MEMPHIS, Tenn. — CxffeeBlack, a Memphis based coffee company, was named the most notable roaster in the world on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
“We are one of two United States coffee companies that were nominated for this award," CxffeeBlack co-owner Renata Henderson said. "We are the only coffee brand in Tennessee that's ever been nominated for this award.”
The recognition Henderson is talking about is the award for most notable roaster of the year, and this isn't a local honor, or even a national award. This nomination is for global recognition. The award was presented by Sprudge and Pacific Foods Barista Series, through the 15th Annual Sprudgie Awards.
"So, it's kind of a big deal that we are up there with six global roasters across different cultures across the world that are just as great," Henderson. "They are producing just as great of quality, and it's so cool to see that someone from Memphis, Tennessee, is nominated for that."
But it's more than just the coffee itself that sets CxffeeBlack apart. They have actually traveled to Africa to learn the culture and history behind coffee, visiting tribes like the Guji tribe.
"They really taught us everything we know about the indigenous perspective of coffee," CxffeeBlack co-owner Maurice Henderson II said, "which has been amazing to have a perspective that's more rooted in where coffee comes from.”
Maurice and Renata then brought that knowledge back and passed it down to the next generation.
“What we like to do is take the curriculum that we have and teach people about the black history of coffee," Renata said.
A history that has been lost over time.
“We don't have a culture of coffee...so when coffee was stolen...the culture wasn't stolen, so people got to take it, and the curiosity of coffee, the blessings that came with coffee, didn't follow coffee itself," Renata said. "It just kind of became it's own commodity."
Restoring the culture means reminding people of the little things, like the concept that coffee was originally created to bring peace and harmony.
“The indigenous people in southern Ethiopia, specifically the Oromo people, have been giving a blessing," Maurice said. "They say when you serve coffee to somebody for the first time, you're supposed to bless them.”
All that travel, work, and teaching is finally paying off.
Renata said she is blessed to be in this position.
"As the first black female coffee roaster in Memphis, it's a big deal," she said. "Because the work that we've been doing, we've been doing the work. The work that we've been doing has basically proven itself, and I think the world is finally seeing it.”