From a Birthday Card to a Coffee Friendship: A Decade in Nicaragua

In coffee, relationships are everything. Phil touched on this in his introduction to our blog, but what often goes unspoken is how these relationships even begin. Where do they come from? How do they grow?

One story worth sharing is how I met Julio and his brother Octavio—producers from Nicaragua who have become not just business partners but friends.

A Chance Encounter at World of Coffee

Flashback to Rimini, 2014. It was my first time at World of Coffee, and between cuppings, pizza, and beachside meet-ups (if you know, you know), I found myself tasting a lineup of Nicaraguan coffees from Peralta farms.

The coffees stood out. Clean, beautifully processed, and full of sweet fruity notes—exactly the kind of profiles that make specialty roasters excited. But what made this moment even better was meeting Julio.

At the time, I was still relatively new to the green side of coffee. Seeing a producer at a European event wasn’t as common back then, and I remember feeling a bit starstruck. We had a quick, pleasant chat, but it wasn’t the kind of conversation that cements a friendship—just two people appreciating great coffee.

That moment wasn’t when our relationship started.

A Small Gesture, A Lasting Impact

Back then, I was a green buyer for a larger roastery. One of the standout coffees we bought was a Red Honey from Finca Samaria, part of the Peralta family's production. We sourced it for years.

At one point, a marketing agency we worked with suggested that true relationships meant knowing details—like a producer’s birthday. So, we decided to put this into practice.

For a short while, I made it a habit to send birthday cards and roasted coffee to our producers. To be honest, I had no idea if they ever arrived on time, if they got lost in the mail, or if they were met with confusion. Responses were rare, and the initiative only lasted about a year.

But you never know what a small gesture can do.

Years later, I ran into Julio at another coffee event. One of the first things he said?

"You sent me a birthday card!"

We laughed about it, kept talking, and realized we had a real opportunity to work together again—this time at a new scale and with a closer partnership.

From Birthday Cards to Direct Collaboration

Not long after, I visited them in Nicaragua. We reminisced about that birthday card, cupped about 40 coffees (including that same Red Honey Samaria, which I unknowingly picked blind), and deepened the relationship through shared meals and conversations.

Their supper club—which, to be clear, is not actually a club but rather a group of friends grilling together several nights a week—became a space where we bonded beyond coffee.

Since then, at Covoya, we’ve worked closely with Julio and Octavio to bring their coffees to market. But it’s more than just sourcing. Over the years, we’ve collaborated on pre-harvest financing, processing feedback, and customer insights.

We’ve also had the opportunity to explore an incredible range of coffees from their farms, adapting to evolving processing trends while staying true to the clean, balanced cup profiles we love from Nicaragua.

Over the years, we’ve sourced washed and honey-processed lots in every shade—from yellow honey to black honey, each defined by its mucilage content. We’ve worked with exceptionally clean anaerobic naturals and, more recently, reintroduced classic naturals alongside anaerobic lots.

The farms of Santa Maria de Lourdes, Buena Vista, and La Argentina have become staples in our offerings, alongside exciting newer lots from La Estancia, Finca Libre, and Benfico Los Jigueros.

And for those who appreciate variety, the single varietals we’ve worked with include:
☕ Red & Yellow Catuai
☕ Obata
☕ Parainema
☕ Red & Pink Bourbon

This diversity reflects the evolution of specialty coffee processing in Nicaragua and the dedication of producers like Julio and Octavio to refining their craft. This commitment to excellence goes deeper than the green beans. Each lot is a single variety separation traced to a single plot on the farm. Each is carefully vacuum-packed to maximise and maintain the freshness of the coffee through its life cycle from post-harvest to cup.

More Than Coffee, A True Partnership

Julio and I still speak regularly, while Octavio balances his time between managing the farms and running the family butcher shop in Ocotal. Are we best friends? Maybe not—I imagine their supper club has plenty of those—but we share mutual respect, trust, and a commitment to quality coffee.

And to think, it all started because of a birthday card.

 
What’s Next?

Relationships like this don’t happen overnight, but they’re at the core of how we work at Covoya. If you’re a roaster looking for exceptional Nicaraguan green coffee with a story behind it, we’d love to share more. Reach out to your Covoya rep or check out our current offerings to explore the latest lots from Julio, Octavio, and beyond.