At O’Briens, we believe it is important to work with suppliers who not only share our passion for providing customers with the very best, but also do so in an ethical and responsible manner. While we have always paid close attention to the origins of our food and drink, it is more important than ever to ensure a Fair, Ethical and Honest approach to trade.
While the source of our coffee beans has changed this year – we buy from Africa, Central America and South Eastern Asia - they are still picked at the perfect stage of ripeness, giving us the same quality and great taste. One of the key bean suppliers is Ethiopia, where by sourcing direct from the grower we hope to make a real and sustainable difference to its economic growth and help eradicate poverty.
With their strong sense of ethnicity, Ethiopians are a people eager to embrace improved trade opportunities, so that they are able to create better livelihoods for themselves. The very same can be said for other supplier regions including Vietnam, where we source the Robusta coffee bean.
While we have always opted to use the passionate skills of master-roasters in Italy, our coffee bean suppliers have evolved in recent years. Today, one of the source countries for our beans is Ethiopia. The country takes us back to the very origins of the coffee plant, Arabica, which still grows wild in the forests of its highlands.
More than 1,000 years ago, a goatherd in the country’s south-western highlands first plucked a few red berries from young green trees growing in the forest. He tasted them, liked the flavour and the feel-good effect that followed. The rest as they say is history.
The Ethiopian province where these trees first blossomed is Kaffa, which gave its name to coffee. Our blend uses the Sidamo coffee bean from Ethiopia.
With coffee sales fast approaching a staggering 12 million cups every year, it is clear that our quality, exclusive blend is proving more than a little popular with our customers.
