April 2021. Just as Sunshine Corp has been born in Marseille, in a coffee market shaken by the historic frost in Brazil and freight costs multiplied by six on some routes, the young house is already signing its first direct trade contract. The partner is called Soleil du Cavally. It is Ivorian. And it will colour the very identity of Maison Soleil.
A coffee loop in western Côte d’Ivoire
The cooperative sits in the Cavally loop, not far from Man, in western Côte d’Ivoire. The altitude is modest — between 400 and 600 metres — but it is precisely here that robusta expresses its full power. The cooperative’s 210 producers grow the improved clone Guéhiébly, a variety chosen for its hardiness and its character. The process is natural: the cherries are dried on raised African beds, patiently turned until the bean reveals its notes of bitter cocoa, cedar wood and blond tobacco.
At the head of Soleil du Cavally, Jean-Baptiste Kouassi watches over every harvest with the eye of a technician trained at the Conseil Café-Cacao. He is also the person Camille Vasseur, our Head of Sourcing & Producer Relations, knows from her trading years in Antwerp. That long-standing trust made it possible to build a solid contract very quickly.
A contract built to last
From the very first exchange, the rules of the direct trade programme are set: a multi-year contract, a floor price guaranteed at least 30% above the world market price, and 40% harvest pre-financing. At the time, few roasters of our size dared that kind of commitment. For Maison Soleil, it was a founding choice: pay the producer better, anticipate supply better, tell the story of every cup better.
This contract is not just a matter of loyalty: it is also a shield. In a context of extreme green coffee volatility, relying on a trusted partner and stably indexed prices lets us build our first catalogue with peace of mind. What matters is not the immediate advantage, but the strength of the relationship.
The heart of the Corsé du Vieux Port
From launch, the Soleil du Cavally robusta forms the base of our blend Corsé du Vieux Port, a tribute to the port of Marseille and to bold espressos. It is also offered as a single origin for those who want to discover a terroir robusta, far from images of industrial spice.
When you open a bag of Côte d’Ivoire — Soleil du Cavally, you hold in your hands the first chapter of our story. The one where we decided coffee could be excellent, traceable and loyal all at once.
How to enjoy it : as espresso or moka, for dense body and elegant bitterness.