Why SE Asian Coffee?

So, why Southeast Asian Coffee?

I think this decision came about very organically for us.

Starting my coffee career in the states gave me unrestricted access to the most beautiful coffees from all over the world. Coffees from countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, just to name a few. I had never really given any thought to coffees from Asia. Mainly, because of my ignorance of not knowing that coffees even grew there. Also because the American market was saturated with outstanding coffees from more easily accessible regions.

When I moved to Thailand to work for a Wholesale coffee roasting company, I quickly realized a few things: First, coffee was being grown all around me. Second, Thailand imposes a 90% import tax on almost all coffee. Meaning any coffee we bought from Africa, South America and so-on would end up costing about twice as much as it would back home. There was an exception to that import regulation, however. Coffee from ASEAN countries (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) could be brought in with a 0-5% import tax. So, in an effort to put the company on a path of sustainable growth & to be able to put that cost towards something more impactful, we set out to find local coffee producers in the ASEAN region.

Over the next three years we traveled all over Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos & Vietnam, building connections & relationships with coffee producers who were eager to work with us. The third thing I learned was that wherever I traveled in Southeast Asia to source coffee, I was always greeted with delicious coffee. Specialty coffee was already being produced there and it felt like no one outside of the Asian coffee community really knew about it. Yet, there I was and the coffee "gems" were everywhere!

Fast-forward a few years later to today, the push for specialty coffee movement in Southeast Asia is massive. Producers have recognized that they can earn a much more viable income and even thrive by following practices that will produce specialty grade coffee. However, only if there is a buyer for that specialty coffee. If these producers aren't able to export their coffees to regions where specialty coffee is in high demand, then they’re amazing coffee becomes more subject to selling at un-sustainable commodity market prices.

Today, our goal has become crystal clear. We want to be as impactful as we can as a company, and also incentivize all the extra effort these communities/producers put in to produce these beautiful coffees. We know that these coffee "gems” are just begging for consumers to discover them. We are doing our part to support these Southeast Asian producers, by sharing these beautiful and unique specialty coffees with you.