About our Sourcing Philosophy:
The Anthem founders have been in the coffee business for over 35 years, valuing relationships and contacts from large multinational corporations to small independent farmers all over the world. Relationships are what make the coffee world work, and we're always looking to deepen our ties with producers, clients, and logistics partners. This can take form by securing a pre-harvest deposit for specific co-ops to purchase fertilizer and pay for labor, or arranging one farmer to drop cherry off at another's dry mill for further processing/export. We can pick up the phone and talk to producers on the farm or at the co-op almost any time of day and discuss anything from where we are on a shipment to what exploring a specific lot's processing. Origin trips with clients are at least three times a year, so that they can see firsthand all of the work and care that goes into the coffees they purchase and end up on their retail shelves half a world away. We cherish producer partnerships and always are willing to pay premiums, outright prices, and higher differentials to ensure that the quality will always deliver, year in and year out. This is why our relationships, especially in Central and South America, can be traced back decades.
All of this being said, there is a class of customer who only cares about price, and we know where to look for coffees for those folks as well. They may not be 100% traceable, but these folks aren't worried about telling a story, they just need something for their gas stations and hotel account. We cup through thousands of lots a year in search of the best quality that can be delivered at desirable price points. This may not be the most transparent part of the supply chain, but it's how the majority of the coffee trade in the world works. We leverage our decade of experience to get the best quality lots at the right prices for those clients that need it. One of the advantages of some of our larger suppliers is consistency and volume. We've cupped through a dozen offers on a specific contract lot and rejected the first eleven before, all in the name of consistency. Our QC methods are set up to ensure that our core coffees are reliable, month after month, year after year.
Ethically sourced coffee is purchased with price fairness, fair treatment of labor, and environmentally sound practices in mind. If these concerns are part of the story you tell at your roasting company, we are happy to find those coffees for you, as long as you are aware of the pricing structures that are needed to support these practices. You'd be surprised the amount of people who are dedicated to fairness and social justice but will die on the hill of, "A cup of coffee shouldn't cost more than $1.50". That's why we're here, to help educate on all of the steps it takes to get those precious seeds to your roastery. At the end of the day, everyone is still running a business, so let's keep talking and find our common goals.
