Salvador La Ilusion

We try not to keep coffee on the shelves for long, so if we don't have a particular coffee in stock, we have to replenish the order after the roasting day. We roast on Tuesdays and Thursdays, pack the coffee and send it out on Wednesdays and Fridays.

La Ilusión is one of the smaller farms owned by the Salaverria family, covering an area of 10 hectares at an altitude of around 1540 m. Traditional Bourbon is grown on the plantation. The Salaverria family takes an innovative approach in both processing and crop management. The coffee berries are sorted according to the day of harvest and then processed using different fermentation and drying methods, tailored to the potential of each batch. This approach brings out the best sensory qualities from each batch and offers coffees with a unique profile.

José Antonio Salaverria and his sons, Andrés and José Antonio Junior, are the sixth and seventh generation of coffee producers from Huachapán. In recent decades, the family has focused on the highest quality coffees - implementing programmes to select fields according to altitude, quality potential and growing conditions. Their main production areas are Santa Rita, San Francisco and El Molino, located around the Santa Ana volcano.

The Salaverri farms are dominated by traditional varieties such as Bourbon Elite and Híbrido San Francisco, a hybrid of Bourbon and Pacas. The family is known for its innovative approach to growing and processing coffee. They experiment among others. with different fermentation methods to optimise quality and create batches with a distinctive sensory profile. Each farm is divided into smaller plots, known as tablones, allowing for precise crop management and the creation of highly detailed micro-lots. Faced with challenges such as leaf disease (coffee leaf rust), the Salaverrios have focused on regenerating the soil and enhancing plant resistance. They produce their own organic fertiliser called Huisil, which is made from organic waste - mainly coffee pulp and fish and animal waste. They currently use a 50% blend of Huisil with added minerals such as nitrogen, potassium, boron and zinc. They also carry out a variety of pruning methods, adapted to the height and variety of trees, to maintain the productivity and health of the plantation.

The Salaverri's place great importance on managing their staff and providing decent working conditions. Farm managers receive bonuses for the quality of the harvest, and many employees are hired on a permanent basis, which helps to build a committed and experienced team. They employ between 50 and 60 people living directly on the farms, and offer coffee pickers competitive wages and optimised working systems that allow them to finish their day earlier. This allows employees more time for their families.

The family also invests in local social infrastructure. They have built houses for seasonal workers near one of their farms in San Francisco and provided access to medical care - doctors regularly visit the plantations and the family supports local clinics, including two they built themselves in Ataco. In addition, they have donated plots of land for the construction of two government clinics and supported the development of a local school and a football pitch. The Salaverri's commitment goes beyond coffee production - their actions impact the development of the entire community.