My Journey with coffee (continued)

Hola friends, today I will continue to share the story of my lifelong love affair with coffee.

If you read my recent blog you will know that my grandfather Don Luciano was the one who first sowed the seed of this affection for the coffee bean.

Don Luciano had farms in the Sierra del Merendon, a mountain range in Honduras. His workers would harvest the coffee beans and then they would need to be put into sacks, packed onto mules and Don Luciano would take them to the merchants to be exported.

The journey from the mountains to the city would take around 15 hours all up. It was serious business and a difficult journey. Don Luciano would carry a gun and have to be wary during the journey of animals, bandits and other hazards.

The coffee would be brought in the sacks into Don Luciano’s house in the city, San Pedro Sula, where I lived with my mother. The coffee sacks are something that to this day bring me a very beautiful childhood memory of my grandfather. I remember them being a fun thing. I used to sit on them and pretend they were horses. After the sacks had sat at our house for a short time Don Luciano would arrange to take them to a merchant.

He would have a cigar in his mouth and the gun at his side when he went to deal with the merchants. He commanded respect and his handshake deal was known as a good one.

Me at three years old

So when the coffee sacks come to me in Wairarapa now, from across the seas, I have all of these memories that come flooding back to me.

These are the things that are in my heart when I choose the beans and prepare them. This lovethat was given to me by my family and my grandfather. This is what I think can be tasted with a sip of my Gracias Coffee. When you drink it next, think of the farms in the Sierra del Merendon, think of the mules walking down to the valleys, of Don Luciano with his gun and his cigar, navigating the journey. Think of Don Luciano with his cigar in his mouth and his gun at his side, making a deal with a shrewd merchant.

Think of the coffee sacks and a little boy who would sit on them and pretend they were horses. All of this I hope to bring to you somehow. The coffee sacks are at the cafe today, ask me about them when you see me, and I hope to see you soon.

Thank you my friends, have a lovely day

Marvin