A fascinating and enlightening 2-hour meeting with Matthew Mills including a tour of the modern coffee roasting and processing plant.

Masteroast is fundamentally an aggregator, ordering the coffee from source, most of it green bean, and roasting the coffee in one of 4 different sized roasters according to client specifications, in whole bean, ground, and 6 other variety types. Masteroast is not a wholesaler as they produce no coffee brands under their own name. They roast coffee for Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose, large national coffee shop chains, as well as smaller independent retail outlets and cafes. Masteroast also provides a variety of bagging, packaging, and types such as pods and coffee bags on different processing lines.

1. Regarding the question surrounding the roasting of CoopeVictoria’s new “Esencia de Mujer”, Matthew informed me that Masteroast already roast 7 other female producer coffees for the UK market. CoopeVictoria commercial and marketing department would have to produce a video, online material, and promotional pamphlets indicating how their “Esencia de Mujer”, is different to other feminist coffees produced in Central America and the specific characteristics of this coffee in terms of acidity, colour, flavour, and other cupping notes. Matthew reiterated his offer to give CoopeVictoria a Promotional Day at Peterborough, later in the year inviting senior buyers and managers from UK national food industries, retail outlets and coffee chains to cup and taste their new women’s coffee. Masteroast has Fairtrade accreditation as well as Rainforest Alliance, Soil Association and EU environmental certification. Traceability is all done through barcodes to the amount batch, harvest bean type, when pciked roasted etc

• I gave Matthew Mills a bag of the Roast Lab Grecia – High Wycombe Celebration Coffee whole beans for his research department to accurately test the roasting quality to allow precise replication for any further orders. The smallest quantity his company can roast is 10 kilos of raw bean coffee, in any style or format we like. 10 kilos would probably generate around 30 – 35 bags of 250g of roasted coffee.

• Increasing the volume of CoopeVictoria Coffee sold in the UK

Discussions appeared to focus on 3 main alternatives, each with their own variations.

1. Wycombe For Fairtrade has the Grecia – High Wycombe Fairtrade Towns Celebration Coffee roasted at Masteroast, with same or different label and sell independently as Masteroast is not a wholesaler or retailer.
2. Find a larger, independent roaster who is a wholesaler as well with a larger client base and retail and /or catering contract outlets (Horsham Coffee Roasters) selling our coffee online as well as locally around High Wycombe.
3. Find a larger, independent roaster who is a wholesaler with a large online client base but also with a sizable retail and catering contract outlets such as Kingdom Coffee, who have hundreds of churches, local authorities, independent cafes, and universities signed up. This can provide volume on top of the quality. Most are likely to have coffee machines hired from the wholesaler. (Darren has his coffee roasted by Masteroast.)

• Increase sales of CoopeVictoria “Monte Camejo” and or “Esencia Mujer” by involving Kingdom Coffee in Reading. This would utilize his hundreds of churches, independent coffee shops, local councils, food industry machines, colleges, and universities, in addition to his large online home sales base. Kingdom Coffee is Fairtrade certified along with the roaster, Masteroast. The coffee would be processed according to the customer’s precise specifications. CoopeVictoria would need to provide as much information as possible from their marketing department as to the attributes of their feminine coffee brand and why it is different from all the other female producers coffee in the UK market e.g. bean type, acidity, washed, SCA score, flavour etc..

• Darren needs to be involved in the next phase if Wycombe For Fairtrade is serious about upscaling the volume of coffee. It has to be good as margins in the UK coffee market are tight and expectations have to be realistic or tie in with a major brand name e.g. Starbucks. Idea not to spend too much money on marketing. Accessing the food services market is another potential area of opportunity in offices and shops. Cafeology (Fairtrade) have done this with sports centres. Find out how well the RoastLab produced Celebration Coffee sold in the retail outlets, like the Peterlee Farm shop, The Meat Hook, Flowerland etc. Sales and customer feedback.

Somebody must run the brand, cannot just throw money at it, have to get new coffees noticed in the tea and coffee trade journals. Also, someone must be the driver to sell it to wholesalers, retailers corporate and supermarket buyers as well as directly to the consumer. Costa Rican coffees have a long history, a good reputation, and are much respected.. Matthew’s experience of selling “green bean” coffee is not too difficult.

Mike King – Chairman, Wycombe For Fairtrade

Promoting Fairtrade generally, but specifically the Grecia – CoopeVictoria – High Wycombe Fairtrade Towns Partnership coffee, selling the ethically and locally roasted 250g bags of Celebration Coffee to consumers. With flasks of black coffee, people could try the medium-roasted, Fairtrade, CoopeVictoria single – origin, “Monte Camejo”, coffee before they bought the coffee.

The Wycombe For Fairtrade stall managed to sell a total of 24 bags of the Celebration Coffee during the day, raising over £130.00, contributing to covering roasting costs of the local micro roastery.

Engaging young people with a luck dip and attracting adults through a Costa Rica knowledge competition, combined to bring interest to our stall.  There was a Celebration Coffee bag prize for the highest correct Costa Rica quiz answers.

Mike King

Chairman, Wycombe Fairtrade

Two weeks previously, Mike King had managed to contact via email and telephone, Wycombe Sound Community Radio Station, seeking some airtime to inform the local Wycombe population of the events, activities, and dialogue, Wycombe For Fairtrade had been engaged with over the past 18 months, and to promote the forthcoming visit to High Wycombe on Monday 6^th March 2023, of Ambassador Rafael Ortiz Fabrega from the Embassy of Costa Rica, and the reasons and purpose of his stay in the town.

Liaison with one of the presenters, Colin Beasley resulted in a personal interview with him on his mid-morning show on Friday 3^rd March 2023 at 12.30 pm to 12.55pm.

Colin asked Mike King some open and general questions about Fairtrade to remind listeners of main functions Mike King responded by focusing on the three principal roles of Fairtrade: –

1. Targeting the injustices of conventional trade which has typically discriminated against the producers in developing countries, promoting better prices, better working conditions, and more sustainable practices, to make trade fair.
2. The social, economic, and environmental standards enforced by Fairtrade protects workers’ rights and working conditions, ensuring a minimum price is paid to cover the average costs of producing crops sustainably, and providing an additional sum of money to communities referred to as the Fairtrade Premium, that farmers and workers can invest in community, environmental or business projects of their choice.
3. The FAIRTRADE Mark is a registered certification label for products that have been certified in accordance with the stringent Fairtrade social, economic, and environmental standards. The FAIRTRADE Mark is widely regarded as the most recognised ethical label, with 93% of UK shoppers claiming to recognise the label, with 83% trusting it to decide whether a product is ethical.

Colin Beasley then asked questions surrounding the events and activities of Wycombe For Fairtrade Steering Group members had been engaged in over the last 18 months.

Mike King then gave a short summary of the activities and achievements over the last 18 months: –

• Developing and strengthening our relationship with our partner Fairtrade Town of Grecia in Costa Rica.
• Having regular 6-month Zoom meetings between the Mayors of High Wycombe and the Mayors of Grecia.
• Collaborating with the Sustainability Manager of CoopeVictoria, the 3000- farmer cooperative Fairtrade coffee and organic sugar producer, to research, write, and edit a 15-page academic article entitled “Systems, Solidarity and Fair Trade”, which waspublished in the “Journal of Fair Trade” (Vol 3, No. 2 March 2022.)
• Research work also began on a follow up, practical paper involving the interviewing of Fairtrade producer directors, World Fair Trade Organization representatives, and Fair-Trade Managers from the Caribbean and Latin America regarding 8 questionsa relating to inputs, processing, outputs, external barriers, outcomes, intermediaries, consumer sovereignty, and wholesaler feedback.
• There was also development regarding a project to produce a CoopeVictoria single-origin, Fairtrade coffee using CoopeVictoria “Monte Camejo” green beans, which would be roasted in the UK for the first time. Wycombe For Fairtrade located an energetic couple who co-owned the micro-roastery, Roast Lab, near Gerrard Cross. Wayne and Sarah Coetzee carried out some sample test roasting, with very positive results and helped with the Grecia – High Wycombe Fairtrade Towns Partnership Celebration  Coffee bag design. This was ready for mass sampling at Highcrest Academy for the launch of the speciality coffee by Mike King and the Ambassador of Costa Rica at Highcrest Academy on Monday 6^th March 2023.

Promoting the Visit of Ambassador Rafael Ortiz Fabrega from the Embassy of Costa Rica to High Wycombe on Monday 6^th Mar 2023.

The highlight of Wycombe For Fairtrade 2023 Fairtrade Fortnight’s events is certainly the visit of Ambassador of Costa Rica to High Wycombe. This has involved a great deal of collaboration and liaison with all interested stakeholders during the past 6 months. The agreed itinerary for the visit on Monday 6^th March is: –

• Meeting the Ambassador from the railway station and escorting him to the High Wycombe Council building.
• Meeting and greeting the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of High Wycombe
• Engaging in a live Zoom meeting with Directors of CoopeVictoria Fairtrade coffee and sugar cooperative and the Deputy Mayor of High Wycombe.
• Ceremoniously cutting the Grecia – High Wycombe Fairtrade Towns Partnership Celebration cake with the Mayor of High Wycombe, Arif Hussain.
• Conveying the Ambassador of Costa Rica and the Economic Consul and Mayors of High Wycombe along with five Wycombe For Fairtrade Steering Group members to Highcrest Academy where Ambassador Ortiz would: –
• Meet and greet senior teachers and the Head Boy and Girl
• Deliver a 15-minute Powerpoint presentation about Costa Rican culture & life
• Present the Grecia – High Wycombe Fairtrade Towns Partnership plague to the Mayor of High Wycombe.
• In co-ordination with Mike King, officially launch the Grecia – High Wycombe Fairtrade Towns Partnership Celebration Coffee with single-origin green beans supplied by CoopeVictoria and roasted locally by Roast Lab, a small, independent, micro-roaster near Gerrards Cross.
• This medium-roasted arabica coffee would then be sampled by all the teachers and some pupils, accompanied by the delicious Central American snack – “pan de elote”, a type of corncake.
• Photographs and interviews with Bucks Free Press journalist. The whole event would be recorded live by the Highcrest Academy Computer Technician.
• Farewells and goodbyes.

Mike King
Chairman Wycombe For Fairtrade

Christ The Servant King Church, Community Coffee Morning. Big Brew Quiz. Weds 1^st Mar 2023. 10.30 am – 12.00 noon.

Mike King, the Chairman of Wycombe For Fairtrade was asked by the Open Door Community Café coordinator, to run a Big Brew Fairtrade quiz during the middle part of the morning.

There were about 25 people arranged in 6 teams. Mike King as the question master asked a total of 15 questions relating to Fairtrade tea, Fairtrade fashion and clothing, and Fairtrade generally.

The teams had the 15 questions printed on an A4 sheet with three or four possible options.

At the end of the quiz, Mike King then revealed the answers to these Fairtrade questions.

The team with the most correct answers won a Fairtrade selection of chocolate bars. The teams had a very positive and sometimes noisy engagement, but it was all done is a positive and relaxed atmosphere.

Mike King was asked back by the coordinator to do another Fairtrade Quiz around November time, before Christmas 2023.

Mike King
Chairman, Wycombe For Fairtrade

Christ The Servant King Church Sunday 26^th March 2023. Fairtrade themed services.

Two Fairtrade themed services, one traditional and contemplative, the second more family oriented, were led by Reverend Chris Owen.

The traditional communion service contained two bible readings in the first service, three hymns, intercessions and prayers by Heather Serle, the licensed Lay Minister for Missions, Holy communion, and a talk by Margaret Dyke BEM, a Traidcraft Representative with over 25 years’ experience.  The prayers and bible readings contained many references to the call to help and assist people, especially those who are marginalized and lack opportunities. Many of the parables Jesus told had social justice as the bedrock.

The second service was more modern and family-oriented in scope, the Reverend Chris Owen again leading the worship, and making many links with Fairtrade and social justice. Heather Serle led the prayers and choruses, supported by the choir.

Margaret Dykes than gave a different talk about the recent news of Traidcraft going into administration, but the work of the Transform Trade charity goes on as does the wider Fair Trade movement.

Mike King, Chairman of Wycombe For Fairtrade, then gave a 15-minute presentation, reminding the congregation of the purpose of Fairtrade and the reasons why supporting fair trade is essential, allowing producers, workers, and artisans access to world markets, receiving a guaranteed minimum price for their products, and the Fairtrade Premium, paid to local communities to invest in their businesses, infrastructure projects, or improving health care or schooling.

Mike King then used a 15-slide Powerpoint presentation to relate the journey of a Fairtrade coffee bean from the coffee bush to the time it arrives in a Fairtrade coffee bag in the supermarket. The audience were thoroughly engaged.

Afterward Mike and Sheena King helped Margaret and Bill Dykes run a Fairtrade stall in the church foyer. This also included taking orders for Meaningful Chocolate Easter Eggs. This stall was well supported by the congregation making just over £500.00 in sales and orders.

Mike King
Chairman, Wycombe for Fairtrade