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Day 6 - Brazil Sao Judas Tadeu

Stitch Coffee

Fazenda São Judas Tadeu lies outside the small town of Piatã, in Bahia’s Chapada Diamantina region, sitting at an elevation of 1,300 to 1,380 metres above sea level. Chapada Diamantina translates to ”Diamond Plateau” in Portuguese, and for 100 years this area was mined for the gemstones embedded in its cliffs. Today, the region is famous for its specialty coffee.

The farm is owned by Antônio Rigno and his wife Terezinha, who have been farming coffee in the region for more than 40 years. Antônio owns a number of farms in Piatã and is very well respected in the community. Many farmers in the area look to him for advice and mentorship, and he graciously lets them process their coffee at the wet mill located at São Judas Tadeu.

HOW THIS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED

Antônio has invested in modern processing facilities, including a wet mill and both conventional and greenhouse patios. He also ensures that his processes are reviewed and guided annually by technicians from AGRIPEC, an agricultural support community, and is highly attentive to new technologies and methods that will improve quality.

Here, cherries were picked by hand only when fully ripe, with two passes a day during the peak of the harvest. This job was mainly conducted by local women (called “panhadeiras de cafe”), who are extremely disciplined and ensure only the very best cherries are selected. The cherries were then taken by tractors to the wet mill, which is located right on the farm. A dedicated team of ten processed the coffee at the mill with great care. “We treat every single lot like it has the potential to be a 90+ coffee,” Antonio explained.

About This Roaster

STITCH COFFEE was born of an idea that coffee is much like a tapestry - it is a weaving of origins and flavours to create a delicious cup.

Nawar Adra, owner of Stitch Coffee, had humble beginnings working as a barista in the iconic Western Suburbs cafe, Circa Espresso. Nawar started his roasting journey with Circa when they purchased their very own Probat P5 to roast their own. While working for them, they focused heavily on single origins only, however, as years passed Nawar realised there was an artistry behind the blending of origins. This merging of origins created a cup with distinct complexity, structure and balance, this concept gave birth to Stitch Coffee. We opened the doors to our roastery in 2015 and haven't looked back.

Today we are a company heavily focused on creating connections through coffee, from green bean importers, to everyday coffee drinkers and everyone in between. We assist cafes in up-skilling their baristas and teams, teaching them how to extract the perfect espresso and brew a delicious pour-over. Our love for coffee is fed by the daily home brewers and the cafes that serve our coffee. We continue to source coffee ethically from around the world and ensure that we have the ability to communicate this with our community. We are continuously evolving our buying practises and fostering relationships with importers and farmers to ensure a healthy future for coffee.