Sourcing

Newsletter: Forward Contracting

Hi Folks,

Red Fox Coffee Merchants is a coffee sourcing company, a partner to help you find amazing coffees for you and your customers. We cup through thousands of lots to find those handful of rare gems. Coffees from off the beaten track, from under-appreciated or misunderstood regions. Our partnerships go back many years and we are constantly striving to evolve these relationships to raise quality and improve standards. Several projects are in the works that we are super excited about for next year…but that’s for another newsletter. Today I want to talk about a different way Red Fox can add value to your business.

Many roasters buy coffees strictly from the spot market. They assess their needs at any given time and then look for what’s available from the offering lists of the importers they work with. There is value in being able to find great spot coffees, but an important part of green buying is planning out your needs for the coming year. This includes estimating how much you will use, deciding what origins you will purchase from, and knowing when to purchase them.

This is where Red Fox comes in — we can help you plan your menu. Many of our customers forward contract coffees well before they arrive. By doing this, they know exactly how many bags to count on from a specific origin, profile, or price point. Whether you are looking for that stellar drip offering where you’d want a beautiful Yirgacheffe or Narino to shine, or for a more cost effective coffee to build your blends on, we can help you find what works for you and your customers.

Feel free to contact us about forward contracting and how it works. We’re happy to answer any questions you have and to help you plan your offerings.

Coming up in the first part of July, we have a container from Guatemala arriving at the Annex and more Ethiopia containers landing on both coasts. We expect Rwanda, Peru, and Ecuador to begin arriving early-to-mid fall.

Colombians will begin shipping next month and will arrive monthly beginning around Labor day and through winter.  Aleco will be sending a harvest & shipping schedule in the coming days.

Start your menu planning now.

Cheers,

Joel & the Red Fox Team

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