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Semilla
They're a little more "militant," a little more "raw." I really like that.
Simon-Louis · Zab
Our relationship

ZAB × Semilla A relationship at origin, since their very beginnings.

Brendan, the founder of Semilla, is an OG of the Montreal coffee scene, and when he launched his project we were among the first to buy coffee from him. Not long after, Pat, another OG of the Montreal scene, joined the project, and they've been running the company together ever since.

The longest producer relationship we have through them is the Lemus family's coffee, which has been part of our menu for years!

In 2025, we took the relationship further by contributing 50/50 with Semilla to build shade beds (structures used to dry coffee) at Jesus Galeas's farm in Honduras, a producer we buy coffee from. A concrete gesture that truly helped the community and makes us want to do it again!

ZAB and Semilla ZAB and Semilla
Semilla
Who is Semilla

The importer From Canada, standing alongside producers on the margins.

Founded in 2019 by Canadian Brendan Adams, a former barista and green coffee buyer, Semilla was born from a simple ambition: to build a supply chain that adds value across the entire ecosystem, from producers to roasters. Traveling through producing countries, Brendan saw that many small producers had no access to the specialty market — Semilla was founded to change that dynamic.

The company describes itself as a "relationship-driven" importer: representing groups of small producers and helping them move from the periphery to the heart of the value chain, through stable, transparent relationships and deep traceability. For Semilla, coffee isn't a mere commodity, but a link between history, society, politics and culture — a product of people, above all.

Sourcing, services and impact

"Coffee isn't a commodity, but a connection." — Semilla

Semilla stands out for its pre-purchase model: nearly 75% of its coffees are reserved in advance by roasters who commit across several harvests. This approach guarantees producers a stable outlet and sustains lasting relationships, while keeping a few "spot" coffees to forge new partnerships.

Semilla works only with groups that have little or no connection to the specialty market. It supports them in improving fermentation and sorting, understanding cupping scores and gaining independence. For the roaster, buying from Semilla means committing for the long term: the same lots come back year after year, along with the producer's full story — far beyond price.

Semilla
Semilla sourcing and impact