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In the highlands of Costa Rica, around a village called Naranjo, 200,000 coffee bushes are tended and harvested by eight to ten Hungarians for a roaster in Szekszárd (western Hungary).
Photo: Facebook / Bányai Coffee
Sándor Tóth, who transitioned from the financial sector to the barista profession and has won several international awards, moved to the coffee fields of the Central American country, as reported by Index in its article on the history of the Bányai coffee farm. Mr. Tóth began experimenting with coffee cultivation and fermentation in 2018, alongside Sándor Bányai, whose name the business kept after his passing.
Sándor Tóth (R) serving coffee to local restaurant owners. Photo: Facebook / Bányai Coffee
Currently, coffee is grown on 35 terroirs across three estates. Out of the mentioned 200,000 shrubs, 13,000 were planted last year.
Although the plants take two to three years to grow fruit, maintaining the farm entails substantial labor. Arabica-type plants that yield high-quality crops do not grow tall, requiring harvesters to work in a stooped position—a challenging task in the hot and humid climate. The plantation is staffed by three employees who work six days a week for a salary of USD 3 per day, supplemented by Hungarians (friends, visitors) who assist with tasks at the St. Anna estate.
Tóth’s main support in the business is his son, Mark, who has been winning barista competitions since the age of nine. He currently oversees the drying processes and import-export activities of the estate. The scientific endeavors of the Bányai Specialty Coffee Concept are bolstered by engineer Péter Cserta and a team of biologists, ensuring the highest possible quality.
The plantation’s portfolio boasts many well-known coffee varieties, alongside specialty offerings.
Via Index; Featured Image: Facebook / Bányai Coffee