The Coffee Process

Carrying on the tradition

Arabica coffee has been grown in Vanuatu since 1852 with the first recorded plantings being grown at Port Resolution on Tanna. The original varieties planted were 'Bourbon' from the Reunion Islands and 'Typica' from Jamaica. A selection of new 'Catimor' semi-dwarf varieties have now been introduced and these are proving to be of a higher quality, more productive and climatically better suited to Tanna Island's unique environment. These hybrid coffees have now been grown and developed on Tanna Island over the past 15 years and originate from world renowned coffee seed-stock.

Wet coffee processing

The majority of hand-picked cherries are processed at 35 decentralised pulperies strategically located in the production areas of Tanna. The cherries are pulped, naturally fermented, washed, screened and sun-dried prior to transportation to the Dry Processing Factory.

Dry coffee processing

Following delivery of dried coffee from the farmers, the 'parchment' coffee is carefully stored waiting for an order. A modern 'fully mechanised' dry processing plant, 'hull the parchment' to remove the dry skins, grades the 'green beans' according to size and then 'bags' the beans into 60kg sacks, ready for shipping.

Roasting and Packaging

The sacks of 'green beans' are shipped to Port Vila on inter-island trading vessels and transported to storage facilities at the Roasting Factory. The coffee beans are then carefully roasted to optimal perfection (gently releasing their oils and wonderful aromatics), under the watchful eye of the master roaster. The art of roasting is a critical science combining raw beans, moisture content, controlled temperatures and aroma. There are at least 25 steps in the whole coffee process from the 'plantation to the cup' and with critical time differences as little as 30 seconds (between our dark and medium roasts), each one of these steps are vital in the overall pursuit of producing the 'perfect brew'. To ensure that our roasted ad packaged coffee reaches you in best possible condition, and to further enhance its freshness, we now utilise the international standard foil coffee pouches with their unique one-way valves. These valves allow the release of coffee gasses after roasting (forcing out all oxygen) and prevents re-entry, thus maintaining optimal freshness. We guarantee that our coffee will be as fresh as when it was roasted.

Sustainable Development

The smallholder coffee farmers of Tanna are delighted to maintain the current lush eco-system that prevails throughout the island. The farmers' objective is to further develop their coffee industry (primarily catering to increased international demands), and future expansion will definitely be of a sustainable nature, ensuring that the currently broad bio-diversity on Tanna remains untouched. A recent successful Coffee Development Program (underway for the last 5 years), was responsible for increasing both the quantity and quality of production from the 500 farmers participating, and has allowed opportunity to greatly increase their earning capacity through high value-addition and the provision of ready market access. Another 5 year CDP is currently being planned and it is anticipated that a further 500,000 trees will be planted out during this timeframe, with the aim of creating a more viable and sustainable industry that is capable of satisfying the international demands, yet still maintaining the absolutely unique qualities that our coffee possesses.

Suggested brewing methods

 

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