Sourcing great coffee, from bean to cup

Ok, so we know the world runs on coffee. You only have to walk down your local high street to see coffee shop after coffee shop, all doing variations of a similar craft. But for us, coffee isn't just coffee. At Garage Coffee, we only source speciality grade coffee, which is around the top 10-15% of farms in the world, in terms of quality. 

Importantly for us, we ensure that any coffee we get in, comes from farms which are paid a decent rate for their beans. We only use importers who deal with these speciality farms, which means we know the farmers are getting paid, on average, around 25% more than the fair-trade rate.

Naturally, by focussing on quality and paying a fair rate for our coffee, means higher bean prices, but we think it is worth it for the difference it makes. Take an arrival that came in a few months back, La Quinua Alto from Colombia. 

Juan Carlos Solarte and Sonia Bastidas are a couple that produce specialty coffee at a farm called La Quinua Alto, situated between 1,700 and 1,800 meters above sea level. They were both born and raised in the municipality of Ancuya, Nariño, not far from the border of Ecuador.

They belong to a family that has been producing commercial coffee for two generations, but three years ago they made a bet on focussing on quality and producing specialty coffee. As it turns out, it was a not a bad bet to make: specialty coffee has enabled them to improve the quality of life for their son, who is currently attending high school, as well as for their daughter, who is just starting primary school. With more available cash, they’ve been able to allow their kids to focus on their education – a luxury they didn’t necessarily have growing up.

By supporting farms like this one, we know we are making a positive difference to the global community. So we also know that every time someone orders a flat white from one our wonderful trade partners or buys some beans through our online shop, they too become part of the positive change.

The coffee market is still dominated by commercial grade coffee, and speciality has a long way to go to catch up with it, but by choosing Garage Coffee you can also be part of that journey to better coffee. It's small steps, but they make a huge difference.

Head to our single origins page by clicking here and read some more fantastic stories from speciality farms across the globe. If you have any questions, or want to find out more about how we source our coffee, send us an email at info@garageroasted.co.uk