David, our head of coffee recently got back from Colombia where he was visiting some of our coffee producing partners. It's a chance to check in with how the harvest is going, further develop relationships and explore the vast landscapes coffee farms are situated. We reflect the trip and dive deeper into how David spends this time in the outdoors.  

Where did your trip start? 

After 28 hours of travel I landed at El Eden airport in Armenia. Here I was greeted by Santiago in his pick up truck, chucked my bags in the back and headed straight to La Predera farm, from where I would be based for the week. 

La Predera is not only a farm but also a coffee processing centre. So it was a great spot to be based to see first hand how ripe coffee cherries are processed into dry green coffee ready for export and then Roasting. Waking up, opening the wooden blinds each morning to the sight of coffee drying on the open patios was pretty spectacular.

What did you see during your trip you didn’t expect? 

I was really lucky to visit an experimental farm called Jarden El Eden. Here they have planted a selection of rare and unique varietals of coffee known for their amazing taste profiles. The farm ranges from 1750m up to 2000m, so it was quite the hike in the 40 degree heat! Each coffee tree is planted 2 meters apart to allow more airflow between the trees and this also allows for less competition for nutrients. The aim here is to produce super high quality coffees over volume, so the yield from each tree is very low compared to usual yields. Between 1-2kg of coffee cherries per tree compared to the usual 8-10 kg. The resulting ripe coffee cherries were incredibly sweet and vastly different in taste. It was like eating sweets, I couldn’t stop myself! 

What were some of your favourite memories?

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. So waking up every morning to what can only be described as the sound of the rainforest turned up to the max was unforgettable. One particular bird sounded like it was wolf-whistle constantly, which I found quite amusing.

Another highlight was visiting a producer who we hope to work with in the future. His name is Cesar Buesaquillo. He has a small plot of land high up in the mountains named La Esmeralda. It's 6 hectares and is set in a beautiful location on a hillside. Sitting on a rocking chair underneath a corrugated metal roof in a complete downpour sipping the most delicious pink bourbon coffee grown on his farm. Laughing and chatting about his secret recipe for his organic homemade insecticide which all i can say involves a lot of chillies! I felt very lucky to be there. 

What is your day-to-day experience of the outdoors and how did you first discover it?

Having grown up in the depths of Somerset I spent many summer holidays as a kid exploring the surrounding lands, building treehouses and sleeping on hay bails. Having access to the outdoors is something that is and will always be really important to me. 

I think as you get a bit older and life gets a bit more complicated its easy to neglect and forget how good it feels to get out amongst nature and be in the outdoors. When I was younger it was an adventure walking past the end of the lane and yet now its easy to get caught up in the idea that adventures have to be something huge like summiting Everest!

For me, getting opportunities to visit coffee producing countries where the producers often live in very remote areas and have a symbiotic relationship with nature has been really eye opening. They have a huge appreciation for nature as it helps provide them with their livelihood. Talking to these producers they speak of how important it is to them to protect and improve their surroundings so that future generations can continue to have access to all the amazing things which the outdoors provides. 

     
What is your definition of adventure? 

An experience that pushes you out of your comfort zone, offering new perspectives and fostering a deeper appreciation for the world around you. 

You can find David most of the time at the Roastery- head to the top unit at the brickworks where you can usually find him with the shutters open, tunes blasting away and roasting delicious coffee. If you cycle/walk/drive past please pop in and say hello!