Tags Archives: direct trade

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The Coffee Quality Myth

Here are some thoughts that seem to have crystallised during this trip to Thailand. (Warning: long post, no pretty pictures.)

Our company identifies itself as being part of the “specialty coffee” movement.

What is Specialty Coffee?

Specialty coffee buyers focus on coffees that are of a measurably better-than-usual standard1; from a consumer point of view it is a little murky, but it generally means a focus on things such as:

  • where the coffee came from & how it was grown;
  • what unique flavours & characteristics you might find in it;
  • how the coffee was prepared & how that influenced the flavour. Continue Reading

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Is your coffee Fair Trade?

No. We are not Fair Trade (FT) certified.

Why not?

Good question, especially given that our bags promote our coffee as “ethical” (see right).

Firstly I want to state that we don’t want to denigrate the work of FT; nor its proponents. We simply feel that FT isn’t enough. I know little of the efficacy of the movement outside coffee, and we stand alongside FT advocates in desiring a better deal for coffee producers.

I’ll give two main reasons why we as a roasting company think we can do better than FT.

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Feb-Mar: New Beans

This Autumn we’re starting something new and exciting. We feel that it’s another step forward in our quest to source coffee more directly.

We have two great coffees brought directly from Brazil and Colombia by our supplier. Both are long-term projects which are seeing a difference made in the lives of the coffee farmers through linking them with buyers like us.

Furthermore, we’re buying HEAPS of them, so the next seasonal blend will cover Autumn and Winter (5-6 months’ worth).

There’s Brazil Fazenda Laranjal, and Colombia Asociación Los Naranjos – both awesome coffees in their own right – which will form the backbone of our Autumn-Winter Blend.

We’re also excited that announce that Thailand La Mai 2012 crop (fresh from the villages!) will be reappearing in the blend once it arrives in March.

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