Quest Coffee was founded when we were presented with a rare opportunity to source coffee beans directly from a small coffee estate in Brazil. Unlike most coffee companies. We do not buy through coffee brokers but rather directly from the farmer. Buying directly from the farmer, not only helps to ensure bean quality, freshness and traceability, but offers farmers a unique opportunity to benefit from company profits.
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The Estate:Located in Nepomuceno Brazil (elevation 2834 ft), the farm has been the Villas Boas family for over a 100 years. Nequinha Villas Boas was the original owner and he passed the land down to his 15 children and their children. |
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The Farmer:Mr. Higino Magrinelli Neto has been farming 12.5 Hectors (30.88 acres) of the land for 30 years. He takes care of 24,000 coffee plants that produce 15,000kg (33,000 lbs) of coffee per harvest. He keeps a caretaker on the plantation to help take care of the day to day tasks. At harvest time he is able to provide work to 10 additional workers. |
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Sustainablity:Mr. Magrinelli is committed to sustainable farming and is constantly evolving to improve practices. He works closely with an agriculturist to make sure his plants, farmers and the environment stay healthy. Just as it has been for generations, coffee beans are handpicked. Unlike with massive coffee operations, NO environmentally polluting machines are used to harvest our beans. |
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Bean Quality:The beans are 100% “bebida dura” Arabic. This is a designation of excellent quality. This type of bean creates a fuller, more flavorful cup of coffee and are highly sought after and of greater value within the industry. |
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Direct Trade:We buy our beans directly from Mr. Magrinelli. We have a direct relationship with him and we are in constant communication with him about the farm and the coffee (see our blog). Most coffee companies use bean brokers to source beans. Most of the beans bought from brokers mix high and low quality beans to increase profit margins. Mr. Magrinelli makes sure we always have 100% the highest quality beans! Not only do we pay Mr. Magrinelli above fair market price for the beans, but he and his family receive a percentage of the company profits from coffee sales! This practice is unique to our business model and takes the concept of fair trade to another level, helping to further strengthen the livelihood of farmers, seasonal workers, and communities. |
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Roasting Method:We roast the majority our beans right here in Seattle, using an internationally renowned Diedrich roaster. This roaster uses ceramic infrared burners and heat exchanges which decreases noxious gas emissions and allows for precise control over the roasting method. Therefore we can create refined roast profiles not possible with other roasting methods. This allows us to maximize the flavors unique to our beans. We also have the ability to further personalize roast profiles based on our customers personal preferences. Contact us to learn how we can customize a roast just for you! We roast in small batches to ensure the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee. We also occasionally offer, in small quantities, the “Village Roast” which are beans roasted in the Magrinelli’s village just as they have done for generations. |