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Posted on March 28 2014
March 28 2014
We’ve just received the photos of our new sign and couldn’t wait to share them with you! It seems only five minutes ago that seasoned coffee hunter Grant Rattray packed his bags and said goodbye to the wind and the rain, heading off with a suitcase packed with cupping spoons and samples in search of
Posted on March 27 2014
March 27 2014
Well ladies and gentlemen, after much excitement at Mercanta HQ, the coffee from our newest origin, East Timor, has finally arrived. Lying almost equidistant between Indonesia and Australia, and cradled by the deep waters of the Banda and Timor seas, the country shares an island with Timor; a separate, and culturally distinct nation. The island
Posted on March 21 2014
March 21 2014
The opportunity to visit Ethiopia is for any avid coffee student, wondrous! And for Mercanta such an endeavour was no different. Known as the birth place of coffee Ethiopia is somewhat of a Mecca for many in specialty coffee and the experience of visiting has left me further amazed and enthralled with the complexities of its coffees
Posted on March 14 2014
March 14 2014
Germany is a country associated with many things, coffee not usually being one of them. However, with an average per capita consumption of around 5.6 kg, the Germans do like their beans. Coffee here is like tea in the UK and indeed the tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake), is an almost direct
Posted on December 27 2013
December 27 2013
Coffeehunter Joanne Berry journeys to the Blackburn Estate in northern Tanzania in search of the country’s finest coffee… In a country the size of Tanzania, ‘near’ means a six hour drive away; a very bumpy and dusty drive which slowly gave way to a beauty I had not been expecting, and which left me glued
Posted on December 17 2013
December 17 2013
“We have drawn a line in the sand which not many have dared to do. All our business is done on a fixed price, above the cost of production.” For the everyday high street coffee trader, the matter of coffee pricings is a minefield… indeed, probably something to stay well away from. And yet, nobody
Posted on December 13 2013
December 13 2013
Coffee Hunter Joanne Berry leads the German roasters’ guild on a tour of the coffee regions of Rwanda It has been a privilege this year to visit Rwanda twice; it is a country which has very quickly found its way into my heart and where, thanks to those that came before me, we have great
Posted on October 31 2013
October 31 2013
We are glad to launch Mercanta of the Americas, formerly known as Mercanta Central America. This much expanded operation will be overseen by Christian Schaps, who will be responsible for looking after a number of origins in the region. The aim of MoA is to make it more accessible to search for fine coffees as
Posted on October 18 2013
October 18 2013
Mercanta were recently privileged to welcome Adolfo Vieira Ferreira from Fazenda Passeio to the Lab to talk coffee. Here at Mercanta we are lucky enough to work with some wonderful producers. Adolfo from Faxenda Passeio is one of these and he paid us a visit recently. Hear what he had to say about his farm
Posted on October 18 2013
October 18 2013
We recently welcomed Túlio Henrique Rennó Junqueira from Carmo Estate to talk about his farm, production and life in the coffee family. For those that were lucky enough to join us on the day, there was the fascinating opportunity to question Tulio on all aspect of production and export. If you couldn’t join us, watch
Posted on August 1 2013
August 1 2013
Our Head of Asia, Grant Rattray reflects on a trip to Asia’s fastest-growing coffee hotspot, Korea. In the country that brought us the hit TV show – ‘The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince’ – it’s no surprise that the fascination for all things coffee shows little sign of abating. The first impression of Seoul and
Posted on June 26 2013
June 26 2013
Funds raised from the sale of Finca El Retiro, El Talapo and Guachoca last year have continued to improve the lives of the communities involved in the Pacas Family Charity FUNPRES. After our last investment into the FUNPRES charity, we have received the first report about the programs, which highlights how more people will benefit
Posted on June 26 2013
June 26 2013
4 days, 4 top roasters, 4 skilled baristas and some good old English summer weather made for an enjoyable weekend at Taste of London. Mercanta joined forces with the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association at Taste of London Festival in Regent’s Park, London to introduce festivalgoers to specialty coffee. Four of our customers came on board
Posted on June 7 2013
June 7 2013
A recent visit revealed the variety of different ways Rwandan coffee makes its way to our cupping table. Back at the end of May, our lovely coffee huntress Jo, travelled to Rwanda with Melbourne Coffee Merchant’s equally delightful Fleur and Jenni to source wonderful coffees and strengthen the relationships we have built up there over
Posted on May 29 2013
May 29 2013
The under recognized region of Antioquia moved into the light with two farms making it to this year’s Colombian Cup of Excellence Auction. Antioquia has long been the little sister of Colombian coffee regions, with its produce being undiscovered by the rest of the world. Flavor profiles are unlike those from the rest of the
Posted on April 16 2013
April 16 2013
We had a fantastic time at the 25th SCAA in Boston last weekend with cuppings, interviews and lots of time spreading the quality coffee word! Mercanta were out in force at 25th SCAA in Boston last weekend and it was a success all round. We got share our love of quality coffee with a lot
Posted on April 2 2013
April 2 2013
Mercanta have joined forces with Café Pacas, to reach beyond the coffee plantations and put the proceeds from coffee back into communities in El Salvador. After an initial donation early last year, we decided to continue our support of two schools sponsored by Café Pacas. By donating 10p from the sale of every 1kg of
Posted on April 1 2013
April 1 2013
We sent Jose to spend a hectic three days in Honduras meeting old friends and seeking out new farms all in the name of sourcing exciting additions for our warehouses. Landing in San Pedro Sula, the first stop for him was to visit the impressive facilities at Ihcafe, the Honduran Coffee institute. Ihcafe, which was
Posted on April 1 2013
April 1 2013
Last Friday there was much excitement in the office as we became the proud possessors of ‘Mercanta’ engraved cupping spoons. As eager as we were to test them out straight away, we knew they would benefit in the long run from a little tempering. Although the need to season a roaster is widely accepted in
Posted on March 20 2013
March 20 2013
12th – 14th April will see thousands of people from more than 75 countries descend on Boston to discover the world of specialty coffee. The 25th Annual SCAA Exposition will feature hundreds of exhibitors from the coffee world as well as educational sessions covering a wide array of topics. It promises to be a spectacular
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