Sail Ship Coffee: Follow the Journey

To celebrate the launch of Sail Ship, we’re hosting events for our community to explore this coffee's remarkable journey, what it means for the future of the industry, and to be among the first to taste it. 

1. Panel Talk: Are Sail Ships the Future of Coffee Cargo? 

When: Tuesday 11th February 2025, 6pm   

Where: Origin Coffee, 84 Scoresby St, SE1 0XN

Tickets

Can't make it? We'll be live streaming the event over on the Origin Instagram page.

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2. Sail Ship: Coffee Tasting Experience

When: Thursday 20th February 2025, 5:30pm  

Where: Origin Coffee at The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, NW1 2DB

Tickets

At the core of our Sail Ship coffee project lies our relationship with BELCO. BELCO is a green coffee trading company committed to sustainable practices throughout their supply chain. Their "Fresh Coffee, Clean Ocean" initiative with TOWT began last year, a project focusing on revolutionising coffee transport by utilising wind-powered cargo ships to drastically reduce the carbon footprint associated with traditional, fossil-fuel powered shipping. This project allows BELCO to continue to import high-quality coffee while lowering their environmental impact.

This innovative approach not only preserves the quality of the coffee but also champions a return to more eco-friendly maritime practices, ensuring a cleaner ocean and a more sustainable future for the coffee industry. Artemis is TOWT's second operational sail-powered cargo vessel, with six more commissioned for completion by 2027. Each vessel is projected to make four round trips annually, collectively transporting over 250,000 tonnes of cargo. BELCO is a key partner in this project, and they ambitiously project 90% of their coffee to be transported this way by 2030.

Our alignment with BELCO extends beyond shared decarbonisation targets. Their Le Havre operations demonstrate a clear commitment to quality and sustainability that prioritises worker well-being. By investing in advanced, high-quality machinery, they improve working conditions and promote the long-term health of their warehouse staff. Furthermore, their rigorous quality control, evidenced by the 10% of imported coffee dedicated to defect checking and testing, is a key and uncompromised aspect of their operations.

At 18:56 on the 19th November, the sailing vessel ARTEMIS departed Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, for Le Havre, France, with an estimated voyage time of 25 days. Prior to their departure, shipping partners TOWT reflect on the conditions of their outbound voyage: 

“The winds between South Africa and the intertropical convergence zones ("Doldrums", on the equator) are powerful and make us outperform the average speed. Coming from the southeast, these winds will naturally take us to the front of the Brazilian coast when we depart, where we will pass through the Doldrums, and then, in a few days, resume a direct course to the Azores/Europe against the wind in the trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere (northeast winds).  

Along the route, Artemis continues to prove the efficiency of sailing shipping, reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 97% and even generating its own energy thanks to the "hydrogeneration" system without a drop of diesel, neither for propulsion nor for on-board needs.”

Championing conscious cultivation and community values, our Sail Ship coffee brings together the finest varieties of the Menezes Ribeiro family farm: Mundo Novo, Acaia, Icatu and Yellow Catuai.With a near constant temperature of 20°C all year round, and shade provided by the hilly topography, the farm’s geographical location is ideal for quality coffee production.Low-impact natural processing produces a sweet and balanced coffee that showcases the beautifully unique terroir of the Mogiana region, with creamy and moreish notes of milk chocolate and Brazil nut in the final cup.

After a successful maiden voyage, the sailing vessel Artemis arrived in Le Havre at 9:52am on December 17, 2024. Safely docked with a hull loaded with coffee, cacao, and other goods, this transatlantic crossing represents a remarkable achievement in modern sail engineering and a promising step towards a future of low-carbon coffee transport.

The coffee will be unloaded from the ship in the coming days and stored in the BELCO facility in Le Havre before quality control procedures begin.

Third-generation coffee farmers and brothers Fernando and Felipe Menezes Ribeiro transformed their family's São Paulo farm from commodity to specialty coffee production back in 2018. This transition not only helps them command premium prices but also ensures a better livelihood for their community of dedicated workers. With a focus on responsible land stewardship, they cultivate coffee on their 150-hectare plot in Brazil's lush Mogiana region, ensuring the coffee plants coexist harmoniously with native woodland and wild flora.