Feature Filter: Saul Cerqueda | Mexico

Key origin info:

Producer: Saul Cerqueda

Region: Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca state, Mexico
Altitude: 1450 - 1900 masl

Varietals: Pluma Hidalgo & Mundo Novo
Process: Washed

Exporter: Red Beetle | Importer: Raw Material

Cup profile: Juicy, blackcurrant & golden syrp

Purchase history: 5 years with Red Beetle and their Mexican coffees, first-time purchase from this particular grower

More about Saul and Sierra Mazateca:

The Sierra Mazateca sits in the high mountains of northern Oaxaca — a region that has long flown under the radar of the specialty coffee industry. Coffee has been grown here for generations, passed down through families of the indigenous Mazatec people, who call themselves Ha Shuta Enima: those who work the hills. For a long time, the quality of what they produced went largely unrecognised, absorbed into large commercial blends at prices that didn't reflect the work or the potential in the cup.

Saul is one of a small number of individual producers whose coffee is now separated, cupped, and brought to market under their own name. That work is done by Red Beetle, a local partner embedded in the community, who cup every sample, give producers direct feedback, and pay prices that reflect quality rather than just market rates. Raw Material then connect these coffees to roasters like us — building a supply chain that gives farmers in one of Mexico's most overlooked regions genuine access to the specialty market for the first time.

The conditions here are demanding — steep terrain, high altitude, cool temperatures, and persistent rain. These are the same conditions that make the coffee remarkable. Grown between 1,450 and 1,900 metres and processed using the washed method, Saul's coffee is the product of a landscape that doesn't make anything easy. The result is a juicy, elegant cup with notes of blackcurrant and golden syrup.

When you buy this coffee, you're not just getting something delicious. You're part of a supply chain that we're working to make fairer, more transparent, and more sustainable — one small lot at a time.

About Raw Material’s work in Mexico:

Oaxaca is the main geographical area of RM's work in Mexico as there is little support or formal coffee infrastructure in Oaxaca. Farms are isolated and widespread and because of this Oaxacan production yields are some of the lowest in Mexico. The main areas of focus are improving production yields by training, building demonstrative fields, and improving soil health while raising coffee quality, and building stable demand and access to speciality market by connecting roasters with producers. 

To achieve these goals, in 2020 RM focused on meeting producers, building trust and setting a baseline for coffee pricing and pre-financing. This is done by paying a base price at the market level upon reception of the coffee, followed by second payment based on cup quality bringing the final price to 1.5 -2 times of the standard market rate. This is expected to increase to up to 5 times the standard price for some lots as overall quality improves. Paying in this way provides rapid, predictable returns on investment made by producers. 

In future, RM are also planning to work with the Oaxacan associations to develop more communal infrastructure (e.g. centralised composting systems), expand their operation in Chiapas region as well as identify potential projects for roasters to support directly.