We talked to Marcel Binley, Bella Barista Managing Director. The business is based in Northamptonshire, the logistics capital of the UK, began its journey uniquely. For 30 years, the company focused on selling domestic coffee machines, only venturing into coffee roasting a decade ago. This reverse model leveraged an existing database of over 50,000 customers to supply high-end coffee.
The roasting business truly flourished once Bella Barista achieved the volume to buy full container volumes. A pivotal visit to their Brazilian organic farmer, Henrique Sloper at Camocim Organic, in 2019 led to the decision to go 100% organic with their roasting, a commitment they've maintained even when turning down large, tempting non-organic contracts.
Overcoming Critical Growth Challenges with Algrano
As Bella Barista's business grew, so did the financial pressure. Marcel highlighted:
"To grow the business, the cash was crippling. To shell out all the money, $150,000 each time there was a container on the water was really, really tough for us."
Bella Barista, a roaster that was already successful with forward-buying and strong producer relationships, found Algrano's full-stack Supply Chain Services (SCS) instrumental in their continued growth.
"We would never have been able to have gotten to where we are and where we're going to without the help of Algrano."
1. Financing / Credit: Securing Peace of Mind
Algrano's support has been vital for two main financial challenges:
- Cash Flow Relief: Algrano's financing model provided "peace of mind" by eliminating the need for Bella Barista to worry about fronting the $150,000 cash for each container.
- Price Certainty: Marcel Binley praised Algrano's ability to offer fixed-price contracts once a deal is signed, which provides crucial business certainty and aids in better financial planning and budgeting. This certainty also benefits producers, allowing them to better plan investments.
2. Logistics: Time Savings and Reduced Stress
Before partnering with Algrano, Bella Barista managed its own container shipping, a process Marcel described as "quite scary" due to the financial risks and complexity. Entrusting logistics to Algrano's expertise delivered significant benefits:
- Strategic Time Savings: It eliminated the considerable time Marcel previously spent trying to educate himself on shipping and logistics .
- Reduced Risk and Stress: Having the logistics managed by experts was a "huge weight off my shoulders" , allowing Marcel to focus his energy on networking and new business development.
3. Green Coffee Availability & Strategic Sourcing
With growing demand, Bella Barista have started to look further afield. Algrano's expertise was critical.
- Orchestrated Sourcing: Algrano played a crucial role in introducing Bella Barista to Mountain Harvest in Uganda. This connection was vital for their growth as an organic-only business, with Uganda quickly set to become their second main volume source after Brazil .
- Future Growth: This strategic support has allowed Bella Barista to increase their capacity by ordering a new 60-kilo roaster and anticipate increasing their coffee ordering by 30-40% within the next 12 months.
Strengthening Producer Relationships: The Core Philosophy
Bella Barista's philosophy centers on the quality of coffee and the depth of relationships. Even as they scale, they prioritize direct, personal connections.
Marcel’s advice to other roasters is clear:
"Buy the best quality coffee and build strong relationships with producers. There is nothing better than having a direct connection, especially when challenges arise."
By handling the complexity of logistics and financing, Algrano ensures that challenges like cash flow and shipping do not distract the roaster from their core mission: fostering the strong, essential bonds with their coffee farmers. Marcel ultimately gave a "100% recommend" for Algrano to roasters looking to improve their sourcing strategy.
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