Connecting to Origin

Here at Briggo, we are constantly in the pursuit of doing right by the planet and by those who choose to indulge in our Connected Coffee Experience. We firmly believe in giving full visibility and control to the consumer. This means giving full insight into the origin of our whole-bean coffee blend, all the way to the Briggo app users have on their phone. This blog aims to illustrate our dedication to the origin of our delicious Briggo blend of Latin American coffee.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Our Founder and CTO, Chas Studor, recently connected with Texas A&M University Ph.D. student Taya Brown from the Center for Coffee Research and Education. Taya and her research partner, Daniel Dubon had been planning to study the production of coffee beans and cup quality from six small farmer associations in and around Yepocapa, Guatemala during December 2017. Fortuitously, Chas was planning a visit to the region to meet with several Briggo partners including farmers, co-ops, and friends of our Coffee Guru Scott McMartin.

COFFEE COMPLEXITIES

During the trip, Chas was struck by the complexities and challenges faced by small farmers in this Latin American coffee growing region. Chas recalled driving several miles of unmarked dirt roads and descending steep hills surrounded by brush, near two active volcanoes, in order to reach a small grouping of coffee plants. This is a daily routine for many of the farmers he and Taya met. Chas spoke of gaining “a great appreciation” for their hardships, their passion for coffee, and general resolve. “It was a very humbling experience,” Chas said. Admiring such dedication in the face of adversity, the Briggo team’s core ambition is to operate responsibly and create opportunities “from farm to cup”.

Many variables contribute to the growth and production of high-quality coffee beans, while nature and nurture prove to be equally important factors. Soil, sun, and water directly contribute to plant health, but human care is an understated yet critical input to the rich flavor of the coffee which we all know and love. “It’s amazing how important the coffee cherry selection process is to the end cup quality” Chas said. The selection of quality cherries is what determines the farmers viability to continue growing and expand their network of buyers.

Once the beans are harvested, they are moved to shared Co-ops to be wet and then dry milled. “The processed coffee is sold to larger contractors who don’t pay until the season is over, sometime in April. That means the farmers have to wait two to six months for payment,” Brown says. The Center for Coffee Research and Education works to support small farmers, who otherwise could not afford to grade the beans they work so tirelessly to produce. In turn, Scott McMartin then utilizes his expertise to support the farmers Taya works with to Q grade their beans and potentially increase the value of their crop.

CONTINUOUSLY IN PURSUIT

At our core we are a gourmet coffee company. Although, we have invested significantly in R&D to develop the hardware and software which delivers our product on-demand. The robotic Coffee Haus is an efficient and exciting delivery system, but “it takes understanding the entire process, from the soil the coffee grows in to the robotic precision used to create your perfect cup” said Chas. Our four-part Latin American blend of beans travels from farm to co-op, through Houston to Austin where they are roasted locally to our specific profile. We aim to create opportunities for customers, employees, and partners by continuously improving what we consume and how we consume it. That all begins with the integrity of the coffee and the strength of the relationships we continue to build throughout our supply chain.

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Learn more about the research conducted by the CCRE here.