We spoke with a long-standing partner of Verve and the Founder of Primavera Coffee, Nadine Rasch, about her career path in the coffee industry.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m Nadine Rasch, the Founder and Director of Primavera Coffee and La Central de Cafe, a green coffee importing and exporting company working from farm to cup based in Guatemala, and long standing partner of Verve.
How long have you worked in coffee?
I have been working in coffee for eleven years, and really all my life as I am a 5th generation in the coffee growing industry.
Why Coffee?
In a way, I had no choice! While I’m partly kidding, I did not want to work in coffee when I was studying - no one really wants to do what their parents do, and my family works in coffee. But once I started working in finance, I realized that the finance industry wasn’t for me, and I was drawn back to specialty coffee, but from a different angle
I was fascinated by the idea of specialty coffee and the unique taste profiles available in the many regions and micro-regions of Guatemala, where I’m from. From here, I was interested in the processing side of things and grew to love the growing and agricultural aspect of coffee.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I love seeing the coffees we choose from producers we’ve been working with crop after crop be consistent and improve in quality, which in turn makes our roast partners happy and leads to bringing the coffee to market around the world. Being able to see the whole circle of the supply chain is wonderfully rewarding.
Do you make coffee at home? How do you brew it?
Yes! I made my first cup bright and early on a V-60 for both my partner and myself!
What inspires you?
Coffee producers re-inventing themselves to match quality expectations and new market demands.
What advice would you give to someone that is interested in learning about coffee or working in coffee?
I would recommend that they research and learn - don’t just go with whatever is popular. Focus on sustainability - across all three aspects - economical, environmental and social - with the coffee producers in mind.