Coffee is more than a drink. It is a medium for sharing stories.
We invite you to be part of ours, at Bolaven Story Coffee.
Located in the heart of Nong Khuong Village, Laos, we are dedicated to empowering small-scale farmers and embracing sustainable practices like shade-grown cultivation, to craft exceptional coffee with precision and passion.
We are steadfast in our mission to:
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create jobs
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educate workers and farmers
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and produce top-quality products without compromising our environmental responsibilities.
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Join us on our journey as we strive to become a global leader in quality coffee, rooted in the rich heritage of the Bolaven Plateau and driven by a vision of excellence and sustainability.
A passion nurtured early
– Tuan’s coffee beginnings
Every story has a beginning, and ours begins with our founder, Tran Anh Tuan, on a small coffee farm near Da Lat City, in the highlands of Vietnam, amidst refreshing streams and pine-covered hills.
Here, Tuan’s coffee farmer future was settled when he was first captivated by the golden jewel-like hue of Caturra coffee.
Planting and nurturing 200 trees at just 13 was an ambitious start to coffee innovation and meticulous practice – Tuan’s first harvest sold at a premium price, announcing his future coffee achievements.
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The Bolaven Plateau delivers a coffee education
Later, Tuan made his way over the Mekong River, seeking new work opportunities beyond the Annamites, the mountain range that separates Vietnam’s coffee region and Laos.
Here, he ascended to the ‘spring of Lao Coffee’, as the Bolaven Plateau is known locally, a region perfectly engineered by nature for coffee agriculture – its cool climate, ample rainfall and rich volcanic soil giving coffee plants exactly the key ingredients they need to thrive on.
The plateau’s coffee legacy dates back to the early 20th century, when the French introduced coffee to the area. Those 90-year-old trees endure, some of them as tall as 7 meters, while coffee has become essential for local farmers, many of them from minority groups.
It’s here, in the shade of the ancient coffee trees of the Bolaven Plateau that Tuan’s passion for coffee reached new heights.
Working for local coffee companies, he developed essential skills in the mechanical aspects of irrigation systems, with a focus on precision and sustainable practices, an experience crucial in setting the stage for enhancing coffee yields.
When he later took on a quality control role, he gained substantial expertise in the nuances of coffee production while overseeing the entire production process of a coffee company, ensuring quality consistency from the farm to the final product.
Sharp business skills to match the passion for coffee
In these coffee industry roles, interacting with a diverse group of stakeholders, from producers to end consumers, Tuan developed a deeper understanding of varying market preferences and quality standards across different regions, and sharpened his decision-making skills regarding coffee varieties, processing methods, and best practices in cultivation.
He then went on to manage a 100-hectare coffee farm for six years with his older brother, where the two combined strong agricultural methods with astute business practices, producing exceptional coffee.
As he embraced the challenges and opportunities of coffee cultivation in Laos, Tuan carried with him the lessons and stories from his homeland and from his Laos extensive coffee experience, and weaved them into the Bolaven story.
Tradition and innovation set us apart
Our coffee beans come from the Bolaven Plateau, a place of diverse ethnic communities and breathtaking waterfalls – Tad Fane, Tad Itou, Tad Champee, and Tad Yuang, to name a few.
Our operational centre – from office, nursery, washing station (CWS) to drying and roasting areas – is now strategically located in Nongkhuong Village, Paksong District, the centre of Laos coffee production in the Champasak Province of Laos.
The 67-hectare farm atop the Bolaven Plateau is only 10-minutes drive away from here, at an elevation of 1150 meters, in a cool, temperate climate, which ensures ideal conditions for cultivating high-quality coffee beans.
The flat terrain supports efficient farming practices while capitalising on the elevated location, optimising freshness, quality, and efficiency. The proximity to the processing premises ensures quality, and efficiency, crucial for large-scale coffee production, so that freshness stays an uncompromising standard.
Our Mission
At Bolaven Story Coffee, our mission is clear: to craft exceptional coffee through precise actions.
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We select the finest coffee varieties
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We implement trusted cultivation practices
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We employ innovative processing techniques
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We master the art of roasting.
We are committed to sustainability through extensive tree planting, nurturing our environment for future generations. Our unwavering dedication to quality ensures each sip tells a unique story.
Our values
Our approachable, dependable, ethical, empathetic, and organic personality is supported by our key values:
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Quality: Bolaven Story Coffee is dedicated to producing outstanding coffee through precise variety selection, meticulous cultivation practices, innovative processing, and artisanal roasting, all driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence.
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Resilience: We consistently embrace robust coffee varieties, implement proven cultivation methods, and employ innovative techniques to elevate quality, strengthening our position in the coffee industry and supporting local communities.
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Sustainability: Our commitment to sustainability is evident through our extensive tree-planting initiatives, fostering a balanced ecosystem that supports both coffee cultivation and environmental well-being.
Every step of our process, from careful planting and harvesting, to expert roasting, ensure the outcome is exceptional coffee.
Starting with Care: Our Planting Process
At Bolaven Story Farm, Tuan tends to carefully selected coffee seeds planted methodically in wooden plank seed beds that are filled with a mix of soil and sand. Each hectare will need 4,444 seeds (about 3,333 plants), which all start as seeds in the 1-meter-wide seedbeds housed in a shaded greenhouse. The coffee seeds remain here for 70 days, to facilitate germination and early growth.
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Our seedings include Arabica Marsellisa, Bolaven coffee variety, Catimor, as well as Robusta TR4 and TR9. Marsellisa is known for being a high-yielding plant adapted to medium altitudes, with notably high acidity in the cup. Robusta TR4 and TR9 are known for their high yields and stability. TR4 is recognised for its high yield and wide adaptation to different environments, making it suitable for cultivation under various ecological conditions. TR9 is particularly notable for its very high yield and cup quality, with large bean size. Arabica Catuai and Caturra are both known for their high yields and good cup quality. Catuai, a hybrid of Caturra and Mundo Novo, is bred for its high yields and resistance to pests and diseases. Caturra, a mutation of Bourbon, is known for its high production and quality.
Women and youth are trained to gently move seedlings into poly bags filled with fertile soil, manure, or compost. Tuan then ensures taproot planting is straight and bag support is sturdy to avoid tipping, before being placed into the fertile soil of the nursery, where they stay for seven months to a year. We cover them with plastic to control light, ensuring the main root grows vertically for the plant's stability and longevity.
Regular weeding and soil maintenance stop over-watering and damping-off disease. Daily checks keep seedlings healthy, with bags removed for unhealthy plants. Plants move from shade to sun two months before field planting. Polybags are separated as plants grow to prevent weakness.
As a committed farmer, Tuan focuses on these procedures, drawing from over 20 years of plant, variety, irrigation, and nursery knowledge, ensuring each step is precise and successful. Driven by the desire to choose the best varieties, and focusing on breeding standards, good grooming, and varieties that adapt well to the climate.
This careful approach reflects our comprehensive strategy, considering soil quality, altitude, humidity, and other climatic factors that impact the coffee's final flavour. In choosing varieties of seedlings, we also assess economic factors, such as cost and market value of the beans, as well as their resistance to diseases and pests and plant out to our 67-hectare farm.
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Committed to Quality at Every Step
We are dedicated to producing top-quality coffee beans by focusing on excellence at every step of our coffee processing. We achieve this by using advanced technology combined with traditional methods, while maintaining a steadfast focus on quality.
On-Site Processing: Coffee processing takes place on-site, at the operational zone just a 5-minute drive from the farm, minimising any risk of cherry damage. We use both washed and dry processing methods to bring out the best in our beans.
Pulping: Our modern Vietnamese pulper is capable of processing up to 5 tons of coffee per hour. This technology is not only extremely water efficient, but it also upholds the highest quality standards. We take meticulous care to ensure that our beans remain unchipped and undamaged throughout the process.
Advanced Drying Facilities: The drying process for our natural coffee takes place in a spacious greenhouse, covering an area of 800 square meters (100 meters by 8 meters). This setup, featuring multiple layers, ensures optimal air circulation, providing ideal drying conditions while protecting against rain and environmental factors.
Milling and Sorting: Our coffee beans undergo precise milling and colour sorting using advanced equipment, followed by meticulous hand sorting. This comprehensive process is essential for maintaining uniformity and excellence in our final product. In 2024 we installed a dry mill that can accurately destone, size, and sort coffee according to its density and then colour-sort the green beans. The dry mill is located next to the roaster, in a clean, modern, and well-cared-for facility. The mill processes 5 tons of parchment to green bean per hour.
Quality Assurance: Our coffee is repeatedly checked against the Q grade standards set by CQI through cupping and triple verification, leaving us with clean and consistent green coffee beans, which are stored in GRAIN Pro bags to preserve their freshness.
Our commitment to excellence truly sets us apart in the coffee industry. As we continue to grow, we are establishing the farm and operations with a strong foundation of knowledge and experience.
The Art of Roasting
The perfect roast is the key to delivering a remarkable coffee experience to our customers, so we’ve spent time and resources to ensure that our coffee is elevated by this final, crucial stage.
As a core part of our business, it's a skill Tuan, who has passed the Q grade certification, has refined over many years.
We roast coffee to meet our customers’ specific requirements, a commitment that extends to every aspect of our coffee production. In 2023, our green bean production reached 5 tons, and we have ambitious goals to produce 500 tons by 2028. We always prioritise the quality of our green beans and customise our roasting to meet our customers' specific requirements. Looking ahead, we are considering further certification to demonstrate our dedication to quality and sustainability.
Our Coffee Varieties and Commitment
Bolaven Coffee offers both Robusta and Arabica options. Our Robusta has a rich history, with some plants thriving for up to 90 years since the French colonial era, alongside newer plantings of Tr4 and Tr 9 Robusta varieties.
Additionally, we provide Arabica varieties such as Bourbon, Caturra, and Catimor, with plans to introduce more options like Geisha, Java, and additional Robusta varieties as our farm expands. Our primary focus is on actively planting seedlings and expanding our coffee cultivation to ensure a diverse range of high-quality coffee options and foster growth. We aim to offer over 15 varieties in the near future, including Liberica coffee.
Our harvest offers - Specialty Coffee Tailored to Your Taste at Bolaven Story Farm
Our Specialty Coffees:
Bolaven Story Coffee: Natural Process
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Flavours: Nut, Cocoa Nibs, Stone fruit, Citrus
Bolaven Story Coffee: Honey Process
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Flavours: Citrus, Spice, Chocolate, Nut, Almond, White Floral, Mango, Pomelo, Pineapple
Our Roasts: At Bolaven Story Farm, we roast our coffee according to SCAA (Speciality Coffee Association of America) standards, ensuring the highest quality in every cup. With precision and care, our roasts are tailored to your preferences. Whether you prefer a mild, medium, or dark roast, we have something to suit your taste.
Choose from blends offering a variety of flavours, suitable for different times of the day or budgets. We offer a range of roasts, including Italian and French, and provide options based on the coffee's origin. Additionally, we offer single-origin choices or blends of Robusta and Arabica varieties for those seeking a specific taste profile.
Flexible Packaging Options: Select from a range of packaging sizes, including 250 grams, 500 grams, 1 kilogram, 2 kilograms, and 5 kilograms, to find the perfect fit for your needs. Whether for personal enjoyment or commercial use, our packaging solutions are designed to cater to your requirements.
Commercial-Grade Quality for Consistent Excellence: For commercial-grade products, we'll provide exactly what you need. Our packaging options include 50kg or 60kg bags, or container shipments of up to almost 20 tons (19,600kg), meeting specific screen size and quality requirements.
Global Reach, Local Touch: We serve local and regional markets in Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, and Europe, our commitment to customer satisfaction remains our top priority. Experience the difference with Bolaven Story Farm's custom-made coffee, made just for you
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Our sustainability commitment
Our commitment to sustainability is evident through:
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our shade-growing coffee practices
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no deforestation
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adherence to good agricultural practices
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and maintaining stringent standards in both harvesting and processing.
But there’s also a lot more to this commitment.
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Replanting Trees for Biodiversity and Coffee Protection
We are deeply committed to revitalising the natural environment through tree planting. While the land we acquired had been cleared of trees, we understand the crucial role they play. They are not just beneficial to ecosystems and wildlife, but also indispensable to farmers as a food source, ensuring land productivity and resilience in unpredictable conditions.
Trees are our allies, and at Bolaven Stories Coffee Farm, we actively engage in planting native trees to offer natural shade to our coffee plants. This practice significantly contributes to nurturing a balanced ecosystem.
Tuan also fulfilled a childhood dream by planting Cassia siamea, a tree with vibrant yellow flowers, spreading crown and fragrant scent that has fascinated him as a child. He also dreams to plant fruit trees like avocados, enhancing both community income and access to healthy food in a nation where children suffer from extreme nutrient deficiency.
But our dedication to reforestation transcends its ecological advantages. We are deeply committed to nurturing the health and prosperity of both the environment and the communities we are privileged to serve.
Tuan is working hard to bring this dream to reality by preparing the farm land, row marking, and irrigation are done at least a year before coffee tree planting. Shade trees like macadamia, cassia, and lychee are integrated into our farming, adding to income, improving soil health, and promoting a better balance between flowering and growth for better production.
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Improving Organic Matter
We aim to enhance the soil’s health by increasing organic matter. This is essential for creating a fertile ground for coffee cultivation. We use various organic materials, including coffee husks, to enrich the soil. This practice not only improves the quality of the coffee but also aligns with our commitment to environmental sustainability.
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Community impact
We aspire to empower and support these small-scale farmers, as resilience is a cornerstone of building a sustainable and thriving coffee business.
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Supporting our youth
We firmly believe in providing young individuals with the best opportunities for success and overall health.
Respect and education are fundamental principles we uphold. We offer programs on safe sex practices, and we support youth participation in sports and extracurricular activities that nurture a sense of community and personal growth. We sponsor a football team that competes against other coffee and business teams, promoting fitness and community cohesion, while also bringing enjoyment and unity each month.
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Farmer education and training
In addition, we collaborate with local farmers and traders to highlight the significance of quality in coffee production and its influence on prices. Our objective is to progress as a collective and ensure the prosperity of everyone in the community.
We are at the forefront of innovative cultivation of drought-resistant coffee varieties that can thrive in the face of changing climate conditions. We aim to share that knowledge and training with local communities. Empowering local people with coffee-growing skills is crucial, not only for the success of our farm but also to showcase the exceptional coffee we can produce for our global customers. We aspire to be recognised as a leading coffee producer, and achieving high, quality yields is a key part of our vision.
The vital role of women
Coffee holds significant importance for women in our community, who are the backbone of our coffee harvest. We actively support local farmers in processing their crops, with an emphasis on empowering women to take a more prominent role in selling activities, enabling them to generate income and contribute to the community's prosperity. We provide them with training in planting coffee seeds and managing green beans for export. We also work together in caring for and managing the coffee trees, including essential activities like pruning branches and establishing nurseries.
Employment opportunities are vital in Paksong, and we are committed to supporting and empowering women in our community. By empowering women and engaging with the community, we enhance the quality of our coffee and positively contribute to the livelihoods of those involved in its production.
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Our Philosophy and Dedication
- Letter from Tran Anh Tuan
My journey in coffee is defined by steadfastness, patience, and a plethora of innovative ideas.
A farmer at heart, I have adopted modern tools and techniques to elevate our coffee's quality.
Our farm's ethos combines sustainable practices and meticulous care for each plant, blending rich heritage with cutting-edge innovation.
I am dedicated to quality in our coffee production, ensuring open communication and a thorough understanding of processes with our customers. Being responsive and decisive based on customers’ needs is important to me. My experience is continually enriched by learning, with the aim of providing the best for our customers.
My approach to business development is calm yet determined. I have a history of nurturing and transitioning businesses with a focus on sustainable growth.
I embrace every learning opportunity with enthusiasm. The enduring robustness of coffee trees, a legacy of the French colonial era, inspires me. My interest is in discovering varied coffee varieties that offer distinct flavours and strong yields, leveraging global connections and modern technology.
Tranh Anh Tuan, Bolaven Story Coffee Founder
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Our Commitment to Excellence
We are dedicated to developing clean, sustainable coffee. We don’t use toxic chemicals, and we focus on premium, professionally produced coffee that caters to bespoke customer preferences. We place our customers at the forefront, ensuring their opinions are respected and valued.
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Sales and Distribution
Tuan successfully markets coffee in Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea, prioritising enduring relationships with customers and adhering to international quality standards. He partners with roasters and provides bespoke packaging. His efforts are supported by a certification from the Lao Coffee Association and his commitment to continual learning and extensive industry experience.
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We sell directly to customers in Vietnam, Thailand, and Korea. As our coffee's reputation grows, it is poised to carve out its unique narrative in the global market.
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Long-term customer relationships are at the heart of our approach, underpinned by an unwavering commitment to quality.
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Our coffee adheres to global standards, making it internationally appealing.
Collaborations
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We have nurtured relationships with roasters and green bean buyers since 2015, when Tuan was working in other coffee industry roles, before buying the farm.
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Our transportation involves containers, using Grain Pro for specialty exports to preserve quality.
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Tailored packaging solutions are available to meet diverse customer needs.
Our Customer Commitment
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We prioritise delivering top-quality coffee and maintaining transparent communication.
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Our approach encompasses process understanding, responsiveness, and decisive actions catering to customer needs.
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Tuan’s extensive experience and commitment to ongoing learning drive our endeavour to deliver the best to our customers.
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The Lao Coffee Association certifies our coffee, authenticating its Laotian origins.
From Bean to Cup, we write the story together
Your preferences are important to us—what you savour, the intricate flavours, the captivating aroma—all of it has a special place in our hearts. We invite you to get in touch with us and become a valued part of our journey. Together, we can connect through the stories that each cup of our coffee tells.
It's not just a drink; it's a dialogue, a shared experience, a connection that binds us together. Embark on this adventure with us, and let's revel in the delight and sense of community that only coffee and its tales can offer.
Name and role: Tran Anh Tuan, Founder and CEO
Tel: +856 2099676799
Email: bolavenstory@gmail.com; tuanlao79@gmail.com
For more information see our video https://youtu.be/_fulTuAWWOU?si=7TjBHHjE-C6MCKJS
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