The secret diary of a green coffee buyer aged 40 and 1/4
A trip around Central America Day 11 a trip to my number one coffee of 2013 Santa Petrona
Break over, today starts early, and i’m still unwell. but the two choices are to stop in bed, or get to visit the coffee that came number one in my top ten of 2013, I take my chances.
It stats early in the morning in the car park, in San Salvador. the car park around the back of Viva Espresso. Viva Espresso is a coffee shop that is home to the 2011 world barista champion and the 2013 third place world barista champion. I know this as Alejandro the 2011 WBC champion I roasted the coffee for him. I know William the 2013 champion as he also used the coffee from the farm I am about to finish. In fact this coffee finished third and forth as my buddy and business partner Colin Harmon the Irish champion used this coffee too.
Its funny as I and no one else really knew about this farm back in 2011. When I first visited it was not with the idea of buying it, but to visit Alejandro after he worn the WBC. Lilly his boss at Viva espresso comes from a famous family called the Pacas (so famous they have a coffee varietal named after them), and this is her farther farm. To catch up and enjoy each others company, I was invited to the farm for a picnic and beers for us all to catch up. the farm impressed me so much I asked Lilly’s brother for samples, and the rest they say is history.
But back to the car park, Alejandro who has been looking after me for the past few days drives me from the beach to the car park. On the way he tells me that Federico (lillys brother) son shares a class with his son at the kinder garden. El Salvador is a small world for sure. He also tells me that he wishes he could come see the farm too, as he has heard so much about Santa Petrona. Its for sure the farm of the moment, and a farm that every one is getting to know. At the car park we meet Federico (lillys brother) and Federico (lillys husband and co owner of Viva Espresso and trainer of the champions), enough Federico’s and Alejandro’s for you yet ? Hugs are exchanged, spanish is spoken and Ale is in the car with the two Federico’s and me going to the farm. I love it when my favourite people collide in this kind of way. Producers can learn so much from each other just as roasters do when they get together, they also get to share stories about me, and have things to blackmail me with at a later date which is not so good.
The drive to the farm is cool, I speak virtually no spanish, but I’ve picked up enough to understand most conversations. Luckily for me most of the things they say about me are good, and the conversation is one about sharing and learning.
We drive to the mill to collect some things to take up to the farm, and we are off to a road I’ve got tot know well. Its a great drive with good roads. the farm is next door to a farm I know well, el Retiro. In fact they used to be one farm until the land reform back in the 60's, where the government made family’s give away land if they owned a lot. so many family’s split farms between siblings and split them up to make them small enough. This is why there are no super estates in El Salvador, and all small farms. I think part of the reason I love it so much.
The farm is 17 hectors and quite large in the scheme of things, and the pacamara I loved so much this year is all planted around the house. We take a stroll around finca has bean as its now been nicknamed, as we buy it all of this coffee. Theres a great replanted area of new plants that next year should we mean we see more of this coffee (exciting).
But theres a problem on the farm this year. Its not as bad as Finca Argentina, but its not as great as San Jose, the leaf rust has been a problem. It means that this year we should get what we got last, but there will be no more, even with the new plantings. Its sad to see the farm struggling, but the farm manager assures me that things are ok, and he thinks good times are coming. I like his optimism.
Then its time to go see the pacas and bourbon, and this time they have a quad bike and a little truck to go down. I take the quad bike. SO SO SO SO much fun, I need to travel farms on clever vehicles. Its strange but I love doing it this way, shades on vrooooom vrooooomm.
We first stop at the pacas that looks super healthy, and good. But as soon as we get in the trees you see the rust, spores spread from neighbours farms, its sad to see.
Next were off to the bourbon, the amazing paras bourbon. Paras is a method of bending the tree over, so new shoots come off it. You can get three four or even five trees from one set of roots. this helps to make strong roots and keep up the yield.
This part of the farm looks great, and I’m super impressed. This part is less effected.
Theres a great climbing tree (and you know I like a climbing tree) and I’m up. a great view of Santa ana. I can see lots of farms in the area, much worse with rust than here, lots lots worse.
We return to the farm house for a beer. A beer thats well deserved after my awesome quad bike driving. After a beer a sit and a chat (still nothing bad about me in the spanish I can work out) we head to Santa Ana for lunch. This is great as I get to buy three of my favourite people lunch so I insist ion the best restaurant in Santa ana, delicious steak all around, and diet coke (I’m still ill you know) but greta catch up with the boys.
From here we drive to the mill again to cup. Federico (Viva espresso one) has started to work with other farms to show their coffees off to people like me. He is a great cupper and a great guy and I am pleased to taste some delicious coffees he has picked out for us. great to know he will have our back with them too. Feet on the ground help so much in coordinating a shipment, and I know this will be great news for us.
From here its time for more beers (i’m getting better you know) at a great new brew pub in San Salvador. This place has some craft beers and a really good vibe. Alejandro seems to have enjoyed the day, but I know I have. Lots of my friends have chilled relaxed and met each other. Within the hour Lilly, Alejandro (WBC 2011 champ) and his wife also arrive, and much chatting goes on. But we have an early start tomorrow, so we have to make our goodbyes. I feel sad, but happy to have had ana amazing day. a great way to see out El Salvador, one of my favourite coffee growing countries.
But theres one more treat for me. I have travelled here since 2007. My first flight out of here was to Miami and a shock. Yes yes I was still frightened of flying then, but anyone who does this flight knows of a tradition. A tradition that involves fried chicken. Pollo Campero is a fast food chain operating in Central America and was founded in 1971 by a Guatemalan businessman, Dionisio Gutiérrez Gutiérrez. Its a tradition on that flight that you have to take pollo campero back with you to Miami for family and loved ones. So strong is the link that when Kentucky fried chicken tried to open in El Salvador it had to close its doors because of the loyalty. Well every time I have come I’ve wanted to visit because of this crazy loyalty, but as a food snob been to embarrassed to do it.
But tonight was to be the night I lost my cherry. I did my pollo. I have tried hard in these posts to not to any photos but I think its good you get to see my first time. It was good.
Tomorrow is a 4 am start so full of greasy chicken off to bed satified that I understood the miami route tradtition.
