It's certainly been a while since we've featured Girls Who Grind Coffee on The Coffee Life (if you want to check out posts previously on GWGC click here)
Now if you've somehow been living under a rock and don't know who the wonderful ladies over at GWGC are, let me introduce them:
"We are an all female specialty coffee roasters based in the wild South-West of England. We source our coffees specifically and exclusively from women producers, seeking out those coffees that are creating positive change through the empowerment of women.
We're here to do two things. Create awesome tasting coffee and empower women in the coffee industry. And have fun. That's three things. Deal with it."
Casey, originally from Upstate New York, and Fi, originally from Melbourne Australia, met and became from in now hometown of Frome, Somerset.
"While our kids played, we often got chatting about our love of coffee and our various experiences within the industry, discovering that we both felt as though there was definitely room for change and improvement, in short - we wanted ti see more equality!
As women, we had felt a little pushed out of an industry that we had loved so much and had so much to give to. Rather than simply complain about it, we thought we would make the change we wanted to see! We wanted to create an industry where women felt empowered and celebrated for everything they bring to the table and have their voices heard. Hence why we made the conscious decision to focus solely on buying coffee from female producers, sharing their stories to the world, giving them the recognition they rightly deserve for the incredible work that they do."
The Coffee
After having her first baby, Monse unsurprisingly didn't have much time to process a lot of coffee. She did however process a tiny lot specifically for Girls Who Grind Coffee.
"We are incredibly proud to partner with Bean Voyage and bring you this wonderful for coffee from innovative, first-get producer Monse Prado."
Bean Voyage is a feminist organisation building an equitable value chain with smallholder women farmers in Costa Rica.
After working in San Jose, Monse returned to Tarrazu to live with her partner. As a young professional with endless dreams and strong work ethics, Monse began her journey into the coffee production world. Her partner's family have been life-long coffee producers and she wanted to help them to see that there is more to coffee production beyond farming. Her partner, an agricultural engineer, designed a micro-mill for Monse to manage everything on her own. This innovative micro-mill has a uniquely vertical design and is certified by the local government for its efficient water and energy usage. Monse's ethos for Ditso is built around coffee quality and ecological preservation and is a member of the NAMA Cafe Project, a unique worldwide project that seeks to measure and mitigate the environmental impact of coffee activity. As one of the region's younger coffee producers, she collaborates with the others in the group to bring more innovative ideas.
"I believe that the constant challenge as a woman is to be able to show that we can contribute to the world of coffee and develop in the activity, and that we can also do it in an excellent way" Monse says.
Click here to watch a short video all about Monse Prado
The Beans
Farm - Ditso Coffee Farm
Region - Tarrazu, Costa Rica
Varietal - Caturra, Catuai
Process - Honey
Altitude - 1800MASL
Brewer: V60
Recipe: 15g / 225g
Ratio: 1:15
Total Brew Time: 3 Minutes
The brew came out looking like sweet tea, which only added to the excitement of drinking this cup. The first thing that hit was the zesty acidity, and definite lemon mouthfeel with a stone fruit undertone.
As it cooled, it became more defined in peach flavour, and a super sweet melon taste at the back of the mouth. It was a delicious and smooth cup (and went down way too quickly!)
Find Girls Who Grind Coffee
Website - here
Instagram - here
