We spent a sweaty morning at the commercial harbour in Falmouth, loading coffee onto the Grayhound Lugger. It is always a pleasure to welcome this beautiful vessel. Along with the crew and a disco soundtrack, it took us just a couple of hours to lift nearly 4 tons of coffee sacks into the ship’s cargo hold.

An enormous amount of gratitude for the team that came together on short notice to help unload the ship last week.

New Dawn Traders is currently just myself and Jowan. As the ever-shifting arrival date for unloading moved into the one week where I could not be available, this put an enormous pressure on us. Jowan met the challenge with calm determination, and our friends rallied around him.

Yesterday the Grayhound Lugger sailed into Falmouth to deliver our cargo of Haciende de Queiles extra virgin olive oil. We couldn’t have asked for a better day for this fly-by visit! The ship came alongside the Prince of Wales Pier with permission from the very supportive Cornwall Council’s Maritime Service. The sun was out, a gentle breeze and a high tide right in the middle of the day. 

Marina’s parents are beekeepers. Sometimes she is asked how her parents produce honey, to which she responds ‘My parents don’t produce honey. The bees do.’

Marina and Nuno at Éme work alongside the bees’ seasonal rhythms to collect and share honey and pollen with fellow humans. On any given day…

Around this time last year, our regular photographer Kerry Murray went on assignment to see where our rice comes from. She met the lovely Jorge Vieira of Garça Branca, the man behind this brand of Portuguese Carolino rice.

It may surprise you to know that the Portuguese are the largest consumers of rice in Europe, eating 15 – 16 KG of rice per person per year…

It’s bean planting season in the Côa Valley, Portugal so we spoke with Emilia Reigado, the bean queen herself, to learn more about her tasty and versatile crop. We find out about the different varieties, preparation tips and how best to cook and eat them.

Dried beans may not be your go-to store cupboard favourite yet, but they should be. Here’s why…

Move to the countryside. Set up a rural business. Live the simple life. Right? Depends on who you ask. For many, the realities of running a farm quickly muddy any preconceived notions of a peaceful agrarian life. For Marije Passos, however, such challenges actually reinforce her drive to do what she loves the most: produce quality olive oil.

Marije is a realist-optimist.