coffee with added value

The Coffee Quest is a quality focused importer and exporter bringing the very best coffees from Latin America and Ethiopia to roasters in the US and Canada.
Our Mission: Transparency, Collaboration & Quality

Coffee Origen - Farm 3
Transparency
Alberto and Friso at Sonora
Collaboration
Luis Emilio in Solar dryer
Quality


discover our origins

our second home

where artistry meets modernity

Ethiopia Map

the gold standard

wild and diverse

a diamond on the equator

From Colombia, our sourcing team has close ties to our export partners in Nicaragua, Honduras and Ecuador. Our close access ensures we always play an active role with our exporters and producers in these other origins.

Based at Origin | Quality Focused

Our Headquarters in Medellin, Colombia gives our clients “boots on the ground” and unique access. On a daily basis, our team is in constant contact with producers to discuss pre- and post-harvest processing and always on the hunt for top quality coffees. In addition, our Medellin HQ is a team of 10+ people working hard to ensure we maintain the quality of coffee our client’s have come to expect, from post-harvest quality control, to clean, export ready green coffee.

Buying Stations

Family Buying Station Giraldo

With buying stations in Santa Maria, Giraldo (above) & Pitalito, our cuppers are in constant contact with producers, tasting and designating all coffees by quality, and then offering direct feedback to all those producers.

Unparalleled QC

DSC08692

Every-single-lot purchased at our buying stations has a unique ID, giving you full traceability and transparency. Paired with our strict quality control standards and cupping protocols, you can be confident that your coffee will be consistent from the first bag to the last.

Our Own Dry Mill

The Coffee Quest owns and operates the first purely specialty coffee focused “micro” dry-mill in Antioquia, using the most modern technology available.

Our Values & How We Source

Transparency

  • We pay fixed prices to the farmers we work with, from 84 points onwards, posted openly at our buying stations in Colombia. In addition, we are always happy to provide farm gate pricing where possible, or FOB pricing at a minimum. 
  • In other origins, we aspire to only work with transparent partners, down to the farm gate level.

Collaboration

  • We help our farmer partners through trainings, advice on best practices for cup quality and the environment, as well as feedback on every single lot cupped in any of our labs.
  • We invite all roasters to origin, to see firsthand where we work, who we work with and how we work. We want to be held liable for everything we claim to do!

Quality

  • We pay fair, fixed prices and as a result, have stricter demands with regards to coffees we purchase. We are looking for producers who want to put in the work necessary to produce a quality product and be justly rewarded for it. On the flip side, we seek out roasters look for the same and are willing to pay prices for coffees and a supply chain that reflect their true value.
  • Every step along the way, from farm to warehouse, our strict quality control processes often lead to each lot cupped 3-4 times before even being shipped.

contact us to learn more

the coffee
quest
USA

The team is led by Founder Stephen Levene, splitting his time between TCQ’s Colombian operations in Medellin and the US, and Sarah Oermann who is based out of Austin, Texas. If you have any questions about our sourcing methodologies or current offerings, or simply want to chat coffee, give either of us a shout!

Stephen Levene
Owner

e-mail: stephen (at) thecoffeequest.com
cell: (443) 681-9331

Sarah Oermann
North America Sales

e-mail: sarah (at) thecoffeequest.com
cell: (254) 718-1004

Reach out directly Or Fill our this form