Las Chicas Del Cafe

Things are changing around here at the Chat Noir Books!! Nothing too drastic but we have added some new shelving where you will find a selection of Torani Syrups, Teas from the Algonquin Tea Co. and Coffee from Reunion Island and our *NEW* Supplier Las Chicas Del Cafe!!



A little about La Chica del Cafe:

Helping out the small grower and receiving top quality coffee in return is a win-win situation for the coffee aficionado

Las Chicas Del Cafe are London based micro-roasters who started up their business in November 2005, it is owned and operated by sisters Maria Fialls and Valeria Fialls. As the daughters of a third generation coffee grower, they know first hand the challenges of a small coffee grower, Maria and Valeria know that direct trade is the only way to go. Their precious beans are now available at Chat Noir Books at 57 Whitewood Ave in New Liskeard.

Maria describes a situation which she has encountered one too many times when visiting small growers in her region. "Small growers with low production struggle to get descent prices from a transnational. Their coffee's quality is exceptional and they take such pride in their product that they do not want it blended in by a coop with hundreds of other growers, resulting in the loss of its uniqueness." By not having the funds to be certified organic, these growers are left with very little options when trying to receive fair market value.

Their struggle continues, as Maria explains "They are not big enough to play in the international market and win; they are not certified becasue they simply don't have the economic sustainability to take the decrease in production that organic certififcation requires, nor can they afford to make the investment in their farms that these organizations ask for, "Maria states, "We want to be the avenue for those coffee growers that in limbo." The coffee that Las Chicas del Cafe brings, is a coffee based on its quality merits alone."

Las Chicas del Cafe began as a result of Maria and her Father wanting to provide an outlet for small coffee growers, such as himself, with excellent coffee but limited options when it came to receiving a good price. Maria and Valeria's father grows and processes his own coffee in the northwest region of Nicaragua. He then ships it to Canada to be received and roasted by his daughters. Las Chicas del Cafe also donates a portion of its profits to the Canadian registered charity, Los Frutos Del Cafe. The Charity originally began as a type of relief effort after Hurricane Mitch devastated many coffee growing communities in and around the Las Sabanas region. Los Frutos Del Cafe's mandate is to promote educate and protect the biodiversity of the region's forest.

Las Chicas Del Cafe and Chat Noir Books would like to share with all coffee lovers out there what direct trade coffee embodies. So drop by the store and try out their coffee!

"We believe the health of our forest equates with the long term economic health of our coffee industry, and therefore of our human communities" -Reynaldo Fiallos."