meet Marcio Brito of Salvador Coffee Roasters Syd.

We first met Marcio when we were selecting the coffee we would be selling at our Potts Point café/deli/bottleshop.  Salvador Coffee Roasters Sydney was a brand we knew for its excellent taste, and he was invited in to talk about his product when we were still in the shop fitout phase.  It’s impossible not to be drawn into Marcio’s energy and bubbly personality.  His enthusiasm for life and what he does is palpable.  Selecting a coffee brand that was already popular at Kings Cross weekend markets, coupled with our desire to work with a local small business made the decision simple.  Potts Point Providore has fast grown a reputation for some of the best coffee in the area, and they also sell his speciality blends for coffee enthusiasts to take home – the team will grind the beans for those who don’t own their own grinder.

From the Cradle

Marcio’s passion for coffee is truly infectious! Spend a morning with him, and you are likely to be another convert to his coffee kingdom, Salvador Coffee Roasters.

“Do you remember when you first tasted coffee?”

Marcio had previously spoken to his mother to help piece together when his coffee passion had been kick-started. It turns out Marcio’s mum, in classic Brazilian style, would put coffee in the baby bottles to get her three young kids out of bed and up and ready for preschool. 

Baby Roaster to Big Roaster

Twelve years ago, Marcio kicked off by opening Kings Lane Café in Darlinghurst. Whilst there, he got himself a ‘baby’ (1-kilo capacity) roaster and started his self-led alchemy apprenticeship with learning how to create the perfect roast and bring his product to market.

Marcio roasted the green coffee beans in small batches, trialling each brew with customers, taking notes of his process and customer feedback that filled the thick taste ‘bibles’ he still has today.

The beans took over, and he went from roasting 300 kilos a week to 500-600 kilos a week. After ten years, Marcio needed more space and a bigger roaster. He moved operations to a larger space in St Peters and invested in a big Loring (U.S.A) roaster that could roast 120 kilos per hour, effectively a tonne per week. 

Once he set himself up, he headed overseas for a while, lined up the best sustainable suppliers worldwide, and came back to roast his way to the top. He works closely with his bean growers, building longstanding relationships that are built on a strong ethical basis ensuring quality of product, but also quality of life for the farmers and their workers growing the beans. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Marcio’s client base of Sydney CBD cafes was gone as they were forced to close their doors. Nevertheless, Marcio continues to be positive and hands-on, including making coffees in his café Filosofy in Double Bay, and assisting during a delivery at Potts Point Providore when our team is swamped with orders and short-staffed; thank you, Marcio.

Sustainability

Sustainable practices are critical to Marcio's whole business – from bean production to roasting. The farming families from Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia and beyond receive educational, housing, healthcare, and other benefits beyond the basic Fair-Trade level.

As to the big Loring Roaster itself, its single burner convection design roasts beans and incinerates the smoke, so no external afterburner is needed. This means less fuel, less expense, and less environmental impact with up to 80% fuel savings and reduction of greenhouse gases in every roast, compared to conventional roasters. In terms of environmental impact, Loring Roasters are among the most efficient roasters on the market.

Marcio uses biodegradable packaging to help preserve the planet and as part of his commitment to reduce his impact on our environment and natural resources. Marcio has expanded into espresso capsules that are 100% compostable and, most recently, bamboo single-use takeaway cups.

Furthermore, the roaster also removes all the dust and husk off the beans, resulting in only the pure green coffee bean being roasted (and a purer flavour!). The coffee bean husk waste is then picked up by Hebron Farm and used for compost in their market garden.

Marcio’s top tips for making the perfect cup of coffee

Beans

·        Use only freshly roasted beans! If you really want to get as granular as Marcio does, beans are at their optimum up to two to three weeks after roasting. That’s the benefit of buying coffee locally, in smaller amounts, and more frequently.

·        Smell your beans. As Marcio says, “I don’t need to look at the date. I just know by the smell how fresh it is”.

·        Store your beans in air sealed bags or containers and squeeze any air out before closing it. Do not store beans in the fridge or the freezer. Note coffee beans also have oils that can go rancid in time, you will feel it on the beans, bag or container.

·        The quality of the beans is paramount. The higher the altitude where the beans are grown, the less chemicals need to be used, and the bigger the flavour.  His beans are sourced from farmers using the best terroirs in the region allowing for minimal intervention in the growing process.

Equipment

·        The grinder is as important as the coffee machine. Read that again.

·        Clean your equipment! It is vital or your coffee will be bitter.

Water & Milk

·        Use filtered water. Better the water quality, better the coffee.

·        Water temperature NOT boiling. 90- 90 degrees Celsius or just when a few tiny bubbles appear.

·        Milk – NEVER boiling, NEVER reheat. Marcio’s ideal temperature is 62- 68 degrees Celsius which is under the “official” range.

The Blends and the Future

Marcio’s range of blends include:

·        Brasil, a great base of caramel and nutty, with Colombian beans for the body and chocolate and coffee from Tanzania.

·        Quintana, a mix of high select Brasil, Colombian and Tanzanian beans.

·        Kings Lane, a seasonal blend that is constantly changing its origin and beans. 

·        Costa Rica, single origin beans, ecologically friendly and ethically sourced from Costa Rica.

·        Salvador Coffee Espresso Capsules, 100% Arabica coffee with hints of berry, chocolate, caramel, and orange zest. These pods are 100% biodegradable.

Marcio’s beans (bagged or expressed) and pods are available at Potts Point Providore.

Future plans include tours of his roasting facility where you will be able to have a good sticky beak into Marcio’s business and get the whole experience yourself, from the beans in their green state, to roasting, to tasting the perfect cup of coffee made by the maestro himself.

For more information go to www.salvadorcoffee.com.au OR go to our Potts Point shop located at 77 Macleay Street.

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