What is Santaromero?
Santaromero is the name of the adventure that Gabi and I started in 2020. Our goal is to shorten the distance between coffee producers and consumers. We know it is a huge challenge, but we will try our best to do so.
In October we moved to Colombia to look for sustainable coffee farmers and after gathering manyinteresting information, we decided to share our knowledge with others by starting our own podcast “Coffee in a Beanshell”.
We are not aiming at becoming YouTubers or influencers, but we felt the urge to spread our findings related to the current challenges that coffee farmers are facing and the future of coffee in Colombia.
How did you and Gabi became passionate about coffee?
I graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo in 2014, and after falling in love with cacao in Ecuador I started working for Domori. One day Carlin Petrini (the founder of Slow Food) invited me for a coffee and proposed me a job, and for the following 8 years, I worked with him and followed him all over the world. Meanwhile, Gabi moved from Colombia and we met in Bra while she was studying for her Master’s degree.
We both fell in love with each other, and with coffee (of course!) at Bottega delle Delizie, a specialty coffee shop in Bra in 2015. I didn’t use to drink coffee at all, as I didn’t like the effects it had on my body. Nowadays, I appreciate the aroma complexity of coffee, but I never wake up craving it, I usually drink it only when I do cupping or tastings.
Gabi is the real expert of the couple, as she did a course about roasting, sensorial analysis, and green coffee.
During the pandemic of Covid-19 we both decided to change our lives. We first bought a roasting machine, to experiment different roasting techniques, and then we decided to move to Colombia, to look for the best quality and sustainable coffee beans.
What is your vision for Santaromero’s coffee?
Our idea is to create a product that could be defined as “our friend’s coffee”, we want to know our producers as deeply as we know our friends. For instance, we aim at roasting coffee in Italy that has been carefully selected in Colombia, by paying a fair price to sustainable farmers that we have a direct relationship with. We want to offer a product that has been cultivated by people that we trust and personally know, by supporting as much as we can a fair value chain cycle.
Due to climate change and other reasons the price of coffee in Colombia fluctuates every year, for example,125 kg of Pergamino coffee used to cost around 200-250$ a few years ago, meanwhile this year it rose to more than 500$.
Why are the most famous specialty coffee roasters in Northern Europe?
There are two reasons why Northern Europe is more advanced in roasting coffee. On one hand, the Mediterranean culture is close-minded when it comes to coffee, as in Italy people believe there is no other type of coffee style other than espresso, and therefore coffee has always been dark roasted for this specific purpose. Meanwhile, anywhere north from Germany different roasting techniques (mainly light roasting) are being used to enhance the different origins of coffee, which can be enjoyed with filter coffee, as it gives a more complex extraction. On the other hand, in Northern Europe historically coffee was promoted by governments as a substitute for alcohol
What is the landscape of coffee production in Colombia?
Colombians have traditionally consumed the by-products of coffee production, which is called “Pasilla”. It is the beans that are being discarded during the selection process. Otherwise, they drink instant coffee, which probably doesn’t even come from Colombia. The best quality coffee is called “coffee for export”, this is the reason why the majority of producers don’t even know the taste of the coffee they cultivate.
Unfortunately, the new generation of Colombians is not willing to cultivate coffee anymore, as it requires hard work and is not well paid. They other sell the land or switch to a more profitable crop, such as avocado.
However, Colombia is a lucky country as they produce great quality coffee and don’t cultivate any Robusta. In fact, it is prohibited by the Federación National de Cafeteros in Colombia, which also is in charge to check the quality of coffee beans and therefore decides the final price, starting from the price set by the stock market. A medium quality producer is able to cultivate green beans which can easily reach 80-82 SCA points once roasted, and consequently can be defined as specialty coffee.
What is the future of coffee in Colombia?
Unfortunately, Colombia is a country with many inequalities, and a great portion of the population cannot afford to buy good Colombian coffee. However, recently there are some local producers that are trying to bring awareness and roast specialty coffee for Colombians and not for the foreign market. One example is Café Jesus Martin, a family of coffee growers that has a holistic approach to agriculture. They are planting local varieties in permaculture, respecting the soil, and experimenting on roasting techniques, to give Colombians a higher quality of coffee.
Can you give us some tips on how to select a sustainable coffee brand?
This is a really good question, I wish I had a magic formula for this!
Usually, the more information you find on labels, the higher the quality of the coffee. The two main parameters are 100% Arabica and single-origin (with the specified area). However, the real problem is that coffee is not considered as food! Even the high-end restaurants will be willing to research and pay high amounts of money for specific ingredients, but not for coffee!
I believe coffee and Champagne are somehow similar for industrial brands, as they both need to have the same flavor every year. In the case of Champagne, the “dosage” is key to reproduce the same aromas and characteristics of the previews vintages. For what concerns coffee, specific recipes are developed by blending different percentages of beans from various countries, obtaining a coffee with the same flavors and aromas that the consumer expects when buying a specific brand.
Which are your three favorite specialty coffee shops to enjoy a good filter coffee?
Number one is Bottega delle Delizie. What Paolo has been doing for the last 7 years is simply outstanding. It’s a place of the heart.
Cafè Libertario, in Cartagena, Colombia. Felipe and his partner manage this cafeteria in Getsemani neighbourhood, offering coffee from “La Palma y Tucan” with passion, energy, and great experience!
Lastly, The Barn in Berlin. it’s always beautiful to enjoy time in one of the sacred temples of specialty coffee. Great coffees, great technique, and always a lot to learn.