Zoka Blog

So after a year, we have decided that making our own food was a good idea. Back in 1997 when we opened our Green Lake Store, it was our intention that we would be authentic in everything we did, so after a short time we began making our own scones, muffins and cookies. This of course steadily grew and when the Honey Bear left us the Tangletown area... we got a little crazy and began baking everything under the sun.

Being coffee people we focused mainly on our coffee while we kept adding different things to the baking menu. It tasted really great but we were not making very much money at it because there had never really been any kind of plan.   After taking a hard look at all of our food operations we had to make some hard changes.  We have taken the last year or so off and purchased our foods from other local venders. However, someone else making your baked goods and pastries is never the same. So, after much thought and some planning this time we are going to slowly and carefully add our own pastries and baked goods back and become very authentic once again!

If you have been in OZ (original Zoka at Green Lake) and tried the scones lately you will see that they are once again coming fresh out of the oven... and yes they are really, really good once again.  We kept the recipes you know and love, and we are still tweaking to make them better and better. And yes the oatmeal and peanut butter cookie and muffins at OZ are now also coming out hot and fresh!   We will soon be adding real baking ovens back into the University store and within a month or so into the Kirkland store as well.

This whole pastry and baking operation will take several months to develop and perfect, this time in a fiscally responsible manner.  We ask for your patience and do appreciate your comments and requests as we develop this program.  Actually, I cannot wait because what we develop will be killer good, but I too will be patient as I want it to be right. So over the next several months and for the long term future look for some great changes and a return to what we really are all about - a real neighborhood coffee house with incredible coffees and incredible foods - all authentic, all fresh, all homemade, and hand roasted etc.....you get the point!
 
Thank you,
Jeff Babcock

This year we are starting early as it seems no one knows what is going to happen to the coffee market next.  The supply of coffee looks like it will be huge in Brazil but small in Colombia. There was a large storm in El Salvador and much of the rest of Central America the last couple of weeks which wreaked havoc on many of the farms there. It also looks like the dollar is going to stay weak for quite a while so prices probably will remain high at least for now. 

 

What that means for us is that we have to work the green coffee scene even harder. That said, my latest trip to origin took us to six different farms In Nicaragua and El Salvador. In Nicaragua, the flowerings have been very strong this year and the crops looked awesome. In El Salvador there have been some issues due to the massive rains but the farms we visited looked very solid and their yields should be good. On this trip I went with my good friend Jack Kelly, the owner of Cafe Ladro, and we both think that next years coffees look to be pretty special and quite a bit better than last years.  We are especially excited to explore the washed and Natural Boubons from Nicaragua and the Natural Pacamaras and organic Bourbons of El Salvador

 

So stay tuned and we will keep you informed as to how they cup and which farms we be buying from when we get this years first samples In early Jan/ Feb.  

 

Sincerely,

Jeff Babcock

 

 

September 29, 2011

 

Zoka Coffee Roaster

Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) Letter

 

To our valued customer, friends and members of the community,

 

Several media outlets have reported that we have a mouse issue.  We want you to know we do not.  We had an issue that has been remedied, and it was an anomaly.  This is the first time we have had an incident of this nature.  We have always scored high on our inspections by the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA).  And, five months after the incident, we received 93 out of 100 from the WSDA on a follow-up inspection. 

 

Clean facilities and strong business practices are what we pride ourselves on.  That is how we have built our business over the past 15 years.  We also believe in clear and concise communication.  This letter is intended to set the facts straight on what the Seattle PI reported on its blog today. 

 

You should know that we addressed the issue as soon as we saw evidence of a mouse and that we have been in full compliance with the FDA throughout the process.  The sad part of this entire situation is that the FDA has not provided accurate information in return. 

 

The facts:

 

-       April 11, 2011 - We noticed mouse activity in our production facility. We dealt with the issue right away.  

 

-         April 15 - A random inspection of our facility by the FDA included notes about the mouse activity. The random inspection was the result of a new food safety act that required more inspections, but did not include budget for them to assist in providing counsel or assisting with solutions.  That inspection sparked an investigation by the FDA.  After the investigation, it was our understanding that the FDA would follow up with the WSDA.  The WSDA is the routine inspection agency for our plant.

 

-         On April 16th - Once we realized the extent of the issue we voluntarily shut down our production facility for 3 days and we put in ALL of the corrections that the FDA/WSDA required, and we implemented the ones they suggested but did not require.

 

-         April 16^th-18^th  - We re-sanitized our 10,000 square foot facility from top to bottom.  We verified that there was no more mouse activity. 

 

-         April 18 - The WSDA cleared us and we began to roast again.

 

-         April 18^th - The WSDA noted that we had done an amazing job cleaning and correcting our issues.

 

 

-        September 9 - The FDA posted a report on its website that paints a very disturbing picture of what could be happening at Zoka Coffee.  We did not know the letter would be posted.   We received the letter ourselves on the September 12^th. We have been told by the WSDA  they had provided all pertinent information that Zoka Coffee Roasters was in compliance of the request of the FDA at the time of the corrections and the FDA has not responded or used that information.

 

 

-         September 14 - WSDA came back for an inspection and we scored 93 out 100.  

 

 

Once again, we want everyone to know that Zoka has a long track record of exceeding health requirements and that we addressed this issue upon immediately finding out about it.  If you have any questions about this information, we invite you to visit our facility or visit

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150308784871555.344815.304116271554&type=1.

 

We are open to the public.  Feel free to drop by:

 

1220 West Nickerson St

Seattle, WA 98019

Open from 9AM until 5PM, Monday-Friday

 

Thank you again for your support and respect of a true and fair process.  We look forward to serving you!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jeff Babcock

Zoka Coffee and Tea

Managing Partner

Coffee trip to Nicaragua - February 2011

This year's venture to Nicaragua began last week with our good friend and owner of Metto Coffee & Tea Company, located in Charleston South Carolina. We met in Houston then headed to Managua, Nicaragua.  The morning after our arrival we meet with Erwin Mierisch, our astute farm guide, and were off to the Benificio and then to the farms. For the past several year Erwin has been an integral part of the Cup of Excellence program throughout Central America and his family has been in coffee in Nicaragua since the 1930's.

The farms we visit this trip were located northeast of Managua towards the city of Jinotega. These farms range from 4000 to 6000 feet and were surrounded by beauty. The first farm we visited was San Jose. This farm gets much of the electricity from lake Jinotega, the view was simply mesmerizing. 

This farm is full of several great coffees including a great cupping Red Pacamara, Caturra and Catuai varietals, as well as a super sweet coffee they call Java Nica.  Unfortunately, these coffees are relatively new to the farm and there is not much to go around with their current production levels, (I am sure you will see them in this year's cup Of Excellence competitions for Nicaragua) so hopefully this will be available in next year's production.   We will keep you posted on availability.

As we were bouncing from farm to farm and wet mills we visited La Escondida a farm where they are developing several new strains of coffee.  This farm is only a few miles from the farm San Jose, is fairly new and will begin producing coffees next year.

From there we were off to the natural reserve El Diablo were the farm Las Milagros was hidden in the nationally preserve forest.  This farm is nestled in a national park where both beautiful scenery as well as beautiful coffees are. But for now our coffees will be coming from the farm Los Placeres, a Rain Forest Alliance farm that is found on the mountains ridges of the Matagalpa region. These coffees cupped in the upper 80's on our scoring sheet back at the dry mill and Benificio and we are happy to tell you will arrive to Zoka this summer.

At this farm we also saw excellent practices of sustainability, health care facilities for the farmers, schools for their children and housing and food for all the families that lived permanently on the farms.

The farm El Llimocillo we visited at the end of the day.  It was under a blanket of shade grown trees and plants so you could not even tell it was a coffee farm from a distance.   They grew both yellow and red Pacamara coffees.  This wonderful coffee farm has some incredible coffees, in a tropical haven back drop.   Next year's crops hopefully will have enough coffees for us to acquire some as well.... And yes this too is Rain forest alliance certified as could only be expected.. .See the photos of the natural falls the farm, not one but two falls!!

This is truly an amazingly beautiful coffee farm... Our first day was a hard driving and long one but what a great experience to see such beautiful coffee farms.

On The second day, we spent our time at the cupping table above the dry mill cupping samples from many farms and several  Co-Op Organic farms as well.

Sarah Parish (Owner of Metto Coffee & Tea)  who's allergies had kicked up was a little handicapped but was still able to pick up on some of the great flavors coming out of these coffees. This was her first coffee trip and now she can go home and really tell the story.

 With our cuppings we were very impressed by this year's coffees and think you will be very impressed and happy with our choices for this year. Coffees will start to arrive in about a month including our Co-op Organic coffees and the Estate Los  Placeres  will be arriving this summer. With coffee prices still on the upward swing we think we have secured coffees that you will love and at the best price possible.

 
Jeff Babcock
Proprietor
Zoka Coffee Roasters & Tea Company

 

Bright Coffees, Big City

During a January weekend, two of our senior baristas, Chris and Megan, went on a coffee pilgrimage to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Their mission was to explore and enjoy the vibrant, developing coffee scene. Their explorations provided an interesting portrait of the work being done in the Coffee industry outside of Seattle. Americanos, macchiatos, espressos, and drip coffee were plentiful throughout the city. At Mavelous, Chris noted that their barista, Philip, was "methodical about the shot he pulled."

Over a few days, they traversed the hilly streets, enjoying a wide range of excellent coffees - from Ritual Coffee Roasters to Blue Bottle Coffee Roasters, Cafe Mavelous, and Sightglass Coffee. Megan enjoyed the quality of the barista's coffee slinging skills, saying "John and his team at Blue Bottle pulled us some amazing espresso." Chris and Megan even ventured to the original Peet's Coffee in Berkeley, where the Specialty Coffee movement in modern American culture began, and toured its in-house coffee museum. Filled with memorabilia, our baristas paid homage to the second wave on Walnut and Vine. 

They were able to try a variety of single-origin coffees during their visit as well. At Sightglass they sampled chemex-brewed Kenyan and Latin American coffees. Our Zoka baristas were impressed with the quality of the work being done. "CC roasted some great coffees," Megan said, adding that Josh and RJ provided her and Chris some high-quality shots of espresso. While checking out Four Barrel, they were able to sample single-origin espressos prepared by Four Barrel's barista, Brett "the Viking," who also made a selection of pour-overs.

Reflecting on the coffee differences he noticed, Chris said: "One of the larger contrasts between the Bay culture and our Seattle culture, in terms of coffee flavor profiles, was the brightness and more perceptible crispness and citrus found throughout many of the coffees we tasted around San Francisco. The traditional Seattle profile has focused on chocolate, nut, and caramel flavors heavy in Indonesian and Brazilian bases which also produce a heavier mouthfeel and richer body. I didn't get a lot of that in the Bay. The preferred flavors and body felt very appropriate in San Francisco's environment, though."

Our baristas came home glad to be able to experience a different coffee culture and see first-hand how the Coffee industry is evolving. The differences in the San Francisco palate intrigued them, but they appreciated the quality of the work being done around the Bay. 

We are proud to announce our new business partnership with Quality Food Centers - QFC. All Pacific Northwest QFC locations, Seattle Portland and surrounding areas, will be carrying an assortment of excellent Zoka Coffee. The next time you're shopping for groceries make sure to walk down the coffee aisle!

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In the news recently there has been a lot of discussion about Direct Trade Coffee.  This is where a coffee buyer such as Zoka goes directly to the coffee's origin, sees the coffee farm, meets the farmer, and purchases coffee beans directly - without the aid of a middleman.