You don’t have to go too far back in time, and coffee was just coffee. The term “specialty coffee” didn’t appear until the mid-1970s. In this outdated world, it was easy to source green coffee beans. At the end of the supply chain, it was all the same. 

Applying the “any-coffee-goes” strategy today would be quite the statement in specialty coffee. Producers have differentiated and developed new processing methods. And the coffee you buy says a lot about the kind of roaster you are. 

In a world with an overload of choices, today’s challenge is another. How do I find the right green coffee among the hundreds of offers available? Do I choose direct trade or importers? Should I care not just about quality, but about the people behind the beans? 

To answer these questions, we talked to Beatrice Rast. She is one of the sisters behind Rast Kaffee and told us what her sourcing strategy is like. Here, you'll learn how she picks the producers she wants to collaborate with.

A large roastery in Switzerland, Rast buys coffee from more than 30 producers for different purposes. It’s quite an inventory! 

“Oftentimes, we cup something interesting or exotic. Then, we go ahead and order a couple of bags for special editions. This can be exciting, crazy stuff. A lot of our customers are very open and curious to try and experiment with new coffees”, says Beatrice.

To supply restaurants or big customers, there is less appetite for funk. The sourcing process is more structured. “In this space, we’re going more for consistency. These are bigger volumes, and we’re not set up to run the selection process from scratch every year. As a result, we’re building long-term partnerships.” 

If you’re sourcing for the house blend rather than an exotic add-on, there are many parameters. The origin, flavour profile, certification, volume, and price range are always predefined. Unless you're starting from scratch.

“Communicating these interests and needs is crucial. By sharing information with Algrano, you’ll get to a manageable set of offerings in no time”, says Beatrice.

“Sharing information with Algrano” can take many forms. Roasters can set a simple search filter on algrano.com/coffees. Or they can hit a sales manager up and ask for recommendations.

A producer relationship really starts once Rast is past these initial assessments. “This is where the Algrano idea always struck us as clever, right from the start. It is intuitive, matching you with producers that you can identify with and talk to them directly. Because, at its core, the coffee business is a very personal affair, and builds on trust”, says Beatrice. 

One of Rast’s longest and strongest relationships is with Fabrício Andrade from Sancoffee in Brazil. The exchanges with Fabrício started in 2016. First through the Algrano messaging app, then via Whatsapp and email. 

Travelling to the origin and visiting the producer is still the gold standard for direct trade. But such trips are not always doable, especially when sourcing from 30+ producers.

“Here’s where we have a lot more options today. And the pandemic certainly pushed remote collaboration. [We can use] email, Whatsapp, Zoom and Skype, or information we find online about the producer”, explains Beatrice. 

“Plus we’re excited to see that many producers started travelling to Europe themselves. Meeting them here is super valuable as well.” She met Fabrício at World of Coffee in Milan this year, and he visited the Rast roastery in Ebikon a few years back. 

Rast’s long-term view and commitment are visible from the very first order. Once the roaster decides to work with a producer, there is no gradual ramp-up or testing of the waters with small orders. 

“If we’re convinced, we go all in – we want to be able to source the same quality for at least one year, and in most cases for much longer. The long-term view also allows them to develop the relationships further, optimising at every cycle through support to specific smallholder projects or by increasing volumes. 

Beatrice is convinced that good business leads to a better supply chain. “Our biggest leverage is simple economics – with the right attitude, we can support economic sustainability, which allows investing in social and ecological projects.”.