Ricardo Zelaya Visits Foglifter!

Last week, we had the extraordinary pleasure of visiting with longtime friend, Ricardo Zelaya and his daughter, Melissa, both in Shawnigan Lake and at our cafe in Vancouver.

While on the island, we took the Zelayas and the powerhouse importer, Billy, from Common Goal Coffee, over to Shawnigan Lake School to show them where their coffee has been served with pride by Chef Dustin Setso and the culinary team for over 4 years. Needless to say, our trio of family businesses is grateful that Shawnigan Lake School lives the values they teach - prioritizing local small businesses and long relationships and expressing the highest possible standards across campus, everywhere from the classrooms to the coffee kiosks.

In Vancouver, it was a lovely full circle moment to have Ricardo back on the corner of Main & 20th, where we have served his coffee since 2007. Over beers in the sunshine, Ricardo talked me through developments on his farms in Guatemala, including clever innovations with irrigation to manage a changing climate, getting ahead of the ongoing threat of Roya, coffee rust disease, and rebuilding Hacienda Carmona, a farm that has been in the Zelaya family for over 100 years.

Most impactfully, in the cafe, Ricardo was pleased to see our feature of the Santa Clara Scholarship Program, a program he started in 2012 to offer meaningful educational opportunities to the children of his employees. The Foglifter community has supported eight individual students since 2017, some continuously, some intermittently as their ability to attend allows. This is the first time we have had the honour of Ricardo providing on the fly updates on each of them. We look forward to sharing these with you in the coming weeks. Our annual contribution is locked in thanks to all the work Melissa and older sister, Bel, have done to keep the program flourishing year after year.

Thanks to our pals at Bean Around the World, who introduced Ricardo's coffee to Canada almost 20 years ago, we have been so fortunate to have an ongoing, very meaningful, very rewarding relationship that will continue for many years to come. We are so thrilled you love the Zelaya family coffees as much as we do.

Gracias, Ricardo, Melissa, and family for taking the time!

Learn more about Ricardo Zelaya Coffee.
Shop our coffees grown by Ricardo Zelaya.
Read about how your coffee purchases are doing good out in the world!

Amanda NicolettiComment
Westholme Tea Farm & Margit Nellemann Ceramics
Foglifter Coffee visits Westholme Tea Farm

This week, as things slowly begin to reopen after our isolated spring, I had the great pleasure to drop in to Westholme Tea Farm for visit with Margit and Victor. While the tearoom remains closed, the shop was as warm and inviting as ever and fully stocked with shelves of tea in painterly paper packaging.

With our flagship cafe opening this fall, it was high time to revisit introducing Westholme Tea to our Vancouver community. We are honoured to be working with Margit and Victor and cannot wait to have a thoughtfully-designed tea program that features a range of organic, looseleaf black and green teas and tisanes.

Margit’s hand-blended custom recipes begin with impeccably-sourced pure black teas, spices, and herbs from origins around the globe. From there, with input from her deeply knowledgeable team, things are tweaked and dialled up and drawn down until what’s in your cup is a meeting of old world tea-making tradition and a modern, clean, natural profile - each ingredient playing off the others, sharing the spotlight while delivering a firm foundation of expression of terroir and depth of flavour.

Malty Assam, sweet, kelpy Sencha, Calabrian bergamot, aromatic cardamom pods, beguiling vanilla, floral rose and hibiscus, nourishing mint and lemongrass and fennel and nettle. It’s extraordinary. The blends are diverse, artful, and free of artificial flavouring.

Simply put, this tea is very beautiful. You are going to love it.

____________

Photo gallery from a visit to the tearoom in September 2019 with one of my most favourite people.

Even a casual visit to the farm’s gallery space is a soul-enriching ceremony adorned with Margit’s whimsical ceramics and the finest sweet accompaniments to their teas. You feel transported and transformed until you float out the door, into the valley, and back to your normal life.

On this visit last fall, we were treated to a press pot of the glorious, farm-grown Heron’s Wake. Nine years in the making, this black tea was planted on the property in 2010. As Margit and Victor say,

“Ten years of Canadian winters, Cowichan summers, and West Coast rain have developed our Westholme tea garden. This is the very first Canadian estate-grown tea in the world – an authentic expression of the land, soil, and climate of our farm.”

Exquisite.

Amanda NicolettiComment
Claire Crowfoot Collective

Over the weekend, I finally made my first visit to Claire Crowfoot Collective in Cowichan Bay. It’s an absolute gem.

Awash in calm and adorned with beautiful textures, Claire’s shop is a lovely collection of pieces for the well-appointed woman and home. Natural, sustainable, fair trade, and handmade, she prefers to go straight to the source. Linen garments from Moss Grey, snaking leather belts from Ora Leather Goods, baskets and textiles from Morocco, and an assortment of artisanally-crafted goods from across Canada artfully fill the room.

And then there is her eponymous jewelry line - as if owning this seaside hideaway wasn’t enough. Handmade by Claire herself, it’s elegant and comely and showcases Canadian-mined gemstones. I could gift or wear any of it every day.

Unbeknownst to me, while I was imploring my mom to truly appreciate the sultry, earthy notes of a honey tobacco candle, Claire was chatting away with candlemaker herself, Britt of Picot Collective. Seeing their support of each other was heartwarming and a fine reminder that we have many inspiring, passionate women entrepreneurs around us. I feel grateful to be in their midst.

The season of gift-giving is upon us. Shop local.

https://clairecrowfoot.com

Amanda NicolettiComment
Storyteller & Photographer

Last year, while cruising Instagram, an image passed by that I couldn’t forget. Dreamy and beautifully composed, this coastal scene was lingering so I doubled back to reach out to the photographer.

Boy, am I glad I did. On the other end of my inquiry was 16 year old photographer and Mill Bay resident, Lucas Morton. It’s a lovely treat when the people whose work you admire are down to earth and approachable. When they are also professional, genial, obliging, and in grade10, it’s an awakening.

This young man has earned his audience and certainly doesn’t need me to shine a light, but you’ll want to start tuning into his work now, while he’s still shooting and writing about where we live.

After the Paper Boy and I met him on the doorstep of his lovely family home, greeted with a warm smile and a couple of firm handshakes, we left with both an immaculately framed print and a glimpse of someone my young son (and I!) could look up to - a humble, thoughtful artist confidently pursuing his craft with passion.

LRM Creative

See more of what Foglifter Recommends.

  • We suggest that you click through the images to read the writing pieces that accompany each photograph.

Amanda NicolettiComment
Inside Seraphina's Oven.
Inside Seraphina's Oven.

Last month, I had the great opportunity to participate in the inaugural Croissants and Danish pastry course at Martin Barnett’s new artisanal baking school, Seraphina’s Oven in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island.

Over two packed days under the patient, careful, and deeply knowledgeable guidance of Chef David Nolan, we began with the basics - everything is measured by weight and a butter’s fat and water content are key - and were quickly up to our elbows in flour from there.

Structured around creating two types of pastry dough, croissant and puff pastry, the course was perfectly paced allowing the time it takes to create buttery, flaky laminated dough by hand. Every step of the way, Chef David complemented the technical training with explanations about the science behind the baking and practical pointers that only come from a lifetime of professional baking around the world.

Seraphina’s Oven is equipped with all the necessary tools of the trade. From a commercial convection oven and mixer to the game-changing dough sheeter to induction cooktops to drawer after drawer of whisks, spatulas, scrapers and the like, it is wonderful room to work in. And the class size of 8 strikes a great balance between accessibility to the instructor and time and space to focus on your work.

As we rolled, folded, and rested, rolled, folded, and rested, we drafted a plan for which pastries to create with our doughs, prepped the fillings and learned the cutting techniques to make them. It’s rigorous work but the mid-Saturday reprieve of gorgeous wood-fired pizzas and garden salad kept us fuelled for the afternoon.

Many people have started to hear of Seraphina’s Oven and when asked, I tell them all the same thing. Martin and Chef David both know well what they are doing as bakers but the one thing that is exceptional is their knowledge of how to teach with care. They are kind, genial, obliging, and an absolute pleasure to spend a weekend with.

Amanda NicolettiON TOUR, COFFEEComment
The Future of Foglifter.
Landa Global Main & 20th Foglifter Coffee

The cat’s out of the bag and we are pleased to share that we will be returning to Vancouver’s Main Street in the fall of 2020!

After 16 years as Bean Around the World - Main & 20th, there’s no denying it was tough to shut down our spot to give way to the wrecking ball. Working with Landa Global, the development company who purchased our building at 2015, to secure a future on the corner has been a pleasure and we are delighted with their revealing of our place in the new building.

We passed by the block today to see the slab poured and concrete posts going up. It won’t be long before we’re pulling shots of Eight Man espresso for you in our old hood.

For now, some media on Landa’s announcement…

Georgia Straight’s print edition coverage - Added April 2020
Vancouver is Awesome
Daily Hive
Vancouver Magazine interview
Landa Global’s owner Kevin Cheung in Montecristo Magazine

www.main20th.com

Amanda NicolettiCOFFEEComment
With Ricardo Zelaya Coffee in Guatemala.

At our shop Bean Around The World - Main & 20th, we worked hard to promote the provenance of the coffees we served and the producer relationships quietly developed by the Roastery.

The most impactful was without a doubt their longstanding partnership with Ricardo Zelaya in Antigua, Guatemala. What began with an introduction by Ricardo's brother evolved into a direct trade relationship that not only delivered premium Santa Clara coffee to the Bean lineup, but also resulted in a school being built at the Zelaya family's remote farm, Finca Carrizal.

Built in 2007 by Ricardo and Pete and Barney from Bean, this schoolhouse offers an attentive, substantive education to the children of the Zelaya's staff who would otherwise lack meaningful options. The area has only had electricity for 8 years! With an enrolment that has at times reached over 90 elementary students and is now equipped with a computer lab generously provided by Vancouver-based Health 4 Humanity, Escuela Privada Finca Carrizal continues to thrive with support from Bean Around The World.

After many years of anticipation, this March I was finally able to travel to Guatemala to spend time with Ricardo and his daughter Katia at their estate farm Finca Santa Clara in Antigua as well as at Finca Carrizal, in eastern Guatemala.

Ricardo and Katia know well how much I have admired their tirelesss work both professional and philanthropic. On the ground with them on their turf, I was blown away. It would be hard to pick which is most impressive - their meticulous and ambitious coffee farms and processing facilities, their care and compassion for the folks that work for their fourth-generation coffee company, their almost inexplicable energy for hospitality, their love of Guatemala, their insatiable appetite for ceviche... their Geisha. Along with Maureen, Mike, and Chelsea from Bean Victoria, we basked in it all for 10 days feeling pretty blessed.

At Foglifter's inception, we reached out to Katia and Ricardo for opportunities to continue to support their philanthropic endeavours. Katia selected their Santa Clara Scholarship Program as a way for our company and our customers' purchases to have impact. Over conversations on long, picturesque drives and dusty ATV rides around their farms, I was able to get a richer understanding of what this scholarship program means to its now thirty recipients.

By being nimble and adaptive with their support, the Santa Clara Scholarship Program is able to pour fuel on the educational efforts that Finca Santa Clara employees are making for their children - be it public, private, secondary or post-secondary. When Katia relayed that there are four recipients in university, among them one to be an accountant, another an architect, I asked to what degree was the fund transformative for them. "One hundred percent." was Katia's instantaneous response, confirming that the cost of quality education is indeed prohibitive for the recipients' families.

It is a pleasure to be one of the contributors to this worthwhile endeavour. Ricardo is quite literally known around the world for being an innovative, driven and impeccable producer of the some of the finest coffees in Guatemala - that is obvious on their farms, notable in the cup and recognized with industry awards year after year.

We appreciate the time we've had to get to know him and Katia and cannot wait to have their upcoming crop in our lineup.

Ricardo Zelaya Coffee
More shots from our trip on our Instagram feed and Highlights.
Learn about how your Foglifter purchases elevate.
Look back to Bean Around The World's work in Guatemala.

Immense gratitude to Bean Victoria for providing excellent company, deep pours of Zacapa, and more than their share of photography on our journey together.
 

Amanda NicolettiCOFFEE, GOOD WORKS, GUATEMALA, ON TOURComment
Songwa Estates Gallery at Seattle's La Marzocco Cafe.

I never miss a coffee at the La Marzocco Cafe when I'm in Seattle. Situated within the KEXP radio station at Seattle Center, the cafe is chockablock with nods to La Marzocco's history as well as its best offerings - think Linea Minis and GS3S machines plumbed up and ready for you to test run. Add to that, the backdrop of the KEXP booth going live to the airwaves - it's light, buzzy, caffeinated and sounds awesome.

On a recent coffee purchasing trip, over a Quills cappuccino, it was a delight to take in a thorough gallery on their project at Songwa Estates.

Along with Mahlkönig and Probat, in 2007, La Marzocco established Songwa Estates, a non-profit endeavor aimed at:

  • educating staff, clients and all those who work in the coffee sector on the numerous intricacies involved in growing, harvesting and processing green coffee

  • providing support to the local community whose livelihoods depend on coffee, financed in part by the project “Hands for Songwa”

In addition to empowering the lives of those in the industry, the partnership between these companies and the community has led to the reconstruction of two school buildings to house upwards of 300 young students in facilities that are sanitary at a minimum and elevating on the daily.

If you know us at all, you know this is our jam. Kudos to everyone for not only tracing soil to cup but working to improve each step along the way.

La Marzocco Cafe - KEXP - Seattle Center Campus - 472 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

KEXP
Songwa Estates
La Marzocco
Mahlkönig
Probat Roasters

Amanda NicolettiCOFFEE, SEATTLE, GOOD WORKSComment
Aubade Coffee in Vancouver's Chinatown.

This coffee was something else.

There is no doubt I was remiss in not visiting sooner. Earnest shops are opening in Vancouver nearly every day it seems. What's going on at Aubade is extraordinary.

Passing through on a warm, late summer day, we opted to bypass espressos and pourovers - tempting as the offerings were - and give the two Aeropress options on the menu a side-by-side.

Tucked into the front corner of a very eclectic antique shop and facing the lively East Pender Street, it would be easy to wander off enchanted by the distractions. Not recommended. I'm sure Aubade owner, Eldric, would prepare your coffee the same either way but his method invites observation and his genial personality welcomes inquiry and conversation. Coffee without pretension is a gold standard in my mind and it's somewhat uncommon to have someone so honed in their process and so educated about their product share both with little airs.

Our Guatemalan and Ethiopian coffees - both washed process from Small Batch in Melbourne - were not the sour, thin sips you might fear in a modern cup. Roasting aside, each step of their brewing thoughtfully guarded against that end resulting in two very memorable coffees that showcased every flavour note the producers surely strived for throughout the intense growing and processing phases. Outstanding.

Juan Carlos Chen - Bourbon - Guatemala
Hayutadin Jemal - Heirloom - Ethiopia

www.aubadecoffee.info

Amanda NicolettiON TOUR, COFFEEComment
Visiting Diedrich Roasters in Idaho.
Diedrich Roasters Ponderay Idaho

Having been out to Diedrich years ago, I had high expectations for the week ahead. Coffee aside, Sandpoint, Idaho has a lot to offer - endless lakefront, evergreen mountains, a charming downtown with everything from independent bike shops to little bistros and age-old taverns... and, of course, Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters. It's the perfect place to fuel up and unwind amid a three-day seminar.

Mr. Rocky Rhodes lead a class of 11 through an excellent program of coffee background and basics, roasting concepts and practical experimentation, ad-libbing on questions of every sort along the way. Thoughtfully paced over three lengthy days, the seminar was largely hands-on (endless rounds of roasting and cupping in pursuit of a perfect pourover profile) and appealed to our wide-ranging group - from true coffee neophytes to experienced roasters looking to sharpen their shop practices, training protocol and everything in between. Add to the mix, the green coffee buying presentation by Laurel from Royal Coffee, several specialized talks by technicians from various departments within Diedrich and an outstanding factory tour by Gary, and you have a pretty solid education.

Virtually everyone I came across at Diedrich HQ had a warm smile, a willing ear and an eagerness to problem-solve and support. Outside the seminar curriculum, the opportunity to speak with anyone about any facet of working on a Diedrich was invaluable. I drove west feeling even more informed about the ingenuity and integrity of the equipment we use every day.

In the off-hours, we had great walks on City Beach, a lingering, al fresco evening over chicken parm and Barbera at Ivano's and a fun boat tour on Lake Pend Oreille. For the true night owl, I'm not saying to schedule a trip to Roxy's, but if you find yourself there, enjoy the good cheer and classic service and maybe clear your calendar for the next morning.

Thank you to Rocky, Miles and the kind folks at Diedrich - Natalie, Christine, April, Toby, and more. We had an incredible week in Sandpoint.

www.diedrichroasters.com

Amanda NicolettiCOFFEE, DIEDRICH, ROASTINGComment
In Seattle for the Coffee Expo!

What a weekend!

We shipped off on the Clipper from Victoria's Inner Harbour for a jam-packed weekend at the SCA Coffee Expo in Seattle. While at the last expo, we dedicated more time to the countless topical presentations and lectures by coffee professionals from around the world, this year we opted to hunker down and go back to school.

The SCA Pathways classes never fail to impress. From honing cupping techniques to roasting every which way on a host of different roasters down in the cavernous loading bay, it was a great three solid days under the guidance of lifelong, impassioned instructors and a cohort of industry folks of all stripes. There are few better places to meet new friends, glean a lot from diverse experience and get inspired to reach higher.

And that was just the classes! We had the great pleasure to meet up with Ricardo and Katia Zelaya for beers and noodles and then again for more cupping. This father-daughter duo are making ever greater strides with their operation in Antigua, Guatemala. We look forward to visiting next year when the roasting operation is off the ground! In the meantime, it's a pleasure to be one of many industry contributors to their growing scholarship program.

Thanks to West Coast Traders for hosting a lively meet-and-greet downtown. It was a honour to meet the team from Peru Norte and learn more about their innovative agricultural practices. That was but one beer-and-chat in a weekend teeming with coffee talk. Can't wait for next year!

Amanda NicolettiCOFFEE, SCA, SEATTLEComment