About the Coffee Nantic is run by 385 indigenous women farmers in the Chiapas Highlands of southern Mexico. The name comes from the Tzeltal word for "our mother." Together, they tend 475 hectares of smallholder plots that have been passed down through generations, keeping traditional growing practices intact rather than shifting to industrial methods. The Chiapas Highlands sit at high elevation with cool temperatures, humidity, and volcanic soil. Those conditions slow how the coffee cherry develops on the tree, which tends to produce a more balanced, even cup. The women of Nantic grow their coffee within this environment using the same land management approaches their families have used for generations, without synthetic inputs. About Pilot Andy Wilkin and Jessie Holmes opened their first cafe and micro-roastery in May 2009 in Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood, originally under the name Te Aro Roasted. Andy had just earned his Q Grader certification and drew inspiration from the cafes in Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand, where he grew up. The space was a converted car garage. By 2013, they rebranded as Pilot Coffee Roasters. Their sourcing approach is built around returning to the same producers year after year, rather than chasing whatever is new. They describe it as growing together over time, which means the relationships with farms like Nantic are ongoing, not one-off transactions.
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