Paloma and Marco, a Spanish woman and an Italian man who met in London and decided to change their lives dedicated to physiotherapy and the financial world for coffee beans. How did specialty coffee come into your lives?
For us, specialty coffee has been a journey—an intense one—and we mean that quite literally, since it was a journey that made us stop, reflect, and look at things from a new perspective, ultimately leading us, as you said, to leave our “previous lives” behind and devote ourselves to something that moves our hearts and senses.
The Trip
What did that trip mean to you?
We believe that travel has a soothing power, and if you keep an open mind, it can even change your outlook on life. In our case, we spent 12 months traveling—first through Southeast Asia, and later through the United States, Mexico, and Cuba.
We were very fortunate to meet people along the way who shared their love for this incredible world with us, including Michael and Cana from the NGO Filanthrope, whom we met in Vietnam and who, after collaborating with some of the best roasters in the United States, are now leading a wonderful cause in Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India by supporting the development of local coffee farmers.
After dinner and a few beers, we ended up inviting them to come back with us to our home here in Spain, where we began working together as a team to create what is now Puchero.
This marks your fifth anniversary as one of Spain's most established specialty coffee roasters. How would you sum up your journey so far?
We are very happy not only about the warm reception but also about the wonderful moment specialty coffee is experiencing in our country, despite everything.
If we are now, as you say, among “the big players,” it is because, when we were smaller, we were clear that we wanted to do things right—through hard work, continuous and thorough quality controls, and a philosophy of continuous improvement.
We are proud to be growing alongside our team, roasting exceptional coffees, crafting chocolate using the same artisanal process, and supporting local coffee shops as they bring their ideas and projects to life.
In quarantine
A fifth anniversary that coincides with a “tough” year for the industry. As a roaster, how have you experienced all of this?
We won't deny it—it's been really tough. It's had us on the ropes after an excellent year and some very promising months leading up to this.
We decided to focus our efforts on developing strategies for customers who enjoy coffee and chocolate at home, and fortunately, the response was very positive; we owe a great deal to all those who enjoy using our products at home.
However, our biggest customers are our partners—local coffee shops that have gone through some very difficult times. This always affects both ends of the chain: if our coffee shops are empty, if there are no customers to enjoy our coffee, we all lose out.
And speaking of those customers—the specialty coffee shops we mentioned—what impressions are they giving you? How do you see the industry in the future?
We have a very close relationship with all of our partners, and we took advantage of the quarantine to check in with each of them to see “how things were going for them”—and their messages were disheartening.
Unfortunately, some incredibly talented coffee professionals have had to say “goodbye” or “see you soon” to wonderful projects.
We firmly believe in “resilience,” and we know that specialty coffee is and will continue to be a booming sector: consumers know that the world of “specialty” coffee is a path of no return; we may have fewer euros in our pockets, but we spend them with a greater awareness of what we’re consuming. That can’t be a bad thing.
And in fact, you just launched a support plan for coffee shops this month. How did this idea come about? What message would you like to share with those coffee shops that are struggling right now?
We couldn't stop thinking about how we could do our part to help with all of this, and even though everything seemed insufficient or insignificant to us, we believed it was necessary to do something.
Anyone who knows us knows that we've never run sales or discount campaigns—it's simply not a strategy that reflects who we are. We do things right, we offer quality, and that will always be our hallmark. However, this was the time to pitch in.
We have cut our profit margins more than ever before, made a commitment to offering deferred payment options, and reduced our shipping costs as much as possible. We humbly hope this will help.
Looking Ahead
Your coffees are becoming increasingly popular among industry professionals. How do you see Puchero in the future?
We see it exactly as it is, but just a little bigger.
Things done right, more coffee, lots more chocolate (which is the newest addition and the one we hope will keep growing), and continuing to treat everyone who stops by our new café here—surrounded by pine trees—to delicious treats.
Who knows, maybe we'll soon leave our pine forests behind and take over the city, but that's another story (laughs).
Thank you so much, guys! And enjoy your time in the dorm!