As third generation farmers, we have a deep understanding of the profile of our land and the different layers of the soil. Our innate knowledge is key to our coffee’s potential.
Using by-hand techniques that have been passed down through generations, we grow a wide variety of plants ranging from Castillo and Caturra to the prized Pink Bourbon. Once our plants reach maturity, we harvest the fruits by checking them daily for the ripest, best quality cherries and plucking them carefully by hand. By rotating amongst the trees every 8-10 days, we have the best chance of finding the cherries at their peak.
Why not make life easier by using harvesting machines, you ask? Because machines strip all cherries, regardless of whether they’re ready to be picked, in a single move – and processing unripe or poor quality beans with ripe ones could taint an entire batch of coffee.
Our proximity to the equator allows us to take advantage of two growing and harvesting seasons, which guarantees a steady supply of coffee to the UK all year round. No need to worry, coffee lover; you’ll never be deprived of your favourite brew! Our main harvest runs from September to November, and our second harvest, known as the Traviesa, runs from April to June. These months represent the peak of the season, when the cherries are at their ripest and will yield the best quality and flavour of coffee.
As well as picking by hand, we grade and sort our processed beans by eye. We were just children when we were first shown the perfect texture, size and shape of a raw bean: the kind that will eventually be roasted into the most flavoursome of coffee.
Our artisan methods are hard work, of course, but they’re worth it for the special grade of Arabica coffee we produce.
