The Nicaraguans Have Landed

I think it’s fair to say, this year has thrown some curveballs. More logistical hurdles and supply chain issues than ever before. The world's in flux, and it feels like we can't take our place in it for granted. Wars, droughts, frosts—they all leave their mark on global trade. No matter your perspective, these things affect businesses like ours, reliant on goods from across the globe.

Our Nicaraguan container was delayed by three months. Drought and low water levels in the Panama Canal. Delays like this mean thinking on our feet, filling the gaps, making new plans. All while staying true to our values: ethics and quality. It's not easy, but I'm immensely proud of how we've overcome these challenges without lowering quality.

Six Years with Anna & Martha

We've been working with Anna and Martha for six years now. They look after us like family when we visit, even inviting us to stay in their cousins house on Aqua Sarca, a farm we’ve bought coffee from several times before. All of our Nicaraguan coffee comes through their mill, Cafetos De Segovia. It's a smaller mill than others in the area, with a less formal atmosphere. You can tell Anna and Martha know everyone personally. Their warmth and easygoing nature are infectious. 

Every trip to origin reveals changes. In the coffee world, in our business, and in theirs. Catching up, understanding each other's needs might seem obvious, but it's crucial. That connection is one of the most valuable reasons for these trips. This year, the main topic was around climate change and profitability for the growers. The commodity price was higher than previous years and we thought this would result in fairer profits for most growers, but it’s not such a simple scenario. Growing costs have gone up and unpredictable weather patterns are taking affect on yields. They’ve also found difficulty in recruiting or retaining pickers who are reluctant to work long days whilst battling the unseasonal rain. Some producers have lost cherries simply due to not having the workings to pick quick enough as the fruit ripens. 

From our side, we were interested to know if Cafetos could accommodate an increase quantity. This year we were hoping to contract over 21 tons of green coffee, but we knew we were already buying everything available from Dipilto & Mozonte community lots. Around 75% of this contract is for our house coffee, the rest is made up of micro lots for the explore range and 1 very special ‘trust’ coffee from Don Marcos of El Recuerdo.

A Different World: El Recuerdo

We were excited to revisit Don Marcos. The drive there felt like entering another world compared to Guatemala, or even Dipilto. A long, barren road leads into the mountains. Hot, dry, scarred by remnants of logging days past. An atmosphere of dead industry and nothingness.

Then, after an hour, it changes. As if by magic. Over a stream, into greenness and biodiversity. Life floods back into the soil, the wind whispers through the trees. The land feels alive and thriving.

Our relationship with Marcos is one of our proudest. He owns seven hectares, split between his six children. They live and work alongside him, coffee their primary income. Back in 2021, his coffee was blended with lower quality regional coffees. He wasn't receiving the quality premiums he deserved.

This is our third year buying his coffee. Each year, we've worked to increase its value. This year, we bought everything he had: 20 bags of washed coffee for our Trust range, and two bags of naturally processed—his first ever. We promised to buy it no matter the outcome, guaranteeing his investment wouldn't be wasted. Seeing Marcos processing this coffee was emotional. To have such a direct, positive impact is humbling.

Las Hortensias and Beyond

We were fortunate to see Las Hortensias in full harvest glory. Douglas Ponce, with his loving smile and passion for the land, was a sight to behold. We stayed on a neighbouring farm so we visited Douglas over several days, both when the farm was quiet and late in the afternoon when workers climb the steep hills to deliver and weigh their bags of cherries. It’s a humbling experience and one that puts the cost of coffee into perspective. Make no mistake, this is hard labour, but there is a good atmosphere and feeling of camaraderie when the bags are weighed. We had a good feeling this coffee would stand out by the healthy-looking cherry and the clean and tidy mill - these things are always a good sign. Low and behold, there was a gem on the cupping table - a sweet and delicious single variety lot - ‘red catuai’ is well renowned in this region and is known for its exceptional cup character. This one is juicy, soft in body but with a gorgeous honey-like sweetness that keeps you wanting more.