Marceno’s Coffee
Bridging Tables
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Bridging Tables is reimagining the specialty coffee market to create new opportunities for roasters, producers, importers, and service providers through direct trade, innovative pre-financing, service provider management, and community.
Rwanda: Rwamatamu
Producer: Rwamatamu
Process: Washed
Varietal: Red Bourbon
Altitude: 1600-2000 masl
Q Score: 85.5
Our story begins with Laetitia and Gaston, Mama and Papa B. They wanted a way to make a positive impact on their Rwandan community while also providing for their own family. They realized they had access to an indispensable resource–farmland. As their farm and washing station grew in profit, so did their passion for growing incredible coffee. Now, nearly a decade later, they are joined in their business by their children. Passion is something to be shared–Gaston has passed on his love for the community to his daughter, Bernice, who is continuing the coffee business. Since she was a child, Bernice has supported her parents’ business by translating, writing, and managing marketing. She is now continuing the family tradition by strengthening the family’s principle of meaningful social impact through ethical business operations. The cornerstone of our business is the family working together. It is what bridges the gap between the old and new ways of doing things. It is what allows and encourages us to adapt and innovate. Together, we run our small washing station, ‘petit a petit’--little bit by little bit. Core values of Rwamatamu are Community, Integrity and Sustainability. That's not pulled from an embossed mission statement page, those are simply the values Gaston embodies in all his transactions. Ultimately, our success has been because the community of smallholder farmers we work with adores and supports Gaston. Gaston realized many years ago that sustaining his business relied on good relationships. Thus, our goal is to build close relationships and mutual respect with all our collaborators. Goals for the future: We're keeping things simple. We want to get better at what we already do really well–producing quality coffees. That’s our job; adding value by being coffee producers. Opening up communication with our roasters has shown us many areas where we can add more value. That’s very exciting for us because it gives us a clear road for improvement. Progress–that’s the goal
Kenya: Long Miles Project
Producer: Long Miles Project
Process: Washed
Varietal: Batian, S-14, SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11
Altitude: 1650-1850
Q Score: 85.5
In partnership with Haron Wachira from Akili Holdings Ltd., we have refurbished Thunguri Coffee Factory in Kirinyaga County, Mount Kenya (just east of Nyeri County). In the past, the coffee factory existed to serve the Wachira family and a few of their neighbors who grow coffee in the region. While the Akili Group is not solely focused on coffee, we share the same vision of working with small-scale farmers to improve their coffee production, access to markets, and the price paid for the coffee they produce. Long Miles Kenya will be a long-term partnership with the Wachira family, and the communities of coffee growers in the Mount Kenya region. We will work directly with coffee farmers in the region, building long-term relationships with these communities. As we listen to and learn from the coffee farming communities and coffee factories in the area, we will begin to craft and implement a strategic production plan based off of close to a decade’s worth of experience in Burundi. Coffee farmers will be offered training in better agricultural practices to encourage future generations of sustainably grown Kenyan coffee. Back at the coffee factory, we will focus on implementing quality control protocols built specifically for Kenya, guaranteeing you exciting and well thought out micro-lots (mostly of the SL-28 variety). You will be able to build long-term relationships with coffee farmers in the region, purchasing consistently high-quality coffees and recognizable micro-lots directly from Long Miles instead of through the country’s traditional central auction system. It might sound crazy, but we believe the deeper our collective investment into a community goes, the better the coffee tastes. We’ve also been thinking about the possibility of starting a Long Miles Coffee Farm in Western Kenya for a while. After looking for over a year, we’ve found a piece of land at 2200 masl, close to the edges of a national forest park in Western Kenya. It’s here that we’ll soon be planting our first SL-28 coffee trees, pursuing regenerative farming practices. We’ll continue the works of our reforestation project, Trees For Kibira, in this region, planting out green belts of trees, and encouraging the practice of shade-grown coffee.
Speak Up! House Blend
Roast Profile: Medium
Blend: 50% Rwanda: Rwamatamu | 50% Kenya: Kapkota
Notes: Vibrant and Well-Rounded
One of the most important parts of building a sustainable coffee economy is ensuring the farmers responsible for growing and harvesting coffee plants have proper working conditions. Unfortunately, coffee farmers have a history of being taken advantage of. Even as sustainability efforts and the presence of third-wave coffee have increased, farmers have often been ignored.
Most of the world’s coffee is grown in countries with struggling economies, large wealth gaps and often, corrupt governments. This has made it all too easy for farmers and field workers to be taken advantage of without anyone noticing.
Coffee is often farmed by children. Many adults working these fields are under inescapable cycles of debt bondage. These workers are trafficked into fields and paid little if anything for their efforts. Conditions are harsh and unsafe. Workers are exposed to harmful pesticides and forced to drink alongside animals.
— Seven Corners Coffee, “Working Conditions of Coffee Farmers,” July 3, 2020.
https://7cornerscoffee.com/working-conditions-of-coffee-farmers/
Our Speak Up! Blend is crafted to celebrate the farmers whose hands and voices shape every exceptional cup. This vibrant, expressive coffee is our way of speaking up for the people behind the beans, championing fair relationships, transparent sourcing, and the true potential of every harvest.
Wake Up! Dark Blend
Roast Profile: Dark
Blend: 60% Kenya: LMP | 40% Nicaragua: San Louis
Notes: Vivid and Bittersweet
Wake Up is our darkest, most dependable blend, bold enough to kickstart your morning, smooth enough to enjoy any time of day. Built for espresso, it pulls a rich, dense shot with deep flavor and natural sweetness. Try it brewed hot or as a cold brew, it transforms into a heavy, satisfying cup with a clean, steady finish.
A true wake-up call for anyone who likes their coffee powerful, smooth, and consistent.