Nuggets, Nuggets, and Nuggets.

“…since we are fairly newer roasters we’ve really had fun trying different beans. We really like the Indian beans… what is the typical season for buying these? That way I know to stock up. We REALLY like the mysore nuggets!”

A lot of coffee around the globe gets picked and processed around November/ December. Depending on the origin and importer it either dribbles into the US all year or it arrives in chunks.

Last summer we brought in a LOT of different Indian coffee all at once, but at the same time coffee prices have gone kaplooey, so we didn’t bring in as much as we wanted and ended up running out. Especially because these were really yummy examples the long time customers knew to grab a bunch at the bulk prices when they found one they really like; because everyone else will too. Its kind of like wine.

On the other hand there are coffees we always have. Some of those are called CP Select, and some are highly branded like La Minita or Josuma. Those are selections we can pretty much assure will be around all the time at the same quality each time they are ordered.

Then there are the jewels that pass through like some of those Indian beans, Cup of Excellence beans, or something really unique that has a quality deserving a spot light.

Recently the Burundis arrived. Those will eventually run low too but something else will be arriving that’s equally special.

There ARE Nuggets out there now that could go on the menu, the only problem is that we’re swimming in everything else at the moment and just can’t put everything thats ever been grown everywhere on the menu all at once. :) The biggest problem right now is the price of raw coffee. Every time we restock or try to buy forward into the year our replacement costs have gone up. We’re probably in a bubble, but we’re also in some reality too.

In the early 90’s coffee was at an all time low as certain world trade agreements ended. Following that, here was an effort to bolster prices by paying attention to farmer’s quality of life, the coffee’s actual quality!, sustainability, reaching new markets… All that has worked really really well. Farmers are no longer selling the crop before its even flowered just to survive. Established demand has increased overall, brand new markets are creating greater demand, quality is WAY up,

Unfortunately… over the last ten years or so, (whether you believe in climate change or not;) yields have been dropping, there isn’t as much new land to consume, weather patterns have followed drought with floods. So worldwide warehoused supplies are dropping, prices are climbing, and speculators are almost certainly right that prices will continue to climb.

Thats a long answer to a simple question…

Broadly speaking we’ll probably see new crop Nuggets sometime in the summer. Nuggets are definitely on the list to become a CP Select option that we’ll always have. The question right now is only whom to commit to, when to commit to this price or that price. And, buying some of one coffee definitely means we won’t be buying some of some other coffee.

Quality, Price, and Availability- pick any two and it will cost the other.

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