Jamie Ball in Assodantas, Brazil

Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world with annual production of around 60 million bags. Communities in Brazil also produce about 30% of our coffee and we work hard to maintain close relationships with suppliers in the region.

In August 2019, one of our buyers went to visit some of our Brazilian suppliers; spending 13 days on 6 different farms.

While he was in Brazil, Jamie ran some taste calibration tests on the coffee that goes into our Lazy Sunday, Rich Italian and After Dark blends. He also spent some time learning about the exciting new ways that Brazilian coffee farmers are processing the humble coffee bean. Including some pretty innovative work with African raised beds, which are designed to keep coffee cherries off the ground; raising yield and creating a more consistent flavour profile.

Jamie also had the opportunity to check in on some of our Brazilian initiatives, including a joint-funded project to protect natural water sources in Assodantas, and a scheme to improve the quality of musical workshops that benefit some 150 school children in the state of Minas Gerais.

Jamie also got to spend some time in Recanto Sao Vicente Rest Home, where we’re joint-funding a project to provide speech therapy lessons and other extracurricular activities. We’re really proud of the work we’re doing in Brazil, and Jamie thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to engage with the communities that supply our coffee.