Last year during our Autumn Cupping we ran a sensory workshop for our roasters. The event received so much positive feedback, we decided to run it again, only this time bigger and better! We kicked off our recent Spring Cupping with another sensory workshop, hosted by our friends at Espressospesialisten. This time we expanded the fruit and floral section, and added a fun smelling game. Why run a sensory workshop? Doing this entire workshop is Read more…
Responding to market demand Two years ago we had a conversation with our partners in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador, Andres and Jose Antonio Salaverria from Jasal, about changes we could see in the market. We realised that the volumes of washed El Salvador coffee we were buying didn’t allow for enough variation of profile, and that some countries are seeking more differentiation with a strong preference for fruity coffees. This is especially Read more…
Frederik, the manager of the Rungeto cooperative, has a unique approach. This may be due to his years of practical coffee experience managing Karimikui and Kiangoi washing stations. Firstly he views coffee as part of the broader agricultural potential of the region. He encourages coffee farmers to also raise cows, and alongside the coffee washing stations, he manages dairy processing and storing facilities. The coop either transforms the farmers’ milk into dairy products like butter Read more…
I once tasted a Kenyan coffee that I swear wasn’t coffee at all, it was a cup of blackcurrant juice. It is the classic Kenyan profile so many of us seek, and it is disappearing. Coffee Berry Disease When I visited Kenya last November, things looked grim for producers. They predicted they would lose 60 – 80% of their coffee crop due to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD). Fortunately many farmers caught the pathogen early enough Read more…
Not sure what it is with Ethiopia as there is always a childish excitement building up when you get close to the season and the first arrivals. You can expect a standout range of washed and naturals this year. And yes, it’s finally happening, we have our first Ethiopian containers ready to ship. Pre-shipment samples are approved and we can very soon start sending out samples to all of you. Right now we are waiting Read more…
As some of you know, this wouldn’t be my first time in Colombia. Until May last year I was Nordic Approach’s green buyer there and visited this beautiful country several times a year. This time, in November 2018, I got the chance to experience this from a client’s perspective. I had met up with Kenji from Fuglen Coffee Roasters Tokyo and Kaneko from Weekenders in Kyoto already the night before, so we traveled together down Read more…
Our latest updates and information on new warehouse in Belgium and cooperation with Seabridge.
At this year’s autumn cupping, we prepared a sensory workshop for all the attendees. It was a great success and people have been asking me to share how we did it. So, here it is, this blog post is going to guide you step by step so you can do it in your roastery or cafe too, are you ready? Let’s begin! For the workshop, we wanted to focus on building a sensorial library. By Read more…
Mwaramutse! The most wonderful time of the year has come.…no not Christmas. Scrap the bearded guy with the out of fashion red tracksuit from your calendar, the Burundi’s are coming in. The first container landed last Friday – have to be pretty quick, only 4 lots left. November – This first half of the Burundi arrivals will focus on washed lots coming in from the newest washing station we’ve been working with, Sehe, and some Read more…
The time for Rwanda has arrived! Season has come to an end, the last cherries left the drying tables a while ago and we made our buying decisions. Our friends in Rwanda are now hard at work to get the lots we chose onto containers with some of them on the ocean already and on their way to our UK warehouse. And as they are slowly starting to prepare to get things ready for next Read more…
We are thrilled to announce that we have just received fresh Javas from Frinsa coming in earlier than ever. I am more convinced now than ever before about this being a pretty unique project and concept. The development of the coffees are great as well as the producer Wildan is totally delivering as promised both on time and quality. And as this is the 3rd year it’s proven to work well. Yes, we have had Read more…
“Our goal from day one was to develop and manufacture a state of the art coffee roaster.” In this blog post, I am going to introduce you to ROEST and what is their story with sample roaster. A sample roaster is essentially a coffee roaster that was built with really small volume capacity in mind. We are talking about 100 grams of green coffee per roast and this is one of the major tasks in Read more…
We are excited about the Brazilian coffees we have coming in this year. We have a group of 6 producers, mostly small to medium and one larger in size that we are working with consistently and have agreed on fair prices that are not determined by the current market price. These producers are committed to producing quality and developing their production as well as being sustainable businesses, and working with us for the long haul. Read more…
We have been privileged to work with producers in El Salvador who we have a long relationship with and who have really enriched our business and have given us a unique range of coffees that have always made us proud to have on our offer list. Working with Gilberto Baraona from Los Pirineos, and Andres & Jose Antonio Salaverria from the Jasal group has given us great scope for offering a different kind of El Read more…
Meet our new colleagues in Tropiq Ethiopia! Ethiopia is a diverted and a complicated place to work in. We are constantly travelling there, and we have an origin office with ground staff, and a cupping lab located in Addis Ababa. We know what we are looking for and will be cupping through loads of coffees every year to choose the exceptional ones. Finding great coffees in Ethiopia requires a good insight in the complexity of Read more…
“If you don’t love coffee, you cannot produce great coffee” Marysabel Caballero When Marysabel Caballero was a little girl, her parents decided to get back into coffee, quit their city jobs and started farming. She remembers life on the farm fondly. She loved being with her family on the farm and helping out. Her mother was from a coffee producing family, so coffee is in her blood. Marysabel married Moises Herrera in 1996 and together Read more…
I love when the dry season starts in Costa Rica, the sunny weather really makes me feel the harvest atmosphere, we know that the harvest is coming as soon as we see nice sunsets and indigenous people arriving to the farms, coming mostly from Panama to pick the coffee cherries. The first week, after I came back from Oslo, I planned to do some farm visits. As usual I started my morning with a fresh Read more…
Burundian washed, naturals and honeys are on their way. Oh yes, and some really good ones too. We were there in end of May to visit our producer, Salum Ramadhan, and to cup. Already then the coffees for this season were cupping very well, and much better than last year at that time of year. The washed coffees are super complex, clean and intense. The naturals have improved a lot over the years, both in Read more…
Costa Rica has always been known for its “tico time” and this is something that you might not have heard of before. In a few words “tico time” means no worries, “Hakuna Matata”, everything will be alright and if we say a meeting will be at 8:00 am, ahh it’s ok if we show up at 8:30 or 9:00 am. I’m explaining this to you because I’m “tica” (Costa Rican), but I really can not Read more…
We’re always looking for ways for all roasters, big and small, to have a chance to get some of the most beautiful coffees in the world. We want everyone to have access to a wide variety of coffees and foster long lasting relationships with the producers who make them. That’s why we do what we do (and why we have a long and always-updating offer list!) We’re also always looking for ways to improve the Read more…
It is commonly accepted that the drying phase of coffee production is essential in maintaining the qualities and characteristics that already exist within the bean, and extending the longevity of the product. Initially coffee parchment will have a moisture content of around 45%, and at this stage the coffee is at high risk of being handled incorrectly. While through drying we would aim for coffees to reach a moisture content between 9.5%-11.5%, this can vary Read more…