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From the Peruvian highlands to Finnish homes, Gran Palomar is a story of delicious coffee, an unexpected beginning and a promise that has endured for more than two decades.
Start the storyOn a summer afternoon in 2002, at Ivan’s parents’ home in Lima, a dear cousin of his father arrived for an unexpected visit.
Curious to learn more about the farmers’ lives, Ivan and Mia travelled across the Andes into Peru’s high jungle, to the village of Sanchirio Palomar in the Chanchamayo region.
In 2003, our first shipment of organic Gran Palomar arrived at the port of Helsinki, marking the beginning of a tradition that has never been interrupted.
Once the coffee reaches our roastery, the responsibility is ours. Through careful roasting, we seek to bring out its natural character, honouring the terroir of its origin and the dedication of the farmers who grew it.
We couldn’t be happier that Gran Palomar, a project born from a simple wish to do good, has grown into a journey of more than two decades.
Shop Gran Palomar filter and espresso from our e-shop.
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From the Peruvian highlands to Finnish homes, Gran Palomar is a story of delicious coffee, an unexpected beginning and a promise that has endured for more than two decades. It is a shared success, made possible by the dedication of small-scale coffee producers, the care we put into our roasting and the love of Finnish coffee drinkers.
Discover the story behind your cup and how a simple idea grew into a journey of more than two decades, bringing people together and making a difference along the way.
On a summer afternoon in 2002, at Ivan’s parents’ home in Lima, a dear cousin of his father arrived for an unexpected visit. Leon Ballarta had left his native village in the Peruvian highlands decades earlier, moving to the jungle region to build a new life as a coffee farmer. He was not alone; he brought with him a small bag of roasted coffee.
That evening, around the dinner table, the family shared the coffee and discovered something beyond its delicious flavour. Leon spoke about the challenges faced by small-scale farmers, their hard work, and their hopes for a better future through coffee.
Who could have imagined that this unexpected visit and a small bag of coffee would, years later, change Ivan and Mia’s lives, leading him to leave Nokia’s research department and her a job at a courier company to embark on a new journey together?
Curious to learn more about the farmers’ lives, Ivan and Mia travelled across the Andes into Peru’s high jungle, to the village of Sanchirio Palomar in the Chanchamayo region.
Meeting the producers, discovering their daily challenges and sharing their dreams opened their eyes to the true meaning of coffee. They also witnessed how organic cultivation helps protect the soil, support biodiversity and preserve a healthier environment for future generations.
There, among the coffee trees, a promise took shape: to bring Gran Palomar to people in Finland who love delicious coffee, appreciate the dedication of the farmers who grow it, and want their everyday choices to contribute to a better world.
In 2003, our first shipment of organic Gran Palomar arrived at the port of Helsinki, marking the beginning of a tradition that has never been interrupted. For more than two decades, we have purchased Gran Palomar from the same producing community year after year, through good times and difficult ones, including the pandemic. The warm reception from Finnish coffee lovers has helped us keep this promise alive, ensuring that every new harvest has a place in our roastery and in the cups of those who love this coffee.
Today, the arrival of each new harvest remains one of the most anticipated days at our roastery. It marks the beginning of another cycle in our journey, a moment to celebrate the loyalty of God through the year behind us, and to give thanks for the opportunity to continue sharing Gran Palomar for another year. Every arrival carries the promise of a new harvest, the dedication of the people who grow it, and the continuation of a tradition we cherish.
Once the coffee reaches our roastery, the responsibility is ours. Through careful roasting, we seek to bring out its natural character, honouring the terroir of its origin and the dedication of the farmers who grew it.
Roasting is both a craft and an art. Every decision shapes the flavours in the cup. That is why we roast Gran Palomar in three different presentations: light and dark roasts for filter coffee, and a dedicated roast for espresso. Each brings its own character while preserving the coffee’s natural sweetness and approachable flavour.
We are delighted that Finnish coffee lovers have embraced Gran Palomar, making it a familiar everyday coffee in homes. Cafés and restaurants have also chosen it to serve their customers, appreciating its delicious flavour and quality. In a country with a deep coffee culture, where large companies dominate the market, earning this trust as a small, independent roastery means a great deal to us.
Every cup is a reminder that good coffee, carefully roasted and honestly shared, can find its way into people’s everyday lives.
We couldn’t be happier that Gran Palomar, a project born from a simple wish to do good, has grown into a journey of more than two decades. Today, small-scale coffee producers are enjoying the fruits of their hard work and seeing how organic cultivation can benefit their families, their land and future generations.
We are proud to have built a family-like relationship with our producers that goes beyond fair trade and has endured for more than twenty years. This is one of our greatest achievements as a coffee roastery.
And this story would not be possible without you. Finnish coffee lovers who have embraced Gran Palomar — and those who will discover it in the future — are an essential part of this journey. Your incredible support and loyalty help keep this promise alive and allow us to grow together.
For more than two decades, our journey alongside coffee-growing communities in Peru has taught us that coffee connects us to something much bigger than ourselves.
Behind every cup are families, generations of knowledge, and communities whose future is closely tied to the land they cultivate. Their work reminds us that the choices we make as coffee drinkers can have an impact far beyond our morning ritual.
Coffee begins long before it reaches your cup. It begins in the soil, among the trees, and in the hands of the people who care for it.
Organic coffee cultivation is a way of working with nature rather than against it. By avoiding synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers, it helps protect soil life, encourage biodiversity, and preserve the natural balance that allows coffee-growing landscapes to thrive.
Coffee trees also benefit from shade. Growing coffee beneath taller trees creates a more diverse environment, providing habitats for wildlife and helping maintain the health of the land.
A thriving coffee farm is not simply a place where coffee grows; it is part of a living ecosystem.
Responsibility does not end when the coffee cherries are picked. Processing coffee also requires care, particularly when it comes to protecting rivers and surrounding soils.
In the washed coffee process, wastewater must be properly managed and treated to reduce its environmental impact. Meanwhile, the skins and pulp removed from the coffee cherries can be collected and composted. Once matured, this organic material returns valuable nutrients to the soil, helping nourish the coffee trees that will produce future harvests.
In this way, what was once considered waste can become a resource. The cycle continues, connecting each harvest to the next.
When we began promoting organic coffee in Finland in 2003, we faced a challenge that went beyond introducing a new product. We needed to change perceptions.
At the time, some coffee drinkers associated organic coffee with inferior quality. There was a common assumption that without conventional fertilisers, coffee trees would receive insufficient nutrition and produce poorer beans.
Our experience has shown us otherwise.
Organic cultivation does not mean compromising on flavour. Organic coffee can be just as delicious as conventionally grown coffee, with all the sweetness, character, and complexity that coffee lovers appreciate. Ultimately, the quality in your cup depends on many factors, including the variety, growing conditions, harvesting, processing, and roasting — not simply the type of fertiliser used.
There is, however, an important difference. Organic farms may produce less coffee per tree, depending on their growing conditions and cultivation methods. Combined with the additional work involved, this can make organic coffee more expensive to produce.
For us, the question has never been only how much coffee the land can produce, but how we can care for it while producing coffee worth sharing.
Since 2003, we have continued this journey with coffee-growing communities in Peru, learning from the people who care for the land and bringing their coffee to Finland.
We believe that good coffee should offer more than a wonderful taste. It can also remind us of our connection to nature, the value of generations of knowledge, and the possibility of making more thoughtful choices.
Every cup is an opportunity to support a different way forward.
Choose coffee that cares for the land, respects the people behind it, and helps nurture a better future — one cup at a time.