The coffee chain
Oour close cooperation (what we direct trade gives us the ability to connect quickly with the coffee farmers. So we always know what they need to keep the coffee high quality, and on a consistent basis. Éone of the trickiest things after the harvest, for example, is drying the coffee berries. For that, we have now set up African drying beds at the plantation that promote air circulation. They dump the berries on them to dry better. It is important that we help the coffee farmers to keep improving the plantations. This leaves us with more quality coffee to sell. Together, we are intensely committed to producing high-quality coffee beans. Our commitment goes beyond taste. We have carefully calculated what a fair price for the coffee farmers is, and these efforts result in (h)fair single origin organic coffee that every guest experiences in our living rooms.
Our coffee farmers
Together with our local exporter Cultivar and coffee roaster Keen, we work closely with Ramos Ccoillar and his relatives from the Nueva Florida community who provide our coffee harvests. The coffee farmers are originally from the Huancavelica region, deep in Andes of Peru. The eldest son Florentino decided to leave the region and look elsewhere for opportunities, as the family's potato business was not going well. He found a piece of jungle for sale and named it "La Nueva Florida," meaning "New Bloom. There he planted his first coffee plants 15 years ago. Over the years, more and more Florentino family members followed and joined the plot. Since then, La Nueva Florida has grown into a very small community, all from the same Huancavelica region.
Cultivar
The next link in our coffee chain is our local exporter Cultivar, started in 2016 by Lisanne Oonk. After studying anthropology, she worked for years as a quality controller at Trabocca. It was her dream to combine her two passions and grew into Cultivar; a project in Peru where they improve the quality of coffee. This allows coffee farmers to charge more money for their product and allows the buyer to build a better (working) relationship with the farmer. Lisanne's goal is to make the "chain" from producer to buyer as short and transparent as possible. The team of is Cultivar is the link between the coffee farmers of Nueva Florida and the Utrecht-based coffee roaster Keen Coffee.
Keen Coffee
The guys at Keen Coffee roast the coffee beans for Anne&Max. This part of the process is all about finding the ultimate taste. The team at Keen Coffee works directly with coffee farmers, delves into the fascinating world of cup tasting, and is committed to supporting innovative projects that benefit coffee quality. Keen's roasting style is tailored to the unique characteristics of each bean. Using a Loring they roast the beans not only more efficiently, but also in a way that enhances both freshness and natural flavors. This process is not only better for the taste, but also more planet-friendly.
Anne&Max
Once the carefully selected coffee beans cross the threshold of Anne&Max living room, a new chapter in their story begins; the final link in a chain that begins with the coffee farmers and ends with the customer. Now the task lies with our baristas to bring the hidden flavors and aromas of the coffee beans to life. The baristas understand that each bean tells its own story. And they know that the perfect grind, proper pressure, and optimal water temperature are essential to creating that irresistible cup of coffee Anne&Max is known for. Our coffee much more than a hot beverage, it is an ultimate moment of enjoyment.
MVO Netherlands
The coffee industry is still under pressure. In many cases the production process has a negative impact on people and nature at the end of the chain, while coffee roasters have to work with small margins, high costs and fierce competition. To address this, we need to start charging "real prices" for coffee throughout the chain. Together with MVO Netherlands we have been trying to find out the real price of coffee since 2019.
In 2023, we paid $0.87, or 38.5%, per kilo more than the average FOB*.
*FOB stands for Free on Board price. This is the price exporters receive from importers, calculated according to quality levels (e.g. SCA score for specialty coffees). The price of coffee beans fluctuates during the year. This figure is based on the August price. The month in which we buy most of our coffee beans.
