PROJECT ORIGIN
The story of Sasa Sestic begins long before winning the title of World Barista Champion 2015. From humble beginnings in war-torn Bosnia, Sasa’s family immigrated to Australia in 1997. Driven by a love of sport, Sasa competed for Australia in European Handball in the Sydney Olympics in 2000. However, it wasn’t until he started making coffee in a bakery in Canberra that Sasa’s true
passion was realised. While immersed in the café culture, Sasa’s obsession with coffee and his
passion for quality led him to begin roasting coffee beans in a garage, attempting to learn everything about coffee and how to perfect it as a drink. This obsession would soon change his life and the world of specialty coffee. He founded Project Origin, an ethical green bean trading company that establishes long-term and mutually rewarding relationships with more than 100
growers in developing coffee producing countries. Through Project Origin, Sasa introduced in specialty coffee Carbonic Maceration and Supranatural processing methods. The Project Origin Community Fund has allocated money towards projects that build daycare centres, infrastructure, drying beds, green coffee processing and fermentation facilities and more.

LOS PIRINEOS
Gilberto Baraona was the head of a family business with over 130 years of tradition in coffee farming. They are renowned coffee producers in El Salvador having won numerous awards
(17 times placement Winner of Cup of Excellence). Gilberto was an innovative leader in coffee globally. He constantly pushed the boundaries of what was possible with coffee, with quality at the forefront. Los Pirineos is situated on the Tecapa Volcano, nestled between two peaks and surrounded by another seven volcanoes. This makes the views breathtaking but also creates
perfect conditions for drying coffee as the mill gets abundant sunlight and constant airflow each day. Project Origin have proudly worked with the Baraona family for many years, and their impeccable processing techniques and wide range of varieties results in their profiles being
consistently featured on our product lists every harvest.

Processing Details
o Picking of only dark red cherries at 20-22º Brix, separated by sections of the farm
o Cherries are floated as part of the pulping process to separate low-density cherries
o Cherries are then pulped and dry fermented for 10-14 hours in tiled pillas under shade
o Coffee is washed to remove remaining mucilage before being laid on serandas, or raised beds, until moisture reaches 10-12%
o Drying typically takes 12-15 days o Beans are stored in parchment until milling for export