing CO2 absorption, combatting climate change and the excesses of the greenhouse effect, remedying deforestation and environmental degradation, soil erosion and desertification. The land becomes more fertile and the hydrogeological profile in the zones benefiting from this project is stabilised. Above all, it contributes to protecting biodiversity, preserving habitats and balancing eco-systems with native species, fruit trees, woodland trees and those at risk of extinction, meeting the specific needs of each area.In terms of socio-economics, these projects are run by local communities, either individual farmers or small farming cooperatives which receive funding for the planting of trees. This produces extraordinary results, empowering communities and triggering responsible behaviour that values and respects natural resources. It also promotes micro-enterprises that derive benefits from woodlands, their fruits and associated crops.The products harvested from the trees are made available to farmers and cooperatives and Treedom is supporting them all by offering training, work opportunities and income. The cooperatives and local organisations support the farmers free of charge, providing the necessary training for planting and cultivating the trees in the right way. Treedom and its partner organisations provide farmers with support, mainly in the early stages, when the plants are in greater need of care. They provide the beneficiaries of the project with the necessary skills for looking after the trees throughout all the growth phases, with a particular focus on quality and replicable information.Rancilio Group supports this ambitious and highly effective project in three countries: Kenya,

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RANCILIO GROUP AND TREEDOM REFOREST THREE AREAS IN AFRICA

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Cameroon and Malawi. In Kenya, a land of great lakes and immense savannahs, the main aim of the Treedom project, which started in 2014, is to promote small-scale reforestation as a poverty-reduction strategy, with a participatory approach. The particular areas involved in the project, which intends to plant some 135,000 trees, are the province of Busia, the Kisii district, the Muranga and Thika district, central and southwestern Kenya, for the benefit of over 5,000 farmers and their families.The many local NGOs, our partners in the project, organise activities to involve the community, provide training and promote micro-enterprises. The farmers involved are specifically trained to develop conservation awareness and respect for nature and the environment. Their main role is to take care of the trees, particularly during and after grafting, to transplant them and to produce organic compost to replace the expensive chemical products on sale in big cities. The different tree species planted (grevillea, markhamia, avocado,

jackfruit, neem, macadamia, tephrosia, moringa, umbrella tree, calliandra, leucaena, guava, mango) that will never be felled, have many beneficial properties: from some, natural repellents and insecticides can be made, from others, honey, jam, preserves and dried fruit, thus increasing employment opportunities and the wellbeing of local farmers. Other trees have nitrogen-fixing properties that improve soil quality while others can be used as windbreaks to mitigate soil erosion and desertification.Cameroon Treedom works in partnership with IRAD (Institut de Recherche Agricole pour le Développement), a public research body which is tasked with advancing food cultivation using native species, researching solutions for crop diseases, improving agricultural systems and developing techniques for processing agricultural products. Here, we are planting cacao trees to improve food security for the rural population, increase local agricultural resources and reduce poverty.This project, started in 2012, covers the area around the capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé (central

region). The country’s impoverishment is due to the illegal felling and extreme exploitation of the forests. During our first exploratory mission, we asked a local farmer to describe the impact of deforestation, to which he replied: “A blind eye is turned to illegal felling in Cameroon. Every morning I wake up to the deafening roar of power saws”.The project plans to plant some 46,000 cacao trees over several years, and to date there are 1,300 beneficiaries. Reforestation and, above all, planting trees like cacao, supports food security, the re-greening of the countryside and provides an invaluable source of income and sustainability for the local population, also thanks to the sale of cocoa.Moreover, planting so many of this type of tree, which belongs to the brushwood group, growing in the shadow of much larger trees, also involves the planting of banana and safou trees and palms to protect the cacao trees from direct sunlight.In Malawi, the Treedom project in partnership with BERL (Bio Energy Resources Ltd, founded in Malawi in 2006), was launched in 2012. The plans include the planting of Jatropha curcas in parts of the Lilongwe district (central Malawi) and also providing a training course for farmers on the techniques for producing vegetable oil from the seeds of this plant which is used to create protective hedges around maize and cassava. The seeds are harvested and processed to produce vegetable oil, while the waste is used as a natural

fertiliser for the soil.Over several years, the project aims to plant some 10,000 trees, involving 5,000 people, to combat deforestation due to population growth, the expansion of agriculture, infrastructure development and dependence on wood burning for energy. For this reason, BERL has also started up a production facility for sustainable biofuel.All the fruit from the trees is harvested by local farmers who use it for their own needs, or sell any excess produce at local markets. These sales enable farmers to increase their annual income by 50% overall. This, in turn, allows some of them to access micro-finance to launch their own micro-enterprises or to engage in small-scale business activities.The project also benefits people not directly involved in planting and cultivating. For example, thanks to the tree roots, the local farmers in the areas in question have greater access to water sources. Moreover, the presence of new trees provides local people with more shade, protects their crops from the wind, and increases productivity due to greater pollination. In general, the effects of climate change are lessened, due to the trees’ capacity for absorbing greenhouse gases like CO2 into their woody surfaces.

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HEADQUARTERS, PRODUCTION PLANT AND R&D CENTERS

Rancilio Group S.p.A. con socio unicoViale della Repubblica 4020015 Villastanza di Parabiago - Milano ItaliaPh. +39 0331 408200 / Fax +39 0331 551437

Egro Suisse AGBahnhofstrasse 665605 Dottikon - SchweizTel. +41 (0)56 616 95 95 / Fax +41 (0)56 616 95 97

BRANCH COMPANIES

SPAINRancilio Group España, S.A.Gran Vía de Carlos III, 84 3ª-Edificio Trade08028 Barcelona - SpainPh. +34 902 884 275Ph. +34 934 923 414Fax +34 934 965 701info-es@ranciliogroup.com

PORTUGALRancilio Group Portugal LdaRua José Vicente Gonçalves n°14-Armaz.-2Parque Industrial do Seixal2840-048 Aldeia de Paio Pires-SeixalLisboa - PortugalPh. +351 21 493 52 58

Rancilio Group Portugal LdaCentro de Negócios da MaiaRua Albino José Domingues, n.º 683 4470 – 557 Maia - Porto - PortugalPh. + 351 22 490 39 77info-pt@ranciliogroup.com

CONTACTS

GERMANYRancilio Group Deutschland GmbHIsenburg - Park Schleussnerstr. 9063263 Neu-Isenburg - GermanyPh. +49 (0)6102 799030info-de@ranciliogroup.com

SWITZERLANDEgro Suisse AGBahnhofstrasse 665605 Dottikon - SwitzerlandPh. +41 (0)56 616 95 95Fax +41 (0)56 616 95 97info-ch@ranciliogroup.com

USA/CANADA Rancilio Group North America Inc.1340 Internationale Parkway / Suite 200Woodridge, IL 60517 - U.S.A.Ph. +1 630 914 7900Fax +1 630 914 7901Toll Free: +1 877 726 2454 info@ranciliogroupna.com

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