Time for another Beloya ’spro, thanks Reuben for the awesome roast!

The part that intrigued me further was the large proportion of buyers from Japan.

Now Dom, you are probably in the best position to comment about this: for a country renowned for pushing the boundaries of technology, innovation and “quality”, Japan’s commercial interest in the COE program seems to bolster the programs profile, and in my mind, convince me that the COE program is really onto something. What are your thoughts?

And why is Sydney so slow on the uptake? Do you think its simply a matter of awareness or lack of promotion? Or, on the other hand, perhaps ignorance is a convenient excuse for buying reasonably low-grade (but well priced) coffee beans to create a higher profit margin at the register? Hmmm….

Bela

I have been researching the CUP OF EXCELLENCE organisation as per your suggestion.

From preliminary research it really seems to be a valuable developement. Now correct me if I’m wrong but seem to really place the emphasis on quality.

Since the beans are bid upon at auction, there is a great incentive to produce a quality product- whereby the best beans are rewarded by attracting a high lot price. So, the buyer ‘wins’ with a quality and tested product, and the seller/grower is rewarded by a price commensurate with the quality.

Is the beloved BELOYA a COE (Cup Of Excellence) bean? Or is it a different private estate auction?

I’m currently researching the whole “fair trade” issue with regard to coffee, but as of this stage the emphasis seems to be on building community and obtaining a fair price (which I think we can all agree are genuinely worthwhile targets) but “quality” seems to be a somewhat absense phenomenon. This is a little concerning. I will continue my research.

I could go for a gold filter right now.

Bela