Sourcing coffee with the right qualities is an essential part of who we are. Our relationships at origin help us source coffee we are proud of; coffee that is ethical, traceable, and tastes remarkable. This is what we look for in a sourcing relationship.
Specialty-Grade Flavour
We've been buying the majority of our coffee direct from origin since 2001. In that time we're proud to have developed longstanding relationships with ethical companies that we work with year on year to bring you great coffee. We started sourcing from origin because we couldn't find the flavour and quality we were after locally. We only source specialty-grade coffee for our blends and single origins, at least 83 points or above on the SCA scale. Sourcing specialty coffee from origin means we get exclusive access to coffee that matches the flavour profiles of our core coffee blends as well as a range of premium single origin flavours to experiment with.
Our long-term partnerships at origin help us source the coffee we need to deliver our iconic flavour, quality and consistency every day. We source this way for two reasons. The producer gets financial security for the coming harvest, allowing them to invest in their business and improve the quality of their coffee. In turn, we get the quality and consistency we need to deliver on our flavour promise every day. We’re very proud that we’ve been nurturing partnerships at origin for a long time, some for over 15 years.
We only source coffee through ethical suppliers and producers. We regularly visit our partners at origin to strengthen our relationships across the supply chain. These trips also allow us to see what economic, social or environmental initiatives are in place, and work with our partners to support projects that will have a direct impact.
Former Allpress green coffee buyer Shane Lowe, Marcos Miaki of MC Miaki coffee estates, Ole Kerbsties from NKG Stockler and 3 members of the MC Miaki coffee estates team. Brazil origin trip, 2017.
Coffee Sourcing FAQ
How does Allpress Espresso source coffee?
At Allpress we buy 87% of our green beans directly from the country of origin through long-standing relationships with ethical exporters who connect us directly to farmers and co-ops producing high-quality coffee. While we continue to build new partnerships year on year, 60% of our sourcing relationships have spanned more than five years, and 48% are over 10 years old. Our longest sourcing partnership now stands at 20 years and we are proud to have nurtured these relationships over the past two decades.
Are Allpress' coffees “specialty grade” arabica?
Yes, 100% of our coffee is specialty-grade arabica. At least 83 points or higher on the SCA scale.
What countries does Allpress Espresso buy direct from?
We buy direct from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Honduras. We will start buying directly from Ethiopia and Tanzania in 2022/2023.
How does sourcing coffee direct from origin work?
Sourcing from origin means we work directly with exporters in the countries where our coffee is grown; to find traceable specialty coffee that we can buy for the long term. Buying the majority of our coffee direct means we can develop more relationships all along the supply chain and have more involvement in the coffee we buy. This way of sourcing has worked well for our main blends, where we are looking for larger quantities of coffees that match a specific flavour profile.
Our goal when sourcing coffee is to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that we can proudly nurture. Most of these relationships are older than five years, and some are as old as two decades. Whenever we forge a supplier relationship we start by sharing what unique flavours, quality of beans, and quantity we are looking for and the exporters match us up with coffee from the farmers and co-ops they work with.
The majority of the coffees we buy from origin we continue to buy year after year, meaning we get great consistent flavour and the farmers can count on a reliable buying partner. To deepen the relationships we regularly visit the origins we buy from to taste coffee with our partners, meet the farmers and see their farms.
When did Allpress Espresso start buying coffee from origin and why?
We started sourcing coffee direct in 2001. We weren’t happy with quality and flavour of the green beans available to us locally. We wanted to take control of our coffee supply chain, and source coffees of superior flavour and quality that weren’t available to our competitors. Sourcing direct from origin has allowed us to develop our distinctive and iconic flavour profiles.
Since then we've developed some amazing long-term relationships. Our goal now is to continue to deepen these relationships and work together to create more projects that make a difference at origin, like the Pescador project in Colombia.
Are the coffees that Allpress Espresso sources traceable?
Yes, we work hard to make sure our coffee is traceable, even regional coffee. We review our supply chain regularly to make sure it continues to be ethical and transparent, and we make improvements where necessary.
This year we identified two lots of coffee where smallholder farmers sell to larger neighbours. This is a standard practice in these regions, but means we were missing transparency over this part of the supply chain. We are working together with our exporters to put this traceability in place. We will either create programmes similar to what we have done with our Colombia Pescador or convert these coffees to Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified.
Putting these certifications in place will mean 100% of our coffee will be traceable to the farmers that grew the coffee by 2024 - no matter the size of the farmer.
Does Allpress Espresso visit origin?
Yes, we visit at least one of our origin countries every year. The purpose of these visits is to meet with our export partners and taste coffee samples together to make sure we are aligned on flavour and quality. It also provides our roasters with deeper knowledge about the coffees they work with every day. We visit the co-ops and farms our coffee comes from to establish relationships across our supply chain with the growers, co-ops, and mills that process the coffee.
It also allows us to check in on the working conditions on the farms, as well as the social and economic initiatives that are in place for the community.
How much of Allpress Espresso's coffee is bought from origin and how much is bought locally?
Coffee we bought from origin in 2021-22:
87% of our coffee is bought at origin
15 export partners in 7 countries
Coffee sourced by Allpress Espresso in 2021 included: 6 single estate coffees 11 regional Coffees 4 co-op coffees
Purchasing by origin: Brazil 33% Colombia 24% Guatemala 19% Indonesia 9% Peru, Honduras, Papua New Guinea 15%
visit our 2021 Sourcing Partners page for a complete list of our current origin sourcing partners as well as examples of some of the work they are doing.
Local sourcing stats 2020-21:
13% of coffee bought locally
16 import partners based in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom.
60 coffees bought from local importers from 16 countries Brazil, Burundi, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda
Why does Allpress Espresso buy coffee from local importers?
Local importers offer great variety. Their businesses are set up to find a huge range of coffees that fit many different uses, flavours and customers. This means that we can easily find additions for particular blends, decaf coffees, and interesting single origins to showcase by themselves. It also allows us to support ethical importers who are doing great social, environmental and economic work at origin.
Are your importer partners ethical?
Yes, they are ethical companies that focus on buying relationship-based specialty coffee. There is a range of different types of importers we use, from larger companies like Falcon, Cafe Imports and D.R. Wakefields who represent many different regions, to smaller importers like Indochina Coffee, Ensambles Coffee and South India Coffee Company that work with a small number of producers to open up new origins for specialty coffee - for example Yunnan, China. Their websites explain the great work they do with the producers they represent in each region and we encourage you to explore the different environmental, social and economic projects they are involved with at origin.
For a complete list of the local import partners we work with, as well as their ethical practices, visit our 2021 Import Partnerships page.
