For those living in Zug, Central Switzerland, you might agree that the opening of Freiruum, the multiple activity and foodcourt center has revolutionized our habits dramatically. And for those like us looking for "real coffee" (aka not made by a more-than-unfriendly waitress pressing a button at Speck or Monsieur Baguette) it has been a pleasure to stop by Kahawa Café and enjoy a proper latte macchiato and flat white in the middle of the day.
So when the virus hit us and obliged all venues to close down, our thoughts went straight to all little businesses led by great people around, and our eyes turned towards our limited stocks of nice coffee beans at home.
As I was following Kahawa Café on Instagram I realized that they were still active roasting beans and answering orders for bags, so I contacted them and got in touch with the owner, Matilda. And while she offered great advise on what coffee to chose based on what coffee ustensils we use at home, she also accepted to answer some questions for OUTSIDE THE BOX. I asked her how things are going at the moment in the context of the virus and lockdown, and she kindly shared her few words about the motivation behind her business.
The whole team is healthy and safe which is the most important thing. Other than that just trying to keep busy making the best out of a tricky situation and hoping that it passes soon!
Coffee has always played a significant role in my life. My parents met on a coffee farm and I’ve always grown up around it. It’s always been my dream to open my own speciality coffee shop, so Kahawa Café is such a dream come true.
Our concept in a nutshell: an uninterrupted chain from bean to cup.
At the Kahawa café we roast coffee exclusively from plantations to which we have a personal relationship with, from countries that are well known for their high-quality coffee. This includes highland coffees from Tanzania and Ethiopia, or Brazil and Mexico on the other side of the Atlantic. We place a lot of importance on ethically produced coffee such as strong protection of biodiversity, the wellbeing of employees and the support of the local population. We know the people who pick the beans, as well as the people who drink them.
A farm particularly close to our heart is the one I grew up on in Tanzania called Utengule. Utengule maintains very good relations with neighboring villages and supports the construction of schools and of drinking water boreholes. Interested in learning more? Visit www.utengule.com
Find a great selection of self-roasted coffee on the Instagram page of Kahawa Café.
8,90 CHF for a 250g bag, for either beans of ground coffee (you just need to explain what machines you want to use and the grinding will be adpated accordingly - nice, right?)