History And Vision
First, a brief history of coffee as we know it.
As legend has it, coffee and its invigorating effects were first discovered by an Ethiopian
goatherder back in the ninth century. It then spread through the Arab world and, by the 1600s,
had reached Europe, giving rise to fashionable coffee houses like Lloyd's in London.
While coffee may have originated in Africa, only small amounts were traded to Europe via
the Arab port of Mocha, where the trade was tightly controlled. In the early 1600s,
Pieter Van der Broeke, a trader for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Mocha,
"acquired" some coffee plant seedlings. These seedlings were sent back to Holland for
cultivation and study at the botanical gardens. Later, botanist Carl Linnaeus named the species Coffea arabica, as that was where the plants originated.
By the early 1700s, the first commercial coffee seedlings were sent for cultivation to Ceylon, but this initial attempt failed. They were then sent to the VOC plantations in Java and Sumatra, where the coffee thrived. About 30 years later, coffee was introduced to South America. The quality of coffee beans from the Java plantations was so high that this region effectively controlled the world coffee market for nearly 200 years. The terms "Java" and "coffee" became synonymous.
Around 1900, a rust disease damaged most of the low-altitude Java Arabica crops, allowing South America to take the lead in coffee production. In response, the Dutch developed a resilient coffee plant that could resist the rust disease and named it for its key characteristic: Robusta. Robusta would eventually become Indonesia’s primary coffee export.
Indonesia is an archipelago made up of thousands of islands, including Sumatra, Sulawesi, Flores, and Bali. The highland Arabica plantations on these islands, as well as in the Java highlands, were unaffected by the rust disease, and Arabica cultivation continues to this day.
History, geography, and the fertile volcanic soils of the “Ring of Fire” region all contribute to the production of Indonesian Arabica coffee. The vast length and diversity of the archipelago (spanning over 5,000 km from east to west) result in each island producing coffee with its own unique taste and character.
Some of the best commercial Arabica coffee arguably still comes from the highland plantations of the Indonesian archipelago.
Our Vision and Values
Coffee Quality
Whenever possible, we insist on triple-picking and always use a minimum of Grade 1 beans, which are typically considered the highest quality in the commercial coffee trade. At Quintino’s, we guarantee that we will never purchase lower-grade beans just to cut costs. For each of our single-origin coffees, you can rest assured that it represents the best possible example we can find.
Our Innovations
Our innovations must focus on enhancing the experience and enjoyment of that special cup of coffee for our customers. The Quintino’s brand should represent:
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Consistent premium quality
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A consistent flavor profile and distinctive coffee character
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Freshness
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The use of only the highest-grade beans available
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Coffee roasted with passion
Quintino’s will never purchase lower-grade coffee beans to cut costs. For each of our single-origin coffees, you can be assured it represents the finest example we can source.
Quintino’s offers a range of premium-quality retail coffee products distinguished by:
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Technical expertise in roasting, production, and packaging, combined with a passion for Italian roasting
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Direct sourcing of the finest, and often rarest, coffees from the Indonesian Archipelago
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Innovation in developing new products to enhance our customers' coffee experience
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Providing insider knowledge to customers about the coffees they enjoy
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Complementing our range are Quintino’s Qbags and unique packaging
Social Responsibility
When purchasing our beans, we support socially responsible practices in our region.
Today’s supply chain for green coffee beans involves the coffee passing through many hands before reaching the consumer. It begins in the country of origin with farmers, collectors, and small traders, before being exported to large trading houses in major consuming countries. These trading houses then sell to other traders, and eventually, the coffee makes its way to the consumer’s cup.
At Quintino’s, we believe in direct sourcing and promoting the coffee and the villages or regions from which we source it. By raising awareness of the people and the quality of the coffee, and by providing feedback to the producers, we aim to ensure that small farmers benefit from increased prices due to higher consumer demand.
