Daterra Masterpiece

When asked what we do at FiXX…... our one-line response is simple. 

We source, create and sell consistently superb coffee.

The opportunity to visit coffee farms for me personally is one of the great joys of my work. While the visits are currently curtailed, we can reminisce about past journeys and dream of future travels. 

In 2017 I visited Brazil; specifically, the Cerrado region where the Daterra farms are located. Cerrado enjoys a steady climate, dry-fresh winters, warm-wet summers. Ideal conditions for excellent coffee to grow. Various altitudes and microclimates create perfect growing conditions that facilitate a wide range of flavours. From velvet-chocolaty to bright-flowery profiles, there is something for every palate.   

For those in the coffee business Daterra is recognised and respected for leading the way in coffee innovation. Since the ’80s, they have been practising sustainable farming, long before the term sustainability was ever encouraged and supported. Their list of awards and accolades from accredited bodies reflect this and is impressive too. Their most recent was in 2018 when they became the first farm in the world to receive “Level A” certification from Rainforest Alliance.

Education, experimentation, and innovation also play important roles at Daterra. While visiting, they happily shared insights on their many exciting projects, from organic farming to cross-pollination to shade growing and crop rotation. They explained why and how the different methods were employed and how this affected harvesting and processing the different varieties of coffee. And the impact this had on the final cup. Needless to say, I was a happy student at the university of coffee.

Our visit coincided with the time of year that Daterra produced, what they call, their Masterpieces. The dictionary definition describes it as “work done with extraordinary skill”, so you can guess that this was something of a rare treat. Each year the Daterra qualified Cuppers (coffee tasters) search the vast area of Daterra farms for unique small lots of coffee with great potential. What they are looking for are coffees rich with new and unusual varietals. Once selected, they play with different processing methods and drying techniques. All this combines with limitless experiments to create outstanding coffee. True masterpieces.  

To be classed as a Daterra Masterpiece - each coffee has a unique cup profile and scores 88+ (out of 100). And each coffee harvest is fully traceable, planted and grown and processed in a manner that can never be replicated. We were privileged to taste some of their Masterpieces from the 2017 harvest before the lots were sent to auction. Truly a one-off experience.

As soon as I had tasted the resulting coffee, I decided that FiXX would try to get our hands on future Masterpieces when they went to auction. This is not an easy task. These coffees are in high demand worldwide every year, and once announced, are always snapped up.  

Well, the time has come, and four years later, it has happened, thanks to our green bean buyer partner. What makes this really exciting for us is offering some truly unique, one of a kind coffee to our customers (and, if we’re completely honest, also to treat ourselves!).

However, at the core of this exercise is an acknowledgement and recognition to the team at Daterra. And all our like-minded partners along the coffee supply chain who continue to push innovation and experimentation around coffee. Thanks to our shared passion, their expertise help us do what we say we do ….. source and create consistently superb coffee. 

Thanks for reading

Anne