I got to go to Colombia and spent a couple days out at El Fenix, it was incredible. The project is fantastic, the people are fantastic, the coffee is fantastic. We spent the whole time immersed in coffee. Miguel and his family are beautiful and lovely to the highest degree. It was probably the highlight of my coffee career so far... to be somewhere so beautiful and feel justified in going there.
The coffee work we did was mostly just educational for me and Jess. Miguel took us on a few walks around the farm showing us all the varieties, explaining to us things that had worked well for El Fenix, and things that were to be improved upon. I didn't think I'd learn as much as I did from it, which I guess is pretty typical of my attitude going into things generally... I hope I listened well enough, it certainly feels like a lot went in.
It was sweet brewing coffee and tasting things with Miguel and my partner Jess, a real mixed bag of coffee experience. I felt like maybe I let the team down at that tasting by having decided before cupping most of what we wanted - the sample roaster had been playing up a bit and by Miguels own admission some of the bowls were a bit off - I new whatever the weather I'd be getting the Tabi and Pink Bourbon's. Just fucking wicked coffees, everyone who buys from Raw Material knows it I reckon.
Anoxic Washed
Once cherries are received, they are hand-picked and floated to ensure only those of the best quality continue to the processing stage. These cherries are placed into a deep cleaned fermentation tank. A sheet is then placed over the cherries, which is then submerged with cool water. The seal created by the water pressing onto the sheeting creates a vacuum effect on the coffee below, creating an anoxic environment for fermentation to begin, which lasts for 48 hours.
The water and sheet act as not only a sealant, but a heat exchange, allowing the heat build up to transfer to the water, which evaporates away. A stabilised temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius ensures that the cherry doesn’t over ferment. This temperature is regularly monitored, and if it falls too low for fermentation to continue, hot water is added to the water pillow, to provide warmth to the fermenting coffee underneath.
Once the fermentation is complete, the water is drained, and the sheet is removed. The now fermented coffee is rinsed and drained of all residual liquid. For the washing process to continue, the cherries are pulped, and the exposed beans are washed and graded.
The coffee is then sun dried for between 4 and 8 hours daily, and dried on raised beds for between 2 to 3 weeks.
The Farm: El Fénix
El Fénix serves as Raw Material’s central hub in Colombia — more than just an office, it was developed with a long-term vision in mind. The site brings together three distinct but interconnected components: a rare-variety organic coffee farm, a post-harvest processing lab, and a community wet mill. These elements function together to support innovation in coffee production, processing, and trade.
Located in Calarcá, in the eastern municipality of Quindío, Colombia, El Fénix is ideally situated facing the Cauca Valley and the central mountain range. Its microclimate offers optimal conditions for coffee growing: strong sunlight reflected off the valley, an average annual rainfall of 2,275mm, and abundant freshwater from natural spring falls. This setting supports the growth of rare and experimental coffee varieties under organic farming conditions.
As a working farm and research space, El Fénix enables Raw Material to carry out selective breeding programs, experiment with new post-harvest processing techniques, and adapt farming practices to organic production. It also serves as a venue for hosting farm management and cupping courses for producers and roasters, all while building stronger relationships across the value chain.
Community Wet Mill
In addition to coffee production and research, El Fénix is home to a growing community wet mill — a collaborative infrastructure project initiated and crowdfunded with support from Raw Material. The goal is to offer smallholder producers in the surrounding area greater control over both quality and income.
The model allows Raw Material to purchase coffee in cherry form rather than parchment, enabling complete oversight of the post-harvest process to ensure consistency and maximize quality. Producers benefit not only from improved quality outcomes but also from a transparent, two-part payment system designed to stabilize cash flow.
The first payment is made when cherries are delivered — up to six weeks earlier than traditional parchment payments — at a fixed rate equivalent to COP 1,000,000 per carga of parchment. A second payment is made after export, based on the final price roasters pay. If the export price exceeds the benchmark, that added value is passed directly to the producers.
This system provides a meaningful step toward equity in the coffee value chain and demonstrates Raw Material’s commitment to delivering long-term, community-driven development through trade.
