Demystifying the coffee value chain,  The Bean

Miro drives forward one batch at a time

While studying for a masters degree in business down under, Daniel Sanchez got a taste for antipodean coffee culture. And when a local coffee shop opened in his Melbourne neighborhood, his enjoyment of specialty coffee soon developed from a daily ritual into a career.

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“The Monday after the opening, I picked up a cappuccino on the way to collect my laundry. Later that day I went back and talked to Ben, the owner of the café The Final Step. I started to hang out in this coffee shop so much that he told me I could be useful and clean the dishes,” says Daniel before adding that he went on to hone his craft working with espresso behind the bar.

It was only when Daniel moved back to Switzerland with his partner three years later that he realized that a promising career in corporate branding and marketing was not for him. A spell of working in a coffee shop was enough to convince the 36 year-old that there was a future in specialty coffee. And with the purchase of a 5kg Probat and some bags of green coffee, Miró was born in partnership with his brother David in 2014. Daniel says that his formula is to search for, and roast, the best green coffee available with an ambition to present the sweetest coffee they possibly can to their customers and guests: “Passion and attention to detail are central to us,” he says.

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A thoughtful approach to being engaged in the supply chain as much as possible is also an important consideration at Miró. This includes placing importance on establishing a ‘direct trade’ relationship with their customers: “We carefully examine the process and communicate with our partners or suppliers as well as our private customers and guests. This means we are constantly exchanging with people so that we can collect the relevant information and pass on our know-how with pleasure”.

One example of Miró’s efforts to share their knowledge with the wider coffee community is the range of espresso, brewing and roasting masterclass’ on offer to those who want to learn more. Daniel’s team of five are also dedicated to sharing their skills and knowledge with their customers on the road around Zurich through their bespoke converted coffee truck complete with a two group La Marzocco Linea PB and Mahlkönig set up.

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Miró’s philosophy is to change their portfolio of coffees at a fast pace which means that they are constantly on the lookout for fresh new arrivals. He says that the challenge of establishing a direct trade relationship with a producer can be a lot of effort when they are sourcing just three to four bags at a time.

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“It depends on what point you are buying the coffee. Do you buy from directly from the farmer? Does he have the ability to mill and ship it to port or you have to organise the milling, transport to the port?” asks Daniel. “This is why I really like the concept behind algrano because the one thing that I find most important is its simplicity. We bought a Costa Rican coffee, La Bella, and the head barista at one of customer’s, Auer Co, cupped the coffee and took the whole lot – it was very cool.”

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As Daniel and his team look to the future, it is clear that they are focused on growing the roasting business alongside their mission to help drive the education of their customers one espresso shot, one brew, and one small batch of freshly roasted coffee – each step at a time.

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This article was commissioned by algrano for the blog series Demystifying the Coffee Value Chain

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