1. Our History:
There are moments in time that have the potential to transform your destiny
forever. Perhaps a decision you made or a person you met that inspired this
change. For me, that moment was when I discovered the wonderful world of
coffee.
The year was 1997, I was on contract working in Burundi, near the African Great
Lakes region of East Africa, when I met with Bali Bashia, the owner of Caf a Bu
(Burundi Coffee Co.).
Bali's knowledge of coffee was remarkable and his passion so infectious that our
meeting that day lead to a partnership, inspired by a vision to export Burundi's
finest Arabica coffees, to be shared and enjoyed with coffee lovers around the
world.
Sadly, as it is well documented, civil unrest in the region intensified and reluctantly
I decided to leave Burundi.
On returning to South Africa in 1999 I founded the company 'Avanti Caffe', from
where we began to produce a blend of coffees originating from Central and South
America. Again the emphasis and passion directed towards producing the finest of
quality, backed by superior service.
I enjoyed 12 wonderfully successful years at Avanti, formed some incredible
friendships, and supported by an amazing team, we established Avanti as a name
synonymous with quality.
In 2011, I embarked on a new adventure, when an amazing opportunity arose to
acquire my own coffee farm in Colombia. A country recognized by many in the
industry for producing some of the world’s finest coffees. Never known to shy away
from a challenge, I seized the opportunity.
Brimming with inspiration, fueled by a relentless quest to create a new brand of
coffee that would rival the best, three years later I launched the 'Valle del Cafe'
brand.
Through a culmination of experience, passion and collaboration with some of the
most experienced coffee farmers and producers that Colombia has to offer, we are

2. sourcing and producing some of Colombia´s finest 'Specialty Single Origin
Coffees'.
Situated in coffee paradise, with access to Colombia's finest coffees, our mission is
to supply specialty coffees to the world market.
Working in Colombia, with some of the warmest people on the planet is extremely
humbling, sharing their knowledge, experiences and of course their love for coffee
has been the most endearing part of this adventure thus far.
And as we continue to produce world class 'Single Origin Specialty Coffees', we
aim to support social and sustainable development projects with farmers, in an
effort to give back to a captivating community of people who share their beloved
coffee with the world.