Masterfully Roasted: The Coffee Culture and Gourmet Farms

No conversations on the origins of the current coffee culture is complete without mentioning Gourmet Farms. It's a story that's woven tightly leading to the surge in popularity of coffee beginning as far back as the seventies. This is the story of Gourmet Farms...

The fragrant aroma of roasted coffee fills the air with its aromatic scent, it's just another day at Gourmet Farms (for more on Gourmet Farms, see my earlier post, Freshest. Finest. First. A Day at Gourmet Farms...). The enduring brand began as coffee traders and to this day, coffee remains their core product. Gourmet Farms showcased the world's best as well as the finest local coffee, planting the seeds for the now popular "bean-to-cup" concept with their range of premium coffee products. Gourmet Farms provided easy and convenient access to gourmet coffee, sparking the beginning of a long-running coffee revolution. Here's their story, enjoy it with a freshly brewed cup of coffee...

A sip of their premium coffee made from masterfully roasted beans deliver bold and robust flavors soothing both the palate and body. It's a ritual that begins the day for many of us. Gourmet Farms is the first to promote and make roasted coffee available on a massive commercial scale, supplying both retail and institutional accounts with its array of coffee products. It's a story that continues to inspire and satisfy cravings for a good cup of coffee. In 1978, Ernest de Leon Escaler had a mission, to bring the best coffee beans from around the world for Filipinos to try and enjoy and showcase the finest local coffee beans to the global stage. Gourmet Farms clearly achieved both, with the success of the brand as an enduring testimony to one man's vision. 

Today, Gourmet Farms is the first and largest premier producer of gourmet coffee (including organically grown lettuce and leafy salad greens, herbs and herbal teas) with the capacity to roast well over 150 tons of coffee beans every month. At Gourmet Farms, the sprawling farm estate not only produces organically-grown produce for its signature farm-to-table advocacy, it also houses their world-class coffee roasting facilities as well. 

Gourmet Farms boasts of an extensive inventory of premium coffee, including local coffee like their Baraco Batangas, Espresso Blend, Maynila Blend, Mountain Grown Arabica, Hazelnut Blend, Premium Blend and Decaf as well as Philippine Single Origin coffee beans, the Kapelipinas, with Apo, Baraco Supremo, Kitanglad, Sablan, Atok, Daguma and Matutum.

Gourmet Farms also brings the world's best with their Arabica del Mundo, a premium line featuring both local and coffee beans from around the world like Benguet Borbon, Philippine Civet, Sumatra Mandheling, Guatemala Antigua SHB, Papua New Guinea PSC, Panama Finca Sta. Teresa, Brazil Santos Arabica, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Ethiopian Sidamo. With Gourmet Farms, you can travel the world with your palate and experience the subtle and nuanced notes from different varieties of coffee. Terrain, altitude and climate play a role in the distinctive flavor of each variety, and Gourmet Farms takes you through each of these renowned blends with Arabica del Mundo.

The brand has evolved through the years, but the core of its DNA remains the same. Continuous innovation keeps the brand relevant to a new generation of consumers. The pioneering spirit of Gourmet Farms is seen with its unique and novel new products, allowing even more consumers to enjoy the world-class blends... 

Gourmet Farms' innovative Drip-On Coffee allows anyone to enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of coffee anytime and any day. The conveniently packed product features a specially designed coffee bag placed directly on your cup. Simply add hot water and enjoy the aroma...

The new product enables consumers to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee without the fuss using the Pour-Over method. Now you can have your world-class coffee in four easy steps, simply open, hang, pour and enjoy. Quick, easy and convenient, just what you need for the early morning rush.

You don't need special equipment or have a barista's skills to experience a quality brew. Gourmet Farms' new Drip-On Coffee makes it so easy, anyone can do it. All it takes is two minutes and you're on your way to that perfect cup of coffee to start your day.

The new Drip-On Coffee from Gourmet Farms is available in six variants including Baraco Batangas, Espresso Blend, Maynila Blend, Mountain Grown Arabica, Hazelnut Blend and Premium Blend. Craving for coffee? You'll find it at your favorite supermarket nearest you.

Coffee is more than just a beverage, it's a ritual. It's a sensory experience that begins with its distinctive aroma followed by its robust flavors. Innovations like the Drip-On Coffee combine both the modern convenience and tradition of coffee in a seamless blend. And it's products like this that keep Gourmet Farms relevant to a new generation of consumers.

At The Country Store of Gourmet Farms, the master barista demonstrates the Pour-Over method with the Philippine Single Origin Sablan from their Kapelipinas line...

With the dripper and paper filter properly positioned, pre-soak the filter and mug with an initial pour and discard to remove that persistent "paper" taste. Then, add your coffee beans to the filter (approximately 15g for two cups) and pour hot water over the coffee grounds in a spiral motion to evenly wet everything for thirty seconds. This is called the "blooming stage." Pour the rest of the hot water in the same spiral motion in a steady stream and allow to brew for at least two minutes. The aromatic fragrance soon filled the space...

Gourmet Farms' Sablan from the Philippine Single Origin Kapelipinas line delivered its pronounced medium body notes with a subtle acidity followed by hints of fresh herbs. Each sip drapes the palate with a nutty richness capped by a silky smooth finish. Each bag of coffee by Gourmet Farms is freshly roasted and packed one day before delivery. From planting and harvesting to packing, the process is all done at Gourmet Farms.  

But there's more. Soon you can enjoy more of Gourmet Farms' exclusive Kapelipinas line of premium local coffee in a handy and convenient bag. That's right. One bag. That's all you need. Just add hot water...

Designed with a built-in nozzle along with special markings for the exact water content, the new product is another breakthrough in convenience.

It's innovations like this that keep Gourmet Farms in step with the times...

The convenient bag is simply opened and poured with hot water. After a few minutes, that fragrant aroma wakes up your senses for that classic coffee experience. But this time, all you need is the bag and some hot water. After two minutes, simply open the nozzle...

...and pour. The Atok Philippine Single Origin coffee delivers clean and balanced notes with an elegant medium body punctuated by vibrant hints of citrus and oranges. And you get all these nuanced notes in a bag. Imagine the possibilities. Now you can have world-class coffee anywhere, just add hot water. The new product from Gourmet Farms will hit the supermarket shelves by late November.

Deep inside the farm, we get an inside look at the delicate process that goes behind each bag that bears the brand of Gourmet Farms. From their fully-stocked warehouses...

...stacked with coffee beans from around the country and the world, ready for roasting. Gourmet Farms works directly with farmers and farming communities, passing best practices for natural and organic methods and fair trade. The business of coffee is, after all, one based on long-term relationships.

Once the bags are sorted and selected, the beans begin their magical transformation with the delicate roasting process. It's a tedious process that completes the bean-to-cup cycle that began from the harvest, washing and drying all the way to roasting and packaging. Even before roasting, the rich aroma of the beans is immediately evident.

Gourmet Farms boasts of exclusive access to the country's very best coffee beans from years as the country's premier coffee trader.

Inside the glass-enclosed roasting facility, the world-renowned German-made Probat roaster (R), widely regarded as the Roll-Royce of coffee roasters, does its magic on the coffee beans. That signature nutty and caramel-like aroma soon hits the senses, triggering a craving for yet another cup of joe. 

The tour at the sprawling farm estate was an eye-opener, allowing guests to appreciate the bean-to-cup advocacy of Gourmet Farms. And there's no better way to appreciate this uncompromising commitment to quality and freshness than with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Philippine Civet coffee? Absolutely.

A ritual, a relationship, a passion and a much needed shot to complete the day, coffee is all these and more. And Gourmet Farms knows coffee well.

From the aroma that starts your day to the vibrant burst of deep, rounded and nutty notes, the story of coffee takes you deep inside nature's tedious cycle of growth and regeneration. It's a story that starts and ends our day, tracing its roots with the coffee trading days of Gourmet Farms.   

The tour of the farm estate not only offered refreshing sights and rich flavors, it was a journey back to the origins of the now popular coffee culture around the country. Gourmet Farms lets you experience it with a soothing sip of their signature coffee, retelling the story with each cup.  

From bean to cup from the freshest, finest and first. Rediscover the story once more with a freshly brewed cup of coffee...from Gourmet Farms.

Gourmet Farms is located at Brgy. Buho, Silang, Cavite. For orders and inquiries, call +632 843-8335 and +632 920-903-1346. You can also email at bookhere@gourmetfarms.com.ph. Follow Gourmet Farms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @gourmetfarmsph and the hashtags #GourmetFarmsPH, #BestoftheBrewed, #ILoveMyGF and #Gourmet Farms.

Dude for Food is now on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, check out the social media accounts for regular updates on good eats. Better yet, click "Like" and Follow" and enjoy the ride...just look for the FB and IG widgets on the right sidebar.