Sustainable sourcing of Selecta coffee contributes to climate sustainability.
Selecta, a self-service coffee distribution network, was established in 1957 in Switzerland and has since grown to become a pan-European network.
The well-known coffee services and vending company Pelican Rouge was acquired by Selecta back in 2017. This commercial decision made it possible to distribute coffee on-the-go at hotels, restaurants, and cafes in addition to workplaces.
Since then, Selecta has refocused its brand with the goal of expanding the reach of responsibly produced coffee to consumers throughout Europe. Alicia Fieldhouse, Client Solution Specialist Coffee Expert at Selecta, talks to New Food about the evolution of business partnerships, the significance of sustainable sourcing, and continuous innovation. She also explains the steps involved in creating the ideal, environmentally friendly blend.
Could you briefly provide some background information on Selecta and its Pelican Rouge Coffee?
Selecta is the biggest nationwide provider of vending machines and has been the top provider of high-end office refreshments in the UK for more than 25 years.
We are dedicated to bringing millions of happy moments to our clients and their customers by providing fresh meals, snacks, and premium coffee and beverages to over 10 million people daily in 16 countries throughout Europe.As a renowned European operator, Selecta Group purchased Pelican Rouge in 2017, ushering in an exciting new chapter and substantial shared prospects. Roasting and packaging coffee and instant ingredients for over 150 years has made Pelican Rouge a master craftsman. Pelican Rouge is a multinational company that supplies components for the capsule market and private-label coffee to 65 countries through a vast network of distributors.
We debuted twenty new sustainable coffee blends under the Pelican Rouge brand last year. This year, the blends will be reissued and featured at Pelican Rouge’s inaugural UK event, the London Coffee Festival. The 36 nations where Pelican Rouge is currently offered have a variety of taste preferences covered by the mixes, which range from mild and classic to dark roasts.
What credentials do you have in this area and how do you make sure your coffee is obtained sustainably and ethically?
As we assist supply chain partners and farmers in becoming certified, we are dedicated to sourcing coffee from certified farms. We recognize that certification serves as a crucial starting point for addressing critical environmental concerns. Certification programs like Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, and Organic recognize and verify our certified coffee, both ground and instant.
All of Pelican Rouge’s blends are packaged entirely of recyclable materials and are certified Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance. Pelican Rouge is dedicated to improving the sustainability of its whole business process, lowering CO2 levels along the supply chain, offering transparency in sourcing, and actively participating in farm-level initiatives to raise the standard of living for coffee growers.
Apart from having an entirely certified coffee line, the new Pelican Rouge coffee goes above and beyond to ensure sustainability all the way through the supply chain. Five essential components of sustainability are included in the redesigned brand: transparent sourcing, recyclable packaging, lower CO2 emissions, certified coffee, and assistance for regional farmers. A stable and sustainable coffee supply chain is being established by Pelican Rouge through the active development of farm-level programs.
Through the Selecta Coffee Fund (SCF) programs, Selecta is able to fund community initiatives aimed at addressing social issues, promoting climate resilience, protecting the environment, enhancing farmers’ livelihoods, and improving coffee quality and yield. Each bag of Pelican Rouge coffee helps fund projects run by the Selecta Coffee Fund.
Could you describe your coffee bean sourcing procedure and how you choose the best beans for your blends?
Selecta is curious about its coffee’s origins, growers, and journey from farm to cup. For this reason, we’re dedicated to establishing lasting partnerships and agreements that will enable us to develop genuine trading relationships with farmers and other partners.
We employ traceability tools to make our supply chain more transparent and to highlight the beneficial effects that our coffee procurement has on society and the environment. In 2022, we began testing and implementing these systems, with the goal of gradually extending this strategy throughout the coffee trade.
We are able to track the origins of Pelican Rouge coffee thanks to our collaborations with Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade archives, and Beyco, a worldwide independent coffee connecting and trading platform on blockchain. To improve supply chain visibility, we work with a variety of partners, including traders, cooperatives, washing stations, and even individual smallholder farmers.
What measures do you take to guarantee that your coffee is consistently good and tastes great for the general public?
Ensuring consistently high-quality coffee begins with a strict quality check process for our green beans. Pre-shipment samples must be approved, our acceptance criteria must be specified, and our landed samples must be matched to those parameters.
Before being placed into the silo system, every coffee we supply is inspected upon arrival at the roaster. Before it may “pass” and be accepted, we are searching for critical indicators like dampness and flaws.
During a cupping, we further taste-test the coffee after roasting small samples. These are crucial actions to ensure uniformity in the finished product and flavor character that our customers will enjoy. Our technical staff profiles and continuously monitors every roast, and final samples are brewed in accordance with this information to ensure their quality.
We not only test the coffee but also use highly automated packing lines to ensure accuracy and uniformity throughout the process when we quality check our final products. While our quality control team is busy and there are stringent guidelines and spot checks, this is crucial for Pelican Rouge’s success.
Could you describe your coffee bean sourcing procedure and how you choose the best beans for your blends?
Selecta is curious about its coffee’s origins, growers, and journey from farm to cup. For this reason, we’re dedicated to establishing lasting partnerships and agreements that will enable us to develop genuine trading relationships with farmers and other partners.
We employ traceability tools to make our supply chain more transparent and to highlight the beneficial effects that our coffee procurement has on society and the environment. In 2022, we began testing and implementing these systems, with the goal of gradually extending this strategy throughout the coffee trade.
We are able to track the origins of Pelican Rouge coffee thanks to our collaborations with Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade archives, and Beyco, a worldwide independent coffee connecting and trading platform on blockchain. To improve supply chain visibility, we work with a variety of partners, including traders, cooperatives, washing stations, and even individual smallholder farmers.
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Could you take us through your coffee’s entire production process, from bean to cup?
There are two primary species of coffee. Arabica, with its richer, more nuanced flavor. Additionally, robusta has a stronger earthy flavor and contains more caffeine and antioxidants.
Arabica originates as a seed. It grows into a seedling after four to eight weeks of development. The seedling needs to be handled carefully at this point to ensure that the soil stays moist and does not receive excessive amounts of sunshine.
Nine to eighteen months will see the coffee tree reach a height of about twelve inches. However, it will still take three years for it to pay off. The tree will be fully grown, bearing fruit, and ready for harvesting in another six years. After 20 to 25 years, a single tree can produce about 2,000 coffee cherries annually.
After selecting the best cherries, the next step is to remove the coffee beans from within. This is done using two different processes: wet processing and dry processing.
The cherries are naturally dried in the sun during the dry processing step. Next, the dried skin, parchment, and pulp are taken out. To avoid mildew, the beans must be raked often during this two-week period.
The cherries are submerged in water as part of the wet processing technique. A cherry is deemed faulty and is taken out of the batch if it floats. After that, a machine that is meant to only allow the pulp and seed to escape presses the cherries. After removing any leftover pulp, the beans are allowed to dry.
The parchment coating from the wet-processed coffee beans is removed by machines. The dried cherries’ whole dried husk must be removed throughout the dry process. Any silver skin that remains after the hulling process is then removed with a polishing machine.
The beans are once more sorted by size and weight before to export. They are also examined one more for defects in color or other abnormalities. The smallest flaw in a bean will be eliminated.
Coffee is tasted and tested numerous times during the production process to ensure it meets quality standards. We call this procedure “cupping.” A seasoned coffee taster is able to distinguish minute variations in hundreds of samples of coffee consumed each day.
The coffee beans are now prepared for roasting. As soon as they are prepared, they are taken out of the roaster and quickly cooled with water or air. After that, they are packaged and delivered.