BK: Natural has arrived within the mainstream. How do you need to enhance the appreciation for espresso, for Mount Hagen?
SE: It’s nice that natural is regular. In fact, with Mount Hagen we face the problem of justifying why our espresso is considerably dearer than a mainstream plus product that additionally bears the natural seal. Our job is to clarify to customers what’s particular about our coffees.
On the one hand, there may be the Demeter farm in Peru, which we helped to arrange by way of pre-financing – and likewise the certification. There’s the cooperative in Peru with the person small tasks that I discussed earlier. Alternatively, there’s a comparatively nameless product that additionally bears an natural label – which is nice, I’m not denying that – however the place you don’t actually know what’s behind it.
We are able to let you know just about all the pieces about our merchandise in a clear means. For instance, the Demeter farmer Cesar: What drives him and his household? Farmers typically suppose by way of dynasties, i.e. generations. Our intention with the Mount Hagen model have to be: 1. to clarify to customers what the added worth is. However 2. additionally to make sure that Cesar explains to his youngsters that it’s nice to proceed to advertise and develop sustainable espresso cultivation.
I believe the largest distinction between Mount Hagen and the competitors is that we put our coronary heart and soul into our espresso and that we work in a really centered means. After which we additionally work on a really small scale. So, we actually attempt to look: The place are the connecting factors – with the purchasers and within the origin? How can we make sure that we meet present demand? Our model and our merchandise are effectively acquired: We want considerably extra espresso than we did 4 or 5 years in the past.
Fortuitously, we’ve got the chance to proceed to develop this fastidiously by way of the community we’ve got constructed up, to deliver extra farms on board and to strengthen and increase cooperatives. As well as, we’ve got a variety of certifications that nobody else in Germany has within the espresso sector. Which means natural, Fairtrade, Naturland, and Demeter.
BK: To summarize: The added worth of Mount Hagen lies in its origins, in supporting the farmers there, in natural farming. Now there’s a view within the natural sector that natural alone is now not sufficient. And neither is what lies behind it. How do you see that?
SE: At first, when natural took place, the affiliation was that an natural product was a high-quality product. Now that natural has entered the mainstream and is more and more in demand, high quality has in fact suffered in sure areas. The place ought to all this uncooked materials all of the sudden come from?
So, we’ve got to ensure that we reconcile enjoyment, high quality, transparency, natural, equity, and a future value residing. That is exactly the imaginative and prescient that the group has developed for our firm. We not solely see the necessity to have licensed merchandise, to behave sustainably, and to help the origin. We additionally need to ship excellent high quality and create moments of enjoyment. As a result of espresso ought to nonetheless style good. And naturally, we need to proceed to underline this clearly with the standard we’ve got.
Mount Hagen has its origins in Papua New Guinea. Espresso is grown there, however not that a lot. Now we have made it our mission to have our personal vary of Papua New Guinea coffees that style very, very particular. We’re speaking about opulent aromas, attribute coffees. We love that we’ve got a singular promoting level right here. And our partnerships on the origin assist us to have a daily provide of this distinctive espresso. That provides us a sure exclusivity. I’d virtually say that there isn’t a one who provides a single origin from Papua New Guinea. Just because the provision is just not there. We are actually anticipating the contemporary harvest from Papua New Guinea within the second half of the 12 months and can increase our vary once more to considerably strengthen the individuality and traits of Mount Hagen. Papua New Guinea is and can stay the core of the model. That makes us distinctive.
