10 February 2023 | 25 mins

Episode 58: Unlocking Vietnam's true potential

On the podcast today we're heading to Vietnam to explore how this rapidly diversifying market is breaking away from tradition and embracing a new era of coffee appreciation.

In conversations with Will Frith, coffee coach and Co-founder, Building Coffee, academic Sarah Grant, and Sahra Nguyen, CEO and Founder, Nguyen Coffee Supply, we discuss the complex history of Vietnamese coffee exports, the burgeoning specialty coffee scene in Ho Chi Minh City, and the growing international appreciation of high-grade Vietnamese Robusta coffee.

Credits music: Hurry Slow by Olivia Junholm in collaboration with The Coffee Music Project

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Guests

Will Frith

Coffee Coach and Co-founder, Building Coffee

Will Frith is a 15-year veteran of the specialty coffee industry and an authority on Vietnamese coffee. In 2013 Frith moved to Vietnam to contribute to the development of specialty arabica coffee and provide coaching and mentorship for start up coffee companies. In 2019 Frith co-founded Saigon-based coffee roaster Building Coffee.

www.willfrith.com

Sarah Grant PhD

Associate Professor, Fullerton University

Sarah Grant is an academic and researcher specialising in the history of coffee and rise of industrial coffee production in Vietnam. Grant is the Associate Professor at California State University, Fullerton working in anthropology, critical food and agriculture studies, climate change, and social and environmental justice.

sarahggrant.com

Sahra Nguyen

Founder and CEO, Nguyen Coffee Supply

Sahra Nguyen is a former writer, filmmaker, director and journalist and founder of NYC-based specialty Robusta coffee roaster Nguyen Coffee Supply selling to HORECA and retail. Nguyen’s mission is to build an influential Vietnamese coffee brand promoting diversity, sustainability and cultural integrity.

nguyencoffeesupply.com