Rob Butterworth of Butterworth & Son coffee roasters and tea smiths fron Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, takes his company international

Back in 2015 I travelled to Latin America for the first time. I planned a short coffee buying trip of one week to Guatemala and was based in the old Spanish city of Antigua, 50 minutes from the capital city. At this point in my life I had visited countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, but Guatemala really piqued my interest. Later that year I opened Guat’s Up! in Guildhall Street to help raise the profile of specialty coffee and champion micro-lot coffees for both espresso-based and manual brew drinks.

On my travels I’ve always been on the lookout for investment opportunities outside of the UK, I missed the boat somewhat with Antigua, Guatemala as property there has jumped significantly in the last eight years.

Last year on my way to Guatemala I decided to travel via Mexico to see what this part of Central America was like. I visited Mexico City, Tulum and Oaxaca City on my way to Guatemala and on my return leg decided I should visit the Pacific coastal town of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.

I spent three days in Escondido and in that time knew that’s where I wanted to invest. Paperwork in order, I started a Mexican company called Invest in Tacos and employed an English/Spanish speaking business partner based in Puerto Escondido.

Puerto Escondido is beginning to gain momentum as a destination, its chilled out surfing vibes stem from some of the best surfing spots in Mexico and the food is of a high standard. Oaxaca state grows a lot of food, agave for Mezcal and as it turns out coffee too.

The initial concept for Invest in Tacos was to buy property for holiday lets, that project is ongoing and those stories are for another article. The urge to become involved with the coffee communities of Oaxaca was irresistible, however.

I travelled around Oaxaca state in a 2000 Nissan Frontier pick-up I bought, visiting coffee communities in the southern mountains of O axaca and the northern mountain areas too.

The Sierra Sur of southern Oaxaca was of particular interest, it’s an area where the communities still grow coffee in very traditional methods within the natural eco systems and with coffee varieties not often found in other parts of the world. This area is also closest to Escondido.

I have now secured some coffee from a community there and my very first consignment of coffee sourced by my own international company is on a boat heading to the UK.

Next month I will offer this coffee roasted to our existing café outlets and webshop customers. I will also be offering the unroasted coffee to other roasters around the UK under the trademarked brand of Aztec Gold Coffee, therefore moving into the realms of raw coffee bean supply.

AZTEC GOLD

Origin: México

Region: Santa Cruz Ozolotepec, Sierra Sur, Oaxaca

Altitude: 1450-1650 MASL

Varietals: Typica, Bourbon, Pluma

Process: Washed

Tasting notes: Chocolate, citrus and sweet nuts. Well rounded.

Butterworth & Son coffee roasters and tea smiths are based on Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds

Owner Rob Butterworth’s job takes him around the world visiting coffee farmers to source great coffees

See www.butterworthandson.co.uk