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Vanuatu Coffee Roasters takes fair trade to the next level

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With coffee blooming in Providence recently, it’s a wonder that it’s taken this long for Federal Hill to get in on the love. Opened in January, Vanuatu Coffee Roasters has set up on Atwell’s at the heart of the Hill, and are making it worth the wait. The back-story reads like a J Peterman catalog. James Lappin, software engineer by necessity world traveler by heart, was eclipse-chasing in the warm Southwestern Pacific breezes of Fiji. Intrigued by the volcanic Republic of Vanuatu, which had recently been featured on Survivor, he went on a whim. Searching for adventure, he instead found amazing coffee and, after negotiating with ten different chiefs, had a 30acre investment.

James began home-roasting the coffee and sending it to loved ones, like his sister, and co-owner Martha Soderland. She was so impressed by the taste that she encouraged him to return to Providence and start something up, and said she’d take a leave of absence from teaching to get it off the ground. James took a master-roasting course in Germany, and Martha began to search for a location. When the preexisting Nancy’s Fancies fell victim to the great cupcake cull of the 2010s, pics were sent, flights were booked and James and Martha snatched up the place.

Vanuatu Coffee Roasters is the only place in the US to get green beans from Tanna Island for roasting. However, while taste was persuasive for James and Martha, it was what they saw when they visited Vanuatu that really made the sale. The INIK cooperative of farmers functions to look after the needs of growers, with standards that well exceed fair trade standards. The coop has improved production, minimized waste and maximized profits for farmers, creating a boutique coffee industry without depending on foreign aid. Martha says the results can be seen on the ground, with many teenagers who were leaving the island for Australia now staying due to the economic opportunity, good for both business and their vibrant culture.


This is a model for ethical and sustainable production that’s in stark contrast with much of the industry. Coffee growers are some of the most exploited farmers in the world, sometimes selling coffee at a loss, while at the end of the supply chain their delicious beans cost us $15 a pound or more in our upmarket coffee shops. Flavor notes are exhaustive, while sourcing information and labor conditions are often somewhat vague. What you get with those subtle overtones of elderberry is sometimes an almost undetectable lingering finish of distant poverty.

Not so at Vanuatu Coffee Roasters, so buy with a clear conscience or buy because it’s delicious, either way the result is the same. After a brutal winter, Martha says it’s “slow and steady wins the race” with increasing regulars hogging the front leather easy chairs in the sleek but cozy interior. Looking forward to warmer weather, Vanuatu has rolled out their cold brew, “The Rhody,” and is looking to extend hours in the summer. Currently they are open Tuesday through Saturday, 8am-4pm.

Vanuatu Coffee Roasters
294 Atwells Avenue
273-1586

Vanuatu, Atwells, Coffee, Roasters, Federal Hill

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