The espresso producer turned roaster shares her journey from Nicaragua to Toronto, Canada, and her ideas on making a extra equitable trade.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photographs courtesy of Tania Ferrufino

From the mountains of Nicaragua to the cafés of Toronto, Canada, Tania Ferrufino has seen espresso from each angle. As a third-generation espresso producer, dealer, and now roaster, she brings a uncommon depth of expertise to each cup. We sat down with Tania to speak about her journey, what wants to vary within the espresso trade, and the way she’s bridging the hole between origin and client.

Vasileia Fanarioti: From Nicaragua to Toronto—how did your journey in espresso start?

Tania: I’m a third-generation espresso producer, so I all the time say espresso chooses you. It’s greater than a enterprise—it’s my id. I formally joined the household enterprise, Sabio Espresso, in 2016, dealing with advertising and marketing, gross sales, and logistics. After I moved to Canada, it was each a private {and professional} shift. I needed to raised perceive the buyer finish of the provision chain and advocate for extra transparency and fairness.

How has your background as a producer formed your work in buying and selling and roasting?

It’s given me a deep respect for the individuals and ecosystems behind each cup. Honest pricing isn’t only a speaking level—it instantly impacts what we are able to put money into: land, infrastructure, and most significantly, individuals. As a roaster now, I carry a producer-first mindset. I look past taste to the circumstances the espresso was grown in and what worth it brings to a neighborhood.

Sabio Espresso is vertically built-in, which means you may have rein over a number of levels alongside the provision chain, from farm to cup. What’s that like?

Vertical integration offers us management and suppleness. We are able to innovate at each stage—from processing to constructing relationships with consumers. However it’s additionally resource-intensive and requires fixed coordination. The upside is that we keep true to our values: honest wages, sound environmental practices, and full transparency.

You’ve labored in B2B gross sales and enterprise improvement. How do you carry your information from that into specialty-coffee?

My gross sales method is rooted in relationships. Coming from a producing background, I perceive the significance of long-term partnerships. I take time to study what issues most to every shopper—whether or not it’s taste, sustainability, or storytelling—and supply options that align with their targets and ours at origin.

What’s been the largest studying curve since turning into a roaster?

Roasting is humbling! It’s a unique world from producing. Even with expertise evaluating inexperienced espresso, translating that right into a roast profile that speaks to a client market is a brand new problem. It’s not simply technical—it’s additionally about understanding branding, buyer habits, and speaking worth in a brand new context.

How has your Nicaraguan background influenced your work in Toronto’s espresso scene?

Folks listed below are all the time curious after they discover out I’m a producer. They ask about harvest, processing, varieties—we get to have actually private conversations about life at origin. That connection builds belief. It’s highly effective to share firsthand tales with roasters, café house owners, and shoppers who wish to transcend simply taste notes.

You’ve stated you wish to problem the established order. What wants to vary within the espresso commerce?

We have to deal with the structural inequalities within the provide chain. Producers take the best threat however obtain the smallest share of worth. We want extra fairness and transparency: honest pricing, long-term partnerships, and actual funding at origin. We additionally have to redefine high quality—as a result of high quality with out fairness is meaningless.

I additionally suppose we must always make espresso extra accessible. It shouldn’t really feel like an unique membership. Everybody drinks espresso. We must always invite individuals to study—not nearly tasting notes, however concerning the individuals and locations behind the cup.

What recommendation do you may have for different girls, particularly these from producing international locations, who wish to develop within the espresso trade?

You belong right here. The trade nonetheless has a protracted method to go when it comes to gender fairness, particularly at origin. However we’d like girls at each stage: not simply as contributors, however as leaders. I’ve been fortunate to study from sturdy girls like my mom, whose power and intelligence made an enduring influence in espresso. I additionally discover inspiration within the many ladies reshaping the trade immediately.

To different girls I’d say: Hunt down neighborhood, particularly with different girls. Ask questions. Personal your story. Your background is your power. Be daring, be curious, and don’t anticipate permission to steer. The trade is healthier when it’s inclusive—extra sustainable, smarter, and extra human.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior on-line correspondent for Barista Journal and a contract copywriter and editor with a major give attention to the espresso area of interest. She has additionally been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, offering content material to assist educate individuals about baristas and their work.

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