Proud Mary

Panama Bambito Estate Gesha

Proud Mary was founded in 2009, first as a café and now as a roaster as well. Owner Nolan Hirte and green buyer Lucy Ward source all the coffee direct from origin, with an aim to find captivating, high-grade coffees. These special coffees are our way of putting the farmer in the spotlight back at home and telling their story.
Hirte and Ward both live and breathe coffee; it is a way of life for them. For them, finding these special coffees often mean being at the right place at the right time and building lasting, meaningful relationships with farmers, which in turn opens up access to unique lots.
The Bambito Estate is a perfect example of these relationships coming to fruition. Lucy visited Rafael Amar, the man behind Bambito Estate, earlier in the year. When she arrived on the farm, she was invited to the cupping lab, where he presented her with his traditional lots to cup. However, she was on a mission to find a coffee that took her breath away – something unique and skillfully processed. All the coffees were indeed wonderful, but did not have that standout quality. Upon giving Rafael the news that these were not the coffees for us, rather than being dejected, Rafael flashed a cheeky grin and disappeared into another room to retrieve a small bag of green coffee. “Take this,” he said. “I only have a little but if you like it, I will sell it to you. It is yours”. The moment Lucy tasted the Bambito Estate geisha, she knew she had to have it. It was a done deal right then and there.
For Proud Mary, moments like these encapsulate what it means to buy directly from the farmer. The connection, discovery of new things, and the passion of the farmer right there in the cup. This is where the real story comes from. If we, the roasters, are doing our jobs properly, those amazing characteristics in each coffee should make it to the cup. This is where the real magic comes in.
www.proudmarycoffee.com.au