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SOURCING
We have come to understand that coffee quality starts at the coffee fields. It has to do with weather and soil conditions, topography of each micro region and even coffee plant varieties, but also on the way of harvesting and processing method.
We have come to understand that coffee quality starts at the coffee fields. It has to do with weather and soil conditions, topography of each micro region and even coffee plant varieties, but also on the way of harvesting and processing method.
More importantly though, being close to the growers, witnessing the energy and passion they put into their product makes us appreciate coffee in a different way. We increasingly source our coffee directly and make long lasting partnerships with like-minded people that are as honest and caring about their coffee and community as we are.
We do not see our sourcing merely as coffee and business but as an adventure full of colors, tastes, feelings and chances to meet, help, offer and develop together.
CUPPING
When it comes to sourcing coffee, the most widely used process to judge its quality is cupping. It is an easy but strict brewing method that uses limited tools and can be set up practically anywhere. This makes it the ideal method to be used in the origin, on the farm, processing station, small operations but at the roastery as well.
With some cups, spoons a grinder and hot water we can identify characteristics, assess a coffee lot and reassure it matches our quality standards.
Cupping with our farmers helps us learn from experimentations on farm level, exchange opinions and ultimately select which lots to source. Cupping at the roastery is indispensable to reassure the quality of received lots and is a useful tool for blending.
A CHALLENGE IN THE INDUSTRY
ROASTERY
Our green coffee is received, roasted and packed in our state of the art roaster operating in Athens. There we blend traditional wisdom with scientific knowledge, hard gained experience with sophisticated technology and the original Italian espresso with the latest trends in coffee.
The process goes like this: green coffee arrives,gets thoroughly checked in the lab and cupped to reassure quality, then stored underground for stable conditions until it is time to use it. When time comes it gets cleaned and color sorted – an extremely rare operation in a roaster, usually only the exporting countries operate such machinery-, then coffee is roasted and blended (or blended and roasted, depending on the recipe) in highly sophisticated roasters to reassure the quality of coffee is maintained and expressed consistently and repeatedly (the greatest challenge in the industry).
Lastly, it is packed in protective atmosphere and X-Ray scanned for safety. After it clears all quality control and assurance checkpoints it is stored to rest (de-gas) for at least two weeks (depending on blend) before shipping.
