We are ZEM Coffee.
We’re a 10-years-and-counting partnership between Zelalem, Emily, and Michael.
We’re coffee lifers who produce some of the best Ethiopian and Peruvian coffees this sparkling world has ever seen.
And We Believe That…
Quality Coffee is Gritty Work.
We believe in the power of elbow grease and long days, in messy conversations and big plans. Driven by the annual cycle of coffee in our chosen countries of Ethiopia and Peru, we dig deep to produce bespoke lots and oversee custom consolidations. In Ethiopia, we are vertically-integrated with our export company (Ethio-Catalyst PLC) and focus on limiting quality and counterpart risk for our buyers through our proprietary processes and American/Ethiopian team structure.
Quality Coffee is Community Work.
Born around the world through colonialism, coffee is more than a beverage—it’s a lifestyle, a communal dream, a supply chain that links the globe. We know our part: find and nurture relationships with passionate coffee producers in Ethiopia and Peru, help them add value to their coffee, and pair them with intentional, recurring buyers. Lean on the unique makeup of our team and business stack to de-risk for both sides while leading innovation.
Quality Coffee is Home.
Home over smoky fires, where the Ethiopian buna ceremony layers tradition over hospitality. Home on mountaintops, where children gather fruit and share it. Home in coffeehouses and roasteries all over the world. Our focus is to the future of coffee—ensuring there is one, and that it is better than now.
Quality is Intention.
We tell coffee stories, share origin country updates, alert customers to events, and much more in our email community. Join 1200 of the most interested coffee people on the planet here.