GERMANY Posted 15 December 2011

Allegra Awards - SCAE members scoop awards in the Individual's category at Allegra's European Symposium 2011, Berlin November 8.

The Lifetime Achievement award was presented to SCAE’s founding member, Alf Kramer, whilst the Individual awards for their contribution to the coffee industry went to: Heinz Trachsel, (SCAE Education Committtee member, Membership Committee and Regional Coordinator); Paul Stack, Operations Director at Marco Beverages Systems (Vice Chair of SCAE Education Committee); and Steve Penk, Commercial Director, La Spaziale UK (former SCAE Board member).

Mr. Robério Oliveira Silva, Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO), presented the Lifetime Achievement award to Alf Kramer. In his acceptance speech, Alf Kramer paid tribute to former ICO Executive Director, Alex Beltrao, ‘I was here in Potsdamer in Berlin at a coffee conference in 1989 with Alex Beltrao. Together we discussed the option of having a Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, just like the one in the US. Alex took the initiative to support the Speciality coffee movement in the US through the Coffee development group... that later led to the SCAA. That again, inspired the SCAE... I sure got a deep insight in his visions and ideas for quality/speciality or Speciality coffee, whatever we like to call it. His visions and ideas in that specific area inspired several others and me. We just added to them and implemented them. If I could cut this piece of glass (award) in two, I would have given the second half to him. The other half I would have given to all the enthusiastic volunteers of the SCAE that through innovations, hard work and enthusiasm, has made the SCAE what it is today.’