The Importance of Global Coffee Importing and Assessing Samples
Over to Mercanta:
Each day at the Mercanta Cupping Lab, whether in London, Seattle, Berlin, Glasgow, Dubai, or Singapore – is filled with an array of exciting coffees, unique origins, and carefully orchestrated quality analysis. Thanks to our global presence, we are able to work with producers from the jungles of Costa Rica to the vast savannahs of Tanzania.
Not only that, but we have a variety of clients ranging from small roasteries in the Arctic Circle to bustling shops in the Middle East. Our reach is far, and we work to not only ensure quality coffee is delivered to each of our clients, but also that we support each producer we work with – creating a future for coffee production.
Photo: Mercanta
Selecting Coffee
In order to locate high quality coffee, we must carefully examine samples that trickle into each office. Couriers arrive with interestingly packed bags of green coffee, sent to us from all over the world depending on the time of year. These samples are carefully graded, examined, and prepared for roasting by lead lab technicians. Following this, the sample is gently loaded into the sample roaster where it will be roasted via a pre-programmed omni roast. This has been generated to ensure that each coffee is roasted with the same profile – less variables leading to fewer mistakes. These are rested and cupped the following day.
To achieve this – our ROEST sample roaster lends endless support, diligently roasting each sample uniformly. The profiles are easily stored, and roasting is a smooth and delicate process, making it simple to roast a large number of samples. With this support, we here at Mercanta have the ability to maintain efficiency and focus more time on quality analysis.
Assessing samples amidst each of our offices can prove to be difficult since we are located all over the world. This is why sample roasting is essential – and why we must work as a collective team to ensure uniformity. ROEST allows us to share profiles and gives each lab a uniform way to roast and cup coffee.
Standard sample roasting profile by Mercanta used for various types of coffee.
Notes from the QC about the profile: First crack happens on average at 5 minutes 30 seconds and then we wait on average an additional 50 seconds until we drop the coffee. For naturals we wait about 30 seconds. It is determined by a combination of observing the bean color and avoiding the ROR spiking.
Global Reach
Mercanta is unique – considering our global presence in our various offices worldwide. It is important we highlight the hard work of the coffee producers and ensure that samples received are carefully roasted and properly considered.
“Our purchase can change the lives of producers, and this is why the role of the coffee importer is essential: not only in bringing coffee into various nations throughout the globe – but also by supporting the livelihoods of producers along the Coffee Belt.”
By assessing coffee quality, we are able to provide producers with opportunities to improve their quality or receive a premium price for a high-quality coffee. This is vital, especially in producing countries where smallholders have limited access to premium markets and receive below liveable income for their coffee.
With the careful analysis of coffees worldwide, we can teach producers about quality, and provide them opportunities to learn about improving quality. Maintaining a proper lab, cupping team, and sample roaster is thus necessary to achieve these overarching goals.
Mercanta’s Glasgow cupping lab. Photo: Mercanta
Connecting Consumer with Producer
As we know, coffee is consumed worldwide by a significant percentage of global populations – yet how many know the source of the beloved beverage? Here at Mercanta, we value traceability, or understanding exactly where our coffee was produced and by whom. This requires a careful process of interacting with producers or cooperatives, assessing the coffee’s quality, whilst also learning the background information of each farm. From here, we can ensure that producers and consumers remain connected.
Information gathering is initiated once we ignite a relationship with someone at origin, who sends their samples for us to roast and assess. We learn about each farm, washing station, or cooperative as we cup and taste each coffee. If the quality suffices, we purchase and request more information about each coffee. This information is funnelled into a report that is then fed to our clients. These clients then create their own story to display at the roastery, on their bags or on social media platforms to truly close the loop between consumer and producer.
At the heart of this interaction is sampling and cupping. It is essential to evaluate each coffee uniformly – which requires a perfect roast each time. This allows us to give each coffee a common base to be judged upon.
Mercanta highly values traceability, in addition to quality. We hope to not only highlight our current producers, connecting them to roasters worldwide, but we also yearn to create a network of producers, working to improve quality and earn a more sustainable income.
ROEST Sample Roaster is equipped with a small trier to see beans during the roasting process.
Dual fan system makes your workflow faster - you can roast another batch while cooling down the previous one.
Mercanta and the Future
Coffee is a core component of many developing nations’ livelihoods, and we as importers have the ability to support and sustainably improve these communities. By connecting with producers, roasting, and sampling their coffee, we hope to give them a steppingstone into premium markets. Assessing quality with the right tools, such as the ROEST, allows us to achieve these goals within each of our offices.
We hope to work with more producers, roasting more samples, and spreading these special lots throughout the world.
Written by Michaela Tomcheck at Mercanta
Photos by Mercanta