We start the new year by visiting our neighbours across the sea, France-a country that embraces the finer things in life with a lot of exciting new roasters on the scene, so many in fact that we have been able to bring you a full set of discovery roasters this month. Delighted to be starting the new year with such a special collection. Happy New Year & happy exploring!

(Paris, France)

Headquartered in Paris and driven by a passionate team of coffee enthusiasts, People Possession is a unique sub-culture brand that’s getting the coffee community excited with their unique way of blending elements of street art, craft beer, and fashion into its identity.
“People Possession is more than just coffee. It is a culture, an underground phenomenon that reflects the desire for unconventionality and originality. Every cup of our coffee is a ticket to "wowland”!

The brand’s coffees are presented in striking, custom-designed cans, available exclusively through select resellers and not for purchase online. The beans are as impressive as the cans too, with each batch meticulously chosen to showcase the best work of individual farmers, which in our case is a truly wondrous Carbonic Maceration Natural Nicaragua that sings with vibrancy.

(Paris, France)

Fève is a Parisian roasting workshop born “from the conviction of 4 enthusiasts”. Founded in 2020, Feve's statement is a clear and simple one: ‘focused on people, driven by the land and punctuated by the seasons’.
Their philosophy is “each coffee is unique and has the potential to express itself fully”.

We couldn’t agree more and are excited to be including a sublime anaerobic natural Ethiopia from their ‘Inspiration’ range. Fève’s Inspiration range of coffees are “close to excellence. A selection of coffees grown by forward-looking producers, whose primary concern is respect for the terroir and love of the plant. The precious sourcing and roasting work must highlight the complexity and depth of these atypical coffees in order to offer an irreplaceable taste moment.”

Ayele Tulu Station, at 2190m above sea level, is one of the highest in Ethiopia. Led by Tsegab Ayele Tulu via Heleph Coffee, created in 2018, it promotes traceable, sustainable and fair coffee farming, centered on producers. Heleph Coffee values quality, training and respect for the environment to meet the challenges of the sector.

This coffee comes from the work of more than 600 independent growers in the Bona Zuria area, each of whom owns and operates between 3 and 8 hectares. They pick the coffee cherries and deliver them by horse or donkey to Heleph Coffee's Ayele Tulu washing station. This year, the structure founded in 2014 produced 5 containers of coffee of impeccable quality.

(Le Mayet de Montagne, France)

Placid is located in Mayet de Montagne, countryside in central France near Lyon, a specialty coffee roaster dedicated to crafting exceptional coffee that breaks traditional norms. Each coffee is sourced from a single plot and selected for its unique terroir, seasonality. Working with small-scale, eco-conscious producers, Placid ensures high-quality beans are cultivated sustainably. “Of course, in the end, we expect high quality, but specialty means being exemplary about the respect for people and producers’ lands.”

Once sourced, Placid continue to be meticulous, “We do a lot of measurements of the green bean and now we can anticipate how we approach a new bean and how we have to roast it...it’s a lot of work.” We love Placid’s whole approach and have been wanting to work with them for a long time so it’s thrilling they have given us a very special Peru gesha full of depth and wonder.

Finca San Sebastian is located at 2200m above sea level in the village of Amaybamba in the Cusco region of Peru. Julio Chavez's farm is part of the Incahuasi cooperative, which means: House of the Incas. Within this association, farmers share their knowledge and natural fertilizers. All coffee produced by the Incahuasi cooperative is certified organic according to IMO standards and has the small producer label (Sello de Pequeños Productores, or SPP) which goes beyond the Fair Trade seal of approval.
Once the cherries are ripe, they are picked, washed, pulped and sorted. They are then fermented for 32 hours without water. The coffee is completely washed and left to rest on raised drying beds. The coffee parchment is turned 5 to 6 times a day for 10 to 12 days to reach a stable humidity level of 10 to 11.5%.

(Paris, France)

Founded by Loïc Perneau in April 2024, Datura Coffee is a fresh addition to the French specialty coffee scene. After four successful years managing a Terres de Café franchise, Loïc sought a new challenge to enhance his growth and passion for coffee.
Loïc is intrigued by the diverse flavors coffee can offer and choose to shift away from high-volume production, focusing on rare and exceptional micro lots. He emphasizes the impact of nature on coffee, noting that climate, soil, altitude, and local vegetation influence the final flavour profile even before harvesting.

We have been provided with a washed Kenya peaberry of the highest quality, featuring an unforgettable sweetness and complexity that distinguishes it from most Kenyan coffees.

The Oreti Estate has been owned by the Harries family for generations. It is one of the last remaining medium-sized farms in Kenya and sits on rich volcanic red soils. The 35-hectare farm (considered large by Kenyan standards) was named after New Zealand’s Oreti Beach, where Boyce’s grandfather met his grandmother. In 1961, Peter Harries planted SL14 alongside SL28. Despite being susceptible to disease, SL14 is kept for its exceptional quality.

The family also owns Chania farm, with 80 hectares of indigenous forests planted to encourage biodiversity. Together, the farms employ 40 full-time staff and up to 300 seasonal workers during harvest. They also provide support like a nursery school for employees’ children.