Cheng points out that the
Nespresso AAA programme is also
about what happens after the quality
control—if a product doesn’t make
the cut. “It’s about supporting farmers
to make the most of their crops and
time,” he says. “If one time the beans
do not pass quality tests, then the
programme will suggest ways to help
the farmer grow a different way, so as
to ensure an optimal-quality crop the
next time around. It’s the same way we
work in the kitchen.
“We try our best to maintain the
quality of the food and provide the
best service we can, and to cook
consistent food. In this case we also
try to make sure we nurture the cooks
so that they can become better chefs.”
Like with a perfectly brewed cup
of coffee, it is easy to underestimate
the hard work that goes on behind
the scenes in a restaurant. That’s why
Cheng chooses Nespresso for VEA,
and why he puts so much emphasis
on committing to quality. “It’s because
I know that there will be consistency,”
he says, “today, tomorrow and the
PHOTOGRAPHY: VICTORIA HOLGUIN FOTOGRAFIA next day.” n
kitchen where you need to have an
efficient workflow.”
He gives the example of filleting
fish. At VEA, the chef will instruct
his team to focus on completing each
stage (cleaning, scaling, filleting, pin-
boning) for all the fish being prepared
before moving onto the next stage,
rather than carrying out all stages on
one fish at a time. “There’s a lot of
screening involved in between, like
in the Nespresso AAA Sustainable
Quality Programme,” says Cheng.
Like Cheng in the kitchen,
Nespresso goes to great lengths to
maximise quality and sustainability
during coffee production, with up
to 70 quality checks taking place
during the journey from the farm
right through to the completion and
testing of the coffee capsules. The
company stresses the importance
of best practices, encouraging
processing partners to take great care
throughout, from properly managing
the fermentation of the beans to
maintaining the cleanliness of the
processing facilities. This insistence
on consistency makes the difference
between a reliable, delicious coffee
and a batch that is unsatisfactory—
and every step counts, from
beginning to end.
After all, everything from weather
conditions to the terroir on the coffee
plantation will influence the beans
that eventually end up in a signature
Nespresso blend.their yield. As well as increasing
profits, it has helped to mitigate the
environmental impact of growing and
processing coffee by reducing water
consumption. The centralised process
has saved the farmers up to five hours
of work a day compared to when
they had to mill and dry the beans
themselves, precious time that they
can put back into their personal lives
and community.
The Nespresso AAA programme,
with its three pillars of quality,
sustainability and productivity, is
committed to supporting coffee
farmers and promoting sound
practices—not only environmental
ones, such as managing biodiversity,
water and soil, but also in
assisting with social and economic
considerations. Operating to the
programme’s exacting standards, the
mill results in a reliably consistent
high-quality coffee in the cup, whether
you’re in Hong Kong or Houston.
“The trip really was a way to open
our eyes,” says Cheng of how the
journey changed his way of thinking.
“We looked at it from our point of
view, and we also saw the differences
and similarities in how chefs and
farmers work.” The systematic
way in which coffee crops are
grown and harvested, for example,
was familiar. “It was a matter of
everybody harvesting, then everybody
screening and pulping,” he says. “It
was one by one by one, just like in theA LEARNING PROCESS
From left: Cheng visited the community coffee
processing centre in Jardín; a handful of coffee
cherries, before they are dried and prepared
for roasting; Cheng participates in a coffee
cupping session