3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

The Caripe Variety: A Groundbreaking Milestone in Venezuelan Coffee Farming

Today, we unveil the story behind the Caripe variety and its significance for the Venezuelan coffee industry. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa via Unsplash In the heart of Venezuela, nestled among the picturesque states of Monagas, Anzoátegui, and Sucre, lies a legacy deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. This […]


Book Review: From Nerd to Pro, by Patrik Rolf

From Nerd to Pro: A Coffee Journey is an autobiography by roaster, café operator, and coffee competitor Patrik Rolf sharing his coffee journey. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tanya Nanetti I’ve read plenty of books on coffee over the years: manuals on how to brew great coffee at home, books on […]


Understanding the Process: Carbonic Maceration

Continuing our series on coffee processing, we learn about carbonic maceration—a unique, newer processing method. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Cafe Imports Editor’s note: Check out more entries in our “Understanding the Process“ series here. The rise of the specialty-coffee scene has helped many people understand that talking about coffee as something […]


4 Cool Cafés to Try Out in Kuala Lumpur

The Malaysian capital is often visited in a hurry, but visitors who take the time to explore will discover a welcoming city, thanks in part to its friendly specialty cafés. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is often a stopover on vacations, quickly left behind […]

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

10 (More) Minutes With Helena Oliviero

Today we continue our conversation with Helena Oliviero about her coffee career and life on a Colombian finca. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Helena Oliviero Barista Magazine: Let’s talk about living on a Colombian coffee farm, Finca Palma Roja. How do you spend your days? What’s usually happening on a busy coffee […]


From Malawi to Edinburgh: The MF Coffee Project

We take a trip from North Carolina to Northern Malawi to Edinburgh, exploring the roots, roasts, and impact of the MF Coffee Project. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of the MF Coffee Project In the quaint village of Manchewe, Northern Malawi, a story unfolded when Cameron Mcallister made the life-altering decision to relocate […]


The Barista League Releases New Competition Calendar

Presenter of sustainable, accessible events, The Barista League plans to hold 12 competitions in 10 countries in the months ahead. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of The Barista League The Barista League has officially announced its event roster for the next year. Last year saw 10 Barista League events worldwide, and the […]


Florencia y Fortunata: A Café Empowering Women in Peru

The Cusco café, founded by Carolina Peralta Minaya, sells coffee from women producers and features women demonstrating their skills behind the bar. BY JORDAN BUCHANANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Carolina Peralta Minaya Traceability, sustainability, and conscientiousness are key values pervading the specialty-coffee trade. For many consumers and traders, these values inform their decision to […]

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

The Potential of Augmented Reality Technology for the Coffee Industry

Join us as we explore the applications and trends of “augmented reality“ in the world of coffee. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo courtesy of Pixabay In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a transformative force, blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds. As we step into […]


Know Your Sweeteners: Agave: Part One — Indigenous Use

Known today primarily as a sweetener, agave can be traced back thousands of years. BY EMILY JOY MENESESBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo by Bruno Cervera via Unsplash Recently, we launched our brand new article series “Know Your Sweeteners,” where we’re discussing a variety of sweeteners and syrups, and analyzing the unique characteristics of each one. […]


Exploring the Potential of Drones in Coffee Production 

New drone technology has the potential to revolutionize coffee farming from the air. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Cover photo by David Henrichs via Unsplash In an ever-evolving technological landscape, coffee producers have begun turning to drones in an attempt to increase efficiency and operations. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer a wide range of […]


How to Make the Best Coffee at Home By James Hoffmann: Book Review 

James Hoffmann’s new book, How to Make the Best Coffee at Home, is finally out, and is the perfect guide for both professionals and amateurs. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti James Hoffmann is one of the most recognizable people in the world of specialty coffee. His YouTube channel is both informative […]

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

The world of specialty coffee is still largely governed by men, but these all-female specialty-coffee roasters are helping to close the gender gap.

BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Feature photo courtesy of Lot Zero/7Gr

As is the case for many commercial sectors, the world of specialty coffee continues to display gender disparity along the entire coffee chain. From countries of origin to roasting companies to the baristas behind the bar of many cafés in every corner of the world, men still fill more spaces than women do. But that is slowly changing, and more all-female entities are now entering the world of specialty coffee.

Here’s a short list of three all-women specialty coffee roasters you should know!

Six young women and three young men from Cafe Velvet pose for a group photo in front of a large sign that reads "velvet." The wall is purple and the floor is hexagon tiled.
Still women-owned, Cafè Velvet has grown and opened a second roastery in Brussels. Photo courtesy of Cafè Velvet.

Café Velvet, Colombia

Cafè Velvet, one of the pioneers of the Colombian specialty-coffee scene in Medellin, was founded in 2014. They had a precise idea in mind—that coffee will taste better in the country where it is produced, and that knows its history and the sacrifices required to produce it.

Ilse, the founder, created Velvet in order to share Colombian coffee with producers and their families, helping to raise awareness of the product itself, and creating a new generation of conscious producers, roasters, baristas, and consumers.

Soon, however, what began as a simple café evolved into a more complex project that deals with coffee along the entire supply chain, from production to roasting and distribution.

A basement type facility with a roaster and coffee equipment like grinders and tubs on metal shelves.
Café Velvet focuses on buying and selling Colombian coffee. Photo courtesy of Café Velvet.

To do so, Ilse began reinvesting the proceeds of the Medellin café into buying coffee, paying a fair price directly to farmers. She set up a roastery in Itagüí, Colombia, which still roasts exclusively for the local Colombian market.

Today, Café Velvet (still 100% owned by women) owns a café and a second roastery in Brussels that sells coffee throughout Europe.

Four smiling women, the Mauro sisters, hold up coffee bags at Lot Zero. Thwy all have long hair and wear business casual attire.
The brains behind Lot Zero, Sevengrams’ specialty-coffee division. Photo courtesy of 7Gr.

Lot Zero, Italy

The Italian roaster Lot Zero has its roots in another all-female company, 7Gr (Sevengrams), founded in 2009 in Milan by four sisters: Mary, Angelita, Anna, and Daniela Mauro. Coming from one of the historic families of Italian roasting, the sisters founded their own company. Their aim was to relaunch Italian espresso, upgrading the tasting experience of what still is, for many, a simple daily ritual.

From this pursuit of excellence, the next step was obvious. They approached the specialty-coffee world, also thanks to the new member of the team, Chiara Bergonzi.

Chiara is an SCA trainer, international coffee judge, Q Grader, and coffee consultant. She helped develop the line dedicated to specialty coffee, Lot Zero, a process that culminated with the inauguration of a roastery in the heart of Milan. The space is dedicated to roasting, coffee sales, and coffee training and consulting.

Noni sips coffee with a spoon from a cupping vessel. She has long blonde hair and wears a green dress.
Noni Morrison first fell in love with coffee in the French Alps. Now she owns and operates her own roastery in the U.K. Photo courtesy of Noni Morrison.

Noni’s Coffee Roasters, UK

Noni Morrison’s history with specialty coffee began at a specific moment: over a V60 filter coffee drunk on a mountainside in the French Alps. It was love at first sip.

Of course, the coffee tasted exquisite, but that was not all. For Noni—who was studying anthropology at university—what was beautiful was the story behind that specific coffee.

Ian and George, who brewed the coffee, were also just starting their coffee journey. They were eager to share all they knew about the coffee, its producers, and the long path it had taken from a simple seed to becoming a beautifully brewed beverage.

Noni sits in front of huge bags of green coffee from Sucafina and holds a ceramic coffee mug.
Noni’s passion for coffee has led her to commit to sustainability and investment in small coffee farmers. Photo courtesy of Noni Morrison.

That story, and those that followed, captured Noni’s imagination. She had finally found her career path in specialty coffee. 

Eager to learn more about small-scale, sustainable, and specialty-coffee production, Noni started working in a London roastery. After her first trip to Peru to meet the coffee farmers (followed by many others over the years, including Ethiopia and Kenya), Noni decided that the time was right to open her own roastery. She created Noni’s Coffee Roasters, a one-woman business based in Stroud, U.K.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the coffee machine (or visiting some hidden corner of the world), she’s busy writing for Coffee Insurrection, a website about specialty coffee that she’s creating along with her boyfriend.

The post 3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

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