Ecuador - Mario Andrade

Mario’s grandfather used to grow coffee, but instead of selling it, he would use what he produced for his own consumption and to share with his workers at dinner time. When coffee production started to become popular in the region, his grandfather decided to sell small volumes to national roasters.

The business has since been transferred from generation to generation and now Mario Andrés is running the business. One day, Mario was carrying out an experiment with one of his coffee lots. A roaster from Quito, bought this lot for a very high price. It was this experience that made Mario realise the potential of producing speciality coffee, instead of just commercial, and he now works to only produce high quality coffees.