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Celebrating our win at the 2022 Good Food Awards

The Good Food Awards celebrate environmentally and socially conscious food and beverage products that are of outstanding quality. 

We’re delighted to announce that our Organic Apex Karla Portillo Honduras Microlot coffee has been declared a winner in the 2022 Good Food Awards’ coffee category. Read on to learn more about the awards, the coffee, and our partnership with Karla.

Good Food Foundation

What are the Good Food Awards?

Officially established in 2016, the Good Food Foundation was founded to empower and celebrate often-overlooked foodservice brands and individuals in the US. 

Initially founded as the Seedlings Project in 2010, today the foundation’s work is grounded in the principles of Slow Food philosophy. These include a drive for a more sustainable and regenerative food system.

One of the foundation’s numerous projects is the Good Food Awards. These are held annually, celebrating excellence in both food quality and sustainability – including for coffee. 

Some 6,000 entries from 50 states have been accepted over the past decade, with more than 620 winners across the various categories.

However, entering as a coffee brand isn’t easy. The criteria for the Good Food Awards are rigorous. First, coffee must be roasted in the US or US territories, and must be traceable back to the farmer or co-operative at origin. 

Coffees submitted to the Good Food Awards must also be sourced through direct trade models, and farmers must be paid the Fair Trade price minimum or more.

As well as practicing some degree of social responsibility, the Good Food Awards requires entrants to be dedicated to environmental causes. Nominated coffees must be sourced from farms or co-operatives which promote regenerative agricultural practices, such as water conservation. 

Roasters must also have a sustainable focus in their business practices, which can include innovative waste management and recycling programmes, for instance.

Karla Portillo microlot coffee from Higher Grounds

Introducing the Organic Apex Karla Portillo Honduras Microlot coffee

Our 2022 Good Food Awards winning coffee came from our Apex Series: a limited edition line of coffees that are unique, high-quality, and produced and sourced sustainably. 

This delicious microlot was grown by Karla Portillo at Finca Planeta Verde in Honduras. Karla’s coffee was grown at approximately 1,598 meters above sea level. At this altitude, the sugars in the cherries can fully develop – giving it an overall sweeter flavor.

Finca Planeta Verde was established in 2015 as a family-owned coffee farm, and in the years since, it has worked in harmony with nature to produce high-quality coffee. 

Since the 2016/17 harvest, Karla has worked closely with the Café Organico Marcala S.A (COMSA) co-operative to develop her own honey processing technique. 

After harvesting her cherries, Karla ferments and dries them until they reach 12% moisture – which usually takes between 9 and 12 days.

This enhances the lush, velvety mouthfeel of Karla’s coffee, as well as giving it a medium acidity. It has notes of strawberry, rhubarb, and streusel crumb topping, with a buttery and fruity cup profile.

We recommend brewing this coffee using a Clever Dripper at a ratio of 17:1. The full immersion technique, combined with a slightly higher brew ratio, allows you to fully enjoy the juicy sweetness of Karla’s coffee.


Karla Portillo coffee farmer

Highlighting the work of COMSA

Established in 2001 and based in the town of Marcala, the COMSA co-operative has about 1600 members, including Karla. The co-op focuses on organic farming practices that improve quality for farmer members, as well as initiatives that give back to the land and local communities.

As part of this, many COMSA members cultivate their coffee among inga trees (tropical nitrogen-fixing plants which are native to Latin America), as well as citrus and banana. These farming practices help to promote wildlife conservation and soil regeneration.

Organic coffee farming often involves a number of other practices which help to improve biodiversity. These include using natural pesticides and fertilizers, practicing intercropping, and disposing of waste in an eco-friendly way. 

Although it’s difficult to maximize yields without synthetic fertilizers, organic coffee is often high in quality, and contributes to the overall environmental health of the local area.

It is these organic farming practices which the Good Food Foundation aims to celebrate and promote at the annual Good Food Awards, as well as highlighting the improving quality of coffee products. 


Karla Portillo coffee microlot Higher Grounds


While winners have already been announced, the Good Food Awards will take place in-person later this year. This year’s event will be held on March 4, 2022 in San Francisco. 

If you want to attend the event and join us in celebrating America’s best food and beverage businesses, tickets are available here!