About

At Cuprima, we source specialty coffee with an identity for roasters in a way they want to source coffee themselves. We provide them with unique coffee profiles and a connection with the origins. Let’s work together on more coffee awareness for a better coffee world.

Purchase philosophy

As a specialty coffee importer, we dedicate most of our time sourcing the highest quality of green coffee in the world. This is an amazing and intense work of collaboration, tracing back to each respective coffee’s origins. It requires a lot of cuppings to calibrate and define the profiles that will make the difference on the market. 

At Cuprima, our specialty coffees are not only about SCA scores but primarily about the identity behind the cup. Quality and traceability are inseparable elements of our purchase philosophy and always contextualized according to each origin. More than sourcing coffees, we take care of the logistics from origin to our clients’ door, by including quality control, storage, financing and insurance.

Lastly, we put all our efforts in finding the best home for our beans. Our role here is to help roasters find the coffee that is right for them, fitting their expectations and needs. With our coffee academy we want to help roasters with their projects and work together on promoting the consumption of high quality coffee through coffee events and SCA trainings.

We call it relationship coffee, connecting people along the supply chain from producers to roasters, from farm to cup.

Our Position

At Cuprima, we stand for specialty coffees above 82 points according to the SCA protocol. In addition to a strict qualitative selection, we also integrate optimal traceability as a part of our purchase requirements. We always follow the harvest/seasons to have our coffees as fresh as possible.

Quality process

Quality control is key all along the supply chain. At Cuprima, our quality requirements have been strictly defined as indicated in the following index.

Along the buying process, our coffees are controlled 3 times based on SCA protocol (First Control Cupping, Pre-shipment Cupping and Arrival Cupping). Our laboratory is SCA certified and equipped to ensure a strict control of moisture, water Activity, screen, defects, sensory analysis, Glyphosate for Organic coffee ( on specific request) 

This quality control is operated by our two Q-graders.

Our warehouse

Because quality is crucial all along the supply chain, we guarantee to your green coffee beans the best storage conditions at Seabridge, our state-of-art green coffee logistics center. Seabridge relies 100% on green energy use by means of 4,600 on-site photovoltaic panels. It also handles waste management 100% according to cradle-to-cradle principles.

Moreover, Seabridge acts as an acclimatized warehouse, with controlled humidity and temperature, clean air and pest control. There is an on-site laboratory for sensorial and physical green coffee assessment. It is also an SCA Premier Training Campus, making it the first Belgian SCA certified cupping lab. And last but not least, there is a grader present on-site and Q-grading courses are offered in partnership with CQI (SCA standard).

Our categories

At Cuprima, we source green coffee with unique and consistent flavor profiles. Our coffees are traceable and produced with respect for farmers and the environment. Based on the organoleptic profile, traceability and physical quality assessment, we provide roasters with 4 categories.

Prima 87+

Exceptional coffees. These rare pearls with a unique sensory experience will be available in low volume but always with optimal traceability.

Autentica 84-87

High quality coffees where the emphasis is on the identity and the authenticity of the coffee, which makes it so special and so different. Availability will follow the crop calendar.

Terra 82-84

The focus in this category is on the terroir, the coffee that best represents the organoleptic profile of its region. These coffees will be available all year round and traceable up to the region.

Team

Coming from different backgrounds and horizons, we are a passionate team providing unique qualities and tailored solutions to you. To us, this is the basis of a genuine and strong partnership together.

Thibault Chauvin

Thibault’s coffee adventure began in Colombia during his master degree in International Business. Meeting with coffee farmers and exporters, he discovered a new world and a fascinating product. He turned his newfound passion into a career in 2017 by joining a specialty coffee importer in Spain. After 3 years of learning, cupping, traveling and working with roasters in Europe and the Middle East, he decided to join Cuprima for a new chapter in his coffee journey.

Isabel Vilela

Isabel Vilela

Isabel’s journey into the world of coffee is as rich and flavorful as the brew itself. Born into a family deeply rooted in Brazil’s coffee heritage, her personal fascination with the beverage didn’t fully awaken until 2017. With an eagerness akin to a freshly brewed pot, she eagerly delved into various roles within the coffee industry, eager to uncover her true calling. Isabel has dedicated herself to becoming a specialist in all things coffee while fostering genuine connections with those she encounters along the way.

Maxime Lemploy

Maxime has been a coffee lover for as far as he can remember. Becoming more and more attached to its quality, curious about the different origins and processes, coffee soon became a real passion. From exploring a coffee finca in Costa Rica, to joining coffee courses in Flanders and online, Maxime also enjoys experimenting with coffee roasting at home. It is the whole coffee process that has triggered Maxime’s interest. And what’s best than joining passion and work ? He now uses all his coffee knowledge, curiosity and discoveries to help clients find the best coffee match.

Jan Poels

From trader to personal green coffee buyer, Jan began working with coffee in September 2019 at Efico in Antwerp. After 6 months as a trader, he joined the new Cuprima team, where he is part of the specialty sourcing and sales team. Being passionate about the importance of good-tasting coffee and quality, he takes great pleasure in building personal relationships so he can provide his coffee-customers with the most suitable coffee for them.

Celest Vinck

Celest Vinck

Celest’s journey with the Efico – Cuprima Quality team commenced in 2021, leveraging his robust expertise in food quality assurance and control. Though coffee was initially uncharted territory for him, he swiftly found himself captivated by the diverse array of flavors and high standards present in specialty coffee. In his role, Celest diligently orchestrates and executes the vital quality assessments required to uphold our exacting standards. His immersion in daily cupping sessions within the lab proved instrumental, culminating in his attainment of the esteemed Arabica Q-grader certification in 2023.

Sébastien Adent

Sébastien Adant

Born and raised in Guatemala from a Belgian father and a Guatemalan mother Sébastien holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. As part of our green coffee specialty team for Latin America, he travels extensively throughout the coffee farms in the region, building relationships with producer groups and initiating new projects to improve picking, processing, and overall quality of production.