For Lea Essing, Sourcing & Origin Manager at Tchibo, Algrano helps to go beyond quality. By talking to producers, she can assess their professionalism and expertise.
Germans love Tchibo Rarity Coffees. This is How They Create Unique Products (Pro Tips for Roasters)
The Hamburg-based roastery goes beyond quality, assessing producers on professionalism and expertise. Learn how Sourcing & Origin Manager Lea Essing selects standout coffees. And more: which questions she always asks.

For Lea Essing, Sourcing & Origin Manager at Tchibo, Algrano helps to go beyond quality. By talking to producers, she can assess their professionalism and expertise.


The link between direct trade & sustainable coffees
“With Algrano, we know that our coffee is sustainable. And we can check the information. If we know the producer well, we have more certainty that the coffee is sourced sustainably. And that the supply chain is fair.”
Tchibo relies on certifications to provide more traceability on commercial beans. But with specialty coffees, certifications are not always an option.
Four steps to source limited edition coffees
Lea's goal with rare coffees is to present "a different taste profile and origin to consumers”. She needs something different from standard portfolio coffees. “We want something exclusive, innovative and high quality.”
- Eight months before the launch: Search countries that can deliver by the time of launch. This involves knowing when the harvest happens in many origins, getting shipping timelines and type samples.
- Seven months before the launch: Taste samples and get more information about producers. The information doesn't have to be exhaustive at this point. Yet, Lea wants to know about processing, volumes, how the supply chain is organised and the general profile of each producer on the table.
- Six months before the launch: Sign the contract. Send the checklist to suppliers, schedule calls, and inquire about marketing material.
- Pre-launch: Talk to the producer every three to four weeks until she launches the coffee. Prepare packaging and campaign information to share.


Crafting stories with coffee producers
Source Coffee, Talk to Farmers and Learn with Algrano!
Early this year, Tchibo reached out wanting to connect and the idea of visiting them in Hamburg came up. Markus and Lea, our hosts, were so gracious with their time, not limited to showing us the offices of Tchibo but taking us out to try traditional German food and beer. As a family, we value connecting with the roasters we work with and it was fun leaving coffee on the side for a moment and to talk about our favorite football clubs, life experiences, make jokes and laugh. Despite a strong language barrier, there was also a strong connection, knowing we are all important parts of the supply chain. We are incredibly thankful for the relationship with Tchibo and feel blessed and optimistic about the potential we see. Our immediate hope now is to host Markus and Lea at our place in Guatemala, return the hospitality and continue building and enjoying this friendship!
What to ask new coffee suppliers
- General information about the farm such as altitude, size, varieties, climate, soil, and processing methods.
- Are there any challenges that you or other farmers in the region face in coffee farming?
- How did you start working with coffee?
- What does working with coffee mean to you? Passion? Tradition? Work/money?
- What would you like to say to us as roasters and to consumers?



How Tchibo gets farmers involved in the creative process
“Coffee can be economically sustainable”
“There is an overrated picture of the third world poor farmer in people’s minds. We did market research and found that this is how most German consumers think,” Lea says.
She adds that her goal is to show that producers are business people. “Farmers like Adrian are role models. They show that coffee can be economically sustainable and profitable.”
The Sourcing Manager defends talking “at eye level” with producers, “not treating them as people without their own opinion”. For her, this kind of relationship secures the sustainability of the coffee chain. It also puts more money in the pockets of producers.
Why stories link back to quality


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